Free Republic

When Japan’s newly promoted Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the nation’s first female leader, first met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, she said she wanted to pursue a “mutually beneficial” relationship as well as to “deepen their personal ties.” “As Japan and China are important partners, the long-term, stable and healthy development of bilateