23 h. ago Japan’s first female PM Takaichi calls snap election for February 8

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced her plan to dissolve the House of Representatives on Friday for a snap general election, the opening day of this year’s ordinary parliamentary session. At a press conference on Monday, Takaichi said she will put her post on the line and seek the voters’ judgment on whether she should remain Japan’s prime minister. Voting will be held on February 8, with official campaigning to start January 27. The election would be the first since Takaichi became...

Politics

23 h. ago Japan’s Takaichi rolls dice on snap election, betting her popularity can save scandal

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has staked her political survival on a high-risk snap general election, wagering that her personal approval ratings can overcome the legacy of her scandal-plagued party. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Takaichi confirmed she would dissolve the House of Representatives on Friday – the opening day of the parliamentary session – paving the way for a nationwide vote on February 8. “I will put my post on the line and seek the voters’ judgment on...

Politics

5 d. ago South Korean leader Lee takes ‘pragmatic approach’ to reset ties with China, Japan

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s back-to-back visits to China and Japan suggest a “pragmatic approach” to reset ties with both countries as tensions soar between Beijing and Tokyo, analysts said. Lee met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday during a two-day trip to Japan. Speaking to reporters after their summit in Nara – Takaichi’s hometown – Lee said there was “unprecedented turmoil” in the global political landscape and trade order. He stressed the need for South Korea and...

Politics

5 d. ago Japan’s Takaichi faces uphill task in lower house election after ally’s exit

Komeito is emerging as a potential political kingmaker in Japan ahead of a widely expected snap lower house election, three months after the party affiliated with a religious movement announced it was ending an alliance with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party over differences with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. On January 23, the opening day of the Diet, Takaichi is expected to announce the dissolution of the House of Representatives, with polling likely to take place on February 8 or February...

Politics

5 d. ago Japan’s Takaichi faces uphill task in lower house election as opposition unites

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s bid to strengthen her slim parliamentary majority through a widely expected snap election has grown riskier after the country’s largest opposition party struck an alliance with a former ruling coalition partner. The new alliance between the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP) and Komeito, announced on Thursday, complicates Takaichi’s bet that she will be able to significantly build on her razor-thin majority in the lower house of...

Politics

7 d. ago How a snap election in Japan could put Sanae Takaichi in a stronger position with China

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is said to be weighing up an early election, a move that could put her in a stronger position with both China and the United States if she secures a decisive win, according to observers. But a diplomatic thaw between Japan and China is not expected any time soon. Media reports in recent days have suggested that Takaichi may call a snap general election to capitalise on her high approval ratings. Citing government sources, the Yomiuri Shinbun reported on...

Politics

7 d. ago Japan’s Takaichi seeks unity with South Korea’s Lee as China tensions persist

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will push for closer ties with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at a summit on Tuesday, as Tokyo struggles to draw a line under its widening diplomatic dispute with China. Both sides will focus on security challenges and Takaichi is expected to avoid “divisive” issues, while Lee, who last week met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, will try to achieve a “neutral” stance, analysts say. Lee’s two-day visit to Nara, Takaichi’s hometown, comes at a...

Events

7 d. ago Japan’s Takaichi Courts South Korea With China Rift Deepening

Japan’s Takaichi Courts South Korea With China Rift Deepening  Bloomberg.com

Events

1 week ago Japan’s Takaichi tipped for snap election gamble as poll ratings soar

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, riding high in opinion polls, is expected to call a general election in the coming months to capitalise on her popularity and seize the opportunity to rebuild a Liberal Democratic Party-led government. Takaichi has done little to play down the possibility, telling a news conference on Monday: “It is important that the public can feel the tangible effects of our measures against rising prices and our economic policies. We are working hard to tackle the...

Politics

1 week ago As China targets Japan over Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks, what levers does Tokyo have?

China’s access to Japan’s coveted industrial-use goods – especially a critical chipmaking ingredient – may face hurdles if Tokyo imposes export restrictions in the event of a prolonged political dispute, though trade is holding steady for now, analysts and a trade organisation said. Beijing’s response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s November 7 remarks about Taiwan has prompted some analysts to ask what cards Tokyo might play should the relationship deteriorate further. Beijing’s...

