Japan and China will hold sub-Cabinet-level talks in Tokyo today in a last-ditch effort to resolve a lingering trade dispute.
The one-day meeting is seen as a last chance for the parties to broker a deal before Friday, the deadline for Japan's decision on whether to invoke full-scale import curbs on stone leeks, shiitake and rushes used for tatami, all of which are mainly shipped in from China.
"We will make utmost efforts to solve the issue through dialogue since top leaders (in the two countries) had agreed to do so," Takeo Hiranuma, minister of economy, trade and industry, told a regular news conference Tuesday.
Tsutomu Takebe, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, told a separate news conference that Japan is willing to hold another round of ministerial talks with China to settle the dispute.
"If the (vice ministerial) talks make progress and a ministerial decision becomes necessary, we will hold ministerial talks," he said.
He added, however, that should the talks end in failure, "It would take a week or 10 days for Japan to invoke the full import curbs on the farm products."
The dispute started in April, when Japan imposed provisional import curbs on the three farm products in question.
These temporary restrictions expired Nov. 8.
In retaliation, China in June slapped 100 percent tariffs on Japanese imports of automobiles, air conditioners and mobile phones, bringing imports of these goods to a virtual standstill.
A bilateral ministerial meeting last week in Beijing failed to result in an accord on the issue.