China’s Foreign Ministry declines to confirm Japan-China leaders’ meeting at APEC

The non-committal answer keeps room to either grant or withhold a leaders' meeting without having to walk back a public commitment, and it separates APEC hosting duties from the bilateral track. That distinction matters because it signals Beijing wants its 2026 host role judged on logistics and cooperation, not on whether a Japan meeting happens. For markets, the read-through is limited unless ties affect trade or supply chains. What to watch is whether a meeting is confirmed before the summit and whether the two sides say anything concrete about the relationship.