Events

1 week ago As Beijing targets Tokyo over Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks, what levers does Japan have?

China’s access to Japan’s coveted industrial-use goods – especially a critical chipmaking ingredient – may face hurdles if Tokyo imposes export restrictions in the event of a prolonged political dispute, though trade is holding steady for now, analysts and a trade organisation said. Beijing’s response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s November 7 remarks about Taiwan has prompted some analysts to ask what cards Tokyo might play should the relationship deteriorate further. Beijing’s...

Events

1 week ago China bans certain rare earths and other exports to Japan for military purposes over Takaichi’s comments

China bans certain rare earths and other exports to Japan for military purposes over Takaichi’s comments  KESQ

Events

2 w. ago Japan PM Takaichi seeks dialogue with China as tensions remain

Japan PM Takaichi seeks dialogue with China as tensions remain  Japan Wire by KYODO NEWS

Events

2 w. ago North Korean missile falls near Japan; Takaichi orders safety checks

North Korea fired a ballistic missile off its east coast on Sunday, South Korea’s military said. “The North has launched an unidentified ballistic missile towards the East Sea,” it said, referring to a body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. Japan’s defence ministry also said it detected a possible ballistic missile, which landed at 8.08am. The projectile is believed to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and no damage to ships or planes has been reported, according to a...

Events

2 w. ago North Korean missiles fall near Japan; South Korea, Japan on alert

North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles off its east coast on Sunday, Seoul’s military said, its first launch of the year just hours before South Korea’s leader heads to China for a summit. Sunday’s launch follows a US military operation against Pyongyang’s socialist ally Venezuela that snatched President Nicolas Maduro out of his country – for decades a nightmare scenario for North Korea’s leadership, which has long accused Washington of seeking to remove it from power. Seoul’s defence...

Events

2 w. ago Trump to meet US’ China envoy after call with Japan PM Takaichi as Taiwan drills conclude

US President Donald Trump is meeting US Ambassador to China David Perdue at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday, rounding off a day of diplomacy that began with a call with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The engagements come at a delicate moment for the administration as it seeks to align its “America first” regional approach amid a deepening diplomatic rift between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan, and following Washington’s recent approval of its largest-ever arms sale to the...

Politics

2 w. ago Takaichi is shaping up as Japan’s Thatcher amid China feud. Can her popularity last?

Japan is no stranger to political volatility, often characterised by a rapid turnover of prime ministers, and when Sanae Takaichi took office in October, many believed her premiership would not last long. But more than two months later, Takaichi has proved the sceptics wrong and even managed to bring back voters who abandoned the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party and rallied behind far-right groups like the anti-immigrant Sanseito party in the July election. The LDP under then prime minister...

Politics

2 w. ago If Trump wants a deal with China, he must rein in US allies in Asia

US President Donald Trump’s hopes for a grand deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping are being undercut by American allies’ self-interested amplification of the “China threat”. This year’s Nanking massacre memorial was particularly poignant in light of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s controversial remarks on Taiwan. Beijing warned that any attempt to challenge the post-war international order or undermine established historical truths would be “doomed to failure”. Meanwhile, Singaporean...

Politics

2 w. ago China and US need new ways to engage in push for stable, cooperative ties, Wang Yi says

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on Tuesday called for a new paradigm for engagement with the United States, emphasising the need for stable, cooperative ties while firmly defending what he described as China’s core interests, particularly regarding Taiwan. During a speech in Beijing, Foreign Minister Wang also accused Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of “openly challenging” Chinese territorial sovereignty after she suggested last month that a potential Taiwan conflict could threaten Japan’s...

Politics

2 w. ago China and US need new ways to engage in push for stable ties, Wang Yi says

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on Tuesday called for a new paradigm for engagement with the United States, emphasising the need for stable, cooperative ties while firmly defending what he described as China’s core interests, particularly Taiwan. During a speech in Beijing, the foreign minister also accused Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of “openly challenging” Chinese territorial sovereignty after she suggested last month that a potential Taiwan conflict could threaten Japan’s...

Politics