The new president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Yoshihide Suga, was elected Prime Minister of Japan with 314 votes at the plenary session of the House of Representatives of the Diet of Japan on June 16, leaving other candidates far behind. In the post-Abe era, there are concerns about Japan’s development and Kan’s attitude toward China. According to a Chinese expert quoted by Hong Kong media, Japan’s China policy in the post-Abe era is likely to be characterized by “general containment and local contact.
According to the Hong Kong Economic Times today, Kan was elected as Japan’s prime minister, and his stance on China is clear in this article. According to the report, Kan’s strengths are mainly in the area of domestic affairs, not diplomacy, and he has seldom explicitly expressed his personal position on China. As a spokesman for the Abe administration, Kan has made the following statements on China.
Arms issues.
According to Kyodo News, Kan held a press conference on the 2nd of February on China’s path to military expansion, including the enhancement of its missile capability to cover Japan, and stressed that Japan will work with the U.S. to address the issue. He said, “It is important to have discussions on how to manage armaments, including increasing transparency of armaments in East Asia. We hope to continue to work closely with the United States.”
Kan also noted, “China’s defense policy and military movements are extremely important concerns and are given great attention.”
Diaoyu Islands (known in Japan as the Senkaku Islands).
Chinese coast guard ships have been appearing near the Diaoyu Islands for months in May, and Kan told a press conference on May 12, “It’s totally unacceptable.” He said that he will continue to maintain a sense of tension and work with the relevant authorities to be fully prepared for vigilant surveillance around the Senkaku Islands.
Hong Kong.
On July 2, 2007, Kan called the legislation of the National Security Law of Hong Kong “regrettable” and said it undermines the credibility of “one country, two systems”.
In response to the arrest of former Hong Kong Public Chi member Zhou Ting and others on August 10 on suspicion of violating the National Security Law of Hong Kong, Kan said on July 11 that he had serious concerns about the continuing situation in Hong Kong, which is an extremely important partner of Japan, and that both sides have close economic ties and cultural exchanges.
When asked about the possibility of imposing sanctions on China, Kan only said, “We will work with relevant countries, including the U.S., to ask China to take appropriate responses.
In May of last year, Kan made his diplomatic debut during a four-day state visit to the United States, where he held talks with Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and others. This was seen as a way to establish contacts with U.S. dignitaries and to pave the way for his future role as Prime Minister. It is generally expected that Kan will continue to build on the U.S.-Japan alliance to reach out to China.
According to the Hong Kong Economic Times, Cai Liang, a researcher at the Shanghai Institute of International Studies, pointed out that how Japan’s China policy will change is not so much influenced by the personality traits of the successor, but more structurally influenced by the U.S. relationship with China. In his view, it is very likely that Japan’s China policy in the post-Abe era will be characterized by “general containment and local contact.
Recent Comments