Japan will downgrade its description of ties with China from "one of its most important" in an annual diplomatic report, according to a draft reviewed by Reuters, as relations with Beijing worsen. The 2026 Diplomatic Bluebook, which Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government is expected to approve next month, will instead describe China as an important neighbour and the relationship as "strategic" and "mutually beneficial." The draft cites a series of confrontations with Beijing over the past year, including export controls on rare earths, radar lock-ons targeting Japanese military aircraft and increased pressure around Taiwan.