China was already wary about Japan’s new prime minister, renowned Beijing hawk Sanae Takaichi, before she weighed in on one of its most sensitive issues: Taiwan. The saga began in late October when Ms Takaichi was questioned in parliament over how Japan would respond if China conducted a military blockade of Taiwan. “I believe any…
While failing to see eye to eye is hardly new to Beijing and Tokyo, Sino-Japanese relations have been especially strained this month and are at risk of worsening even further. The trigger for the downturn was Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments to the Japanese parliament on November 7 that the use of force against…
Beijing has protested to Tokyo over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s contact with a former senior Taiwanese politician on the sidelines of the Apec summit in South Korea, describing the action as “egregious”. Takaichi posted photos of herself meeting Lin Hsin-i on social media on Friday and Saturday, referring to him as “senior adviser to the…
Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo may escalate further with Sanae Takaichi poised to become Japan’s next leader, observers warn, citing her controversial positions on the Taiwan issue and Japanese wartime history. 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…
China’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday offered the latest hint that its third and largest aircraft carrier could soon enter service, after it undergoes further testing and training in the disputed South China Sea. The carrier, with a displacement of more than 80,000 metric tons, was spotted last Thursday in the East China Sea for the…
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation after less than a year in the job might not be surprising, but it will add to uncertainty over relations with China. “Now is the time for me to resign as the negotiations on US tariffs have come to an end,” Ishiba said on Sunday, citing a trade deal…