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▼ PM Takaichi Vows To Maximize Japan's Interests Through Dialogue With China
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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday it is her "responsibility" to maximize Japan's interests by building good relations with China through dialogue, after a diplomatic row between the two nations escalated over her remarks on Taiwan.
Tokyo-Beijing ties have worsened since Takaichi said earlier this month that a military attack on Taiwan could present a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan. The remarks were interpreted as indicating Japan's potential involvement of its Self-Defense Forces in responding to such a scenario.
Communist-led China regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Beijing insists that the matter of Taiwan, governed separately since it split in 1949 due to the civil war, is purely an "internal affair."
During a one-on-one parliamentary debate with opposition party leaders on Wednesday, Takaichi also said she made the comment during a parliamentary session on Nov. 7, responding "sincerely" to a specific question about Japan's potential response to an emergency involving the self-ruled democratic island.
Takaichi, who took office last month, is known for embracing hawkish security views of assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Past Japanese leaders, including him, kept an ambiguous stance on how Japan would respond to a potential contingency involving Taiwan, apparently to avoid provoking China.
Takaichi, head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, also saidthe government would make a "comprehensive judgment" on what constitutes a survival-threatening situation by taking into account all available information and reviewing the specific circumstances that arise.
Concerns have been growing over adverse impacts stemming from the diplomatic dispute. There have been postponements and cancellations of not only political but also business and cultural events in both countries.
Referring to the two countries' agreement to build a "constructive and stable" relationship, Takaichi reiterated that Japan is "open" to talks with China.
Takaichi took part in the Group of 20 summit in South Africa last weekend along with other leaders including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, but no bilateral talks between the two took place on the fringes.
Takaichi made the remarks in her responses to questions from Yoshihiko Noda, head of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.
After the debate, Noda, a former prime minister, told reporters that, considering that Takaichi has stopped referring to a specific contingency example, she has "effectively retracted" her remarks on Taiwan.
Noda also expressed doubts about an economic package worth around 21.3 trillion yen ($140 billion) to tackle rising living costs. The stimulus package was approved last week by Takaichi, who is widely seen as a fiscal dove.
The stimulus plan has spurred a selloff of the yen and Japanese government bonds on expectations that the nation's fiscal health, already the worst among advanced economies with debt over twice the size of the economy, could further deteriorate.
Takaichi said her government will take "necessary measures" after examining whether recent currency market moves are based on economic fundamentals.
At the Wednesday session, Noda was allotted the longest time to question Takaichi, followed by other opposition leaders, Yuichiro Tamaki of the Democratic Party for the People, Tetsuo Saito of the Komeito party and Sohei Kamiya of the Sanseito party.
Asked by Sanseito's Kamiya about her view on the need for a counterintelligence law, Takaichi said the government will draft an anti-espionage bill at an early date after beginning discussions later this year.
Sanseito is a populist group that gained traction in the House of Councillors election in July with its "Japanese First" platform.
The Diet debate came after the LDP switched its coalition partner from its longtime ally Komeito, an avowed pacifist party, to the center-right Japan Innovation Party, before she was elected as prime minister by a parliament vote on Oct. 21.
Answering questions by Saito, Takaichi denied that she had "explicitly" directed a review of Japan's three long-held principles of not possessing, producing or permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons.
Japan, as the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, remains committed to the non-nuclear arms principles, though the third principle is feared to weaken the effectiveness of the nuclear deterrence provided by its ally, the United States.
Takaichi said that the government will "comprehensively consider" the review, including taking "realistic approaches," to the planned update next year of the National Security Strategy long-term policy guideline and two other security documents.
Saito said that nuclear abolition would be a "pipe dream" if the three principles are changed, adding that parliamentary approval for such a security policy overhaul should be required.
Tokyo-Beijing ties have worsened since Takaichi said earlier this month that a military attack on Taiwan could present a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan. The remarks were interpreted as indicating Japan's potential involvement of its Self-Defense Forces in responding to such a scenario.
Communist-led China regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Beijing insists that the matter of Taiwan, governed separately since it split in 1949 due to the civil war, is purely an "internal affair."
During a one-on-one parliamentary debate with opposition party leaders on Wednesday, Takaichi also said she made the comment during a parliamentary session on Nov. 7, responding "sincerely" to a specific question about Japan's potential response to an emergency involving the self-ruled democratic island.
Takaichi, who took office last month, is known for embracing hawkish security views of assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Past Japanese leaders, including him, kept an ambiguous stance on how Japan would respond to a potential contingency involving Taiwan, apparently to avoid provoking China.
Takaichi, head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, also saidthe government would make a "comprehensive judgment" on what constitutes a survival-threatening situation by taking into account all available information and reviewing the specific circumstances that arise.
Concerns have been growing over adverse impacts stemming from the diplomatic dispute. There have been postponements and cancellations of not only political but also business and cultural events in both countries.
Referring to the two countries' agreement to build a "constructive and stable" relationship, Takaichi reiterated that Japan is "open" to talks with China.
Takaichi took part in the Group of 20 summit in South Africa last weekend along with other leaders including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, but no bilateral talks between the two took place on the fringes.
Takaichi made the remarks in her responses to questions from Yoshihiko Noda, head of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.
After the debate, Noda, a former prime minister, told reporters that, considering that Takaichi has stopped referring to a specific contingency example, she has "effectively retracted" her remarks on Taiwan.
Noda also expressed doubts about an economic package worth around 21.3 trillion yen ($140 billion) to tackle rising living costs. The stimulus package was approved last week by Takaichi, who is widely seen as a fiscal dove.
The stimulus plan has spurred a selloff of the yen and Japanese government bonds on expectations that the nation's fiscal health, already the worst among advanced economies with debt over twice the size of the economy, could further deteriorate.
Takaichi said her government will take "necessary measures" after examining whether recent currency market moves are based on economic fundamentals.
At the Wednesday session, Noda was allotted the longest time to question Takaichi, followed by other opposition leaders, Yuichiro Tamaki of the Democratic Party for the People, Tetsuo Saito of the Komeito party and Sohei Kamiya of the Sanseito party.
Asked by Sanseito's Kamiya about her view on the need for a counterintelligence law, Takaichi said the government will draft an anti-espionage bill at an early date after beginning discussions later this year.
Sanseito is a populist group that gained traction in the House of Councillors election in July with its "Japanese First" platform.
The Diet debate came after the LDP switched its coalition partner from its longtime ally Komeito, an avowed pacifist party, to the center-right Japan Innovation Party, before she was elected as prime minister by a parliament vote on Oct. 21.
Answering questions by Saito, Takaichi denied that she had "explicitly" directed a review of Japan's three long-held principles of not possessing, producing or permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons.
Japan, as the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, remains committed to the non-nuclear arms principles, though the third principle is feared to weaken the effectiveness of the nuclear deterrence provided by its ally, the United States.
Takaichi said that the government will "comprehensively consider" the review, including taking "realistic approaches," to the planned update next year of the National Security Strategy long-term policy guideline and two other security documents.
Saito said that nuclear abolition would be a "pipe dream" if the three principles are changed, adding that parliamentary approval for such a security policy overhaul should be required.
- 26/11 20:13
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