Takaichi to call China 'important neighbour' in policy address — SkimNews
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- Takaichi is expected to describe China as "an important neighbour" and pledge a constructive, stable relationship in her Monday policy speech to Japan's parliament, per TV Asahi's draft.
- Japan-China ties have been at rock bottom since Takaichi suggested in November that Tokyo could intervene in a Taiwan attack; Beijing retaliated with rare-earth export restrictions on Japanese firms and travel warnings to citizens.
- China's top diplomat said last week relations were "waiting to be normalised again" while meeting a former Japanese foreign minister leading a trade delegation in Beijing.
- Takaichi will frame population decline as a "quietly advancing national crisis" and pledge a comprehensive strategy by year-end; government data from July showed Japan's population fell below 120 million for the first time in 42 years.
- Takaichi will reiterate her commitment to a proactive, expansive fiscal policy despite market concerns over Japan's mounting debts, with the parliamentary session through December set to debate a two-year consumption tax cut on food.
- Takaichi's speech will include a pledge to support the International Criminal Court after the US sanctioned the tribunal's Japanese President Tomoko Akane in August.
Why it matters: The diplomatic reset comes as Beijing's rare-earth restrictions have already squeezed Japanese supply chains, and Takaichi's high approval ratings give her room to attempt normalization without immediate political cost. The Monday speech simultaneously asks parliament to absorb a food consumption tax cut and a more expansive fiscal stance, pairing the China outreach with costly domestic giveaways.
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