What will rise of Sanae Takaichi mean for China’s ties with Japan?
Conservative views on sensitive matters, including Japan’s wartime history and Taiwan, may rock already strained ties with Beijing, analysts warn
Takaichi, a former internal affairs minister known for her conservative views, was chosen to lead Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Saturday in a run-off vote against more moderate candidate Shinjiro Koizumi.
The victory sets her up to be Japan’s fifth prime minister in five years and first female leader.
China’s foreign ministry described the election result as an internal matter for Japan, while calling on Tokyo to “honour its political commitments on major issues such as history and Taiwan and pursue a proactive and rational policy toward China”.
China-Japan ties have long been marked by tensions over territorial disputes, wartime grievances and complex alliance dynamics with the United States amid competing regional security interests.
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What will the rise of Sanae Takaichi mean for Japan’s ties with China?
Despite efforts over the past year to boost economic engagement and people-to-people exchanges, overall relations remain largely strained, particularly on the security front.