Xi Tributes Fukuda, Urges Japan to Safeguard Ties — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Yasuo Fukuda died Thursday from heart failure at age 90, and during his brief tenure as Japanese prime minister sought closer ties with Asian neighbors, particularly China.
- Xi Jinping sent condolences to Fukuda’s family on Tuesday, Oct. 27, calling him a politician of integrity and responsibility, an “old friend of the Chinese people” and a man who “upheld a correct view of history.”
- Xi Jinping urged Japan’s current leaders to cherish the older generation’s efforts, abide by the four political documents between China and Japan and “earnestly safeguard the political foundation” of bilateral relations.
- Sanae Takaichi angered China in November 2025 by suggesting Japan could deploy its military if a Chinese move against neighboring Taiwan also threatened Japanese territory; China called the remarks “egregious,” demanded a retraction, and ties sank to their worst levels in years.
- China advised its citizens against travel to Japan and banned exports to Japan of items with military applications, including some rare earths, as bilateral relations remained strained.
Why it matters: For China and Japan, the message ties remembrance of Fukuda, who served briefly as prime minister, to a concrete demand: follow the four political documents and protect the bilateral foundation. That demand comes after ties fell to their worst levels in years, alongside Chinese travel advice and a ban on some rare-earth exports to Japan.
Ask SkimNews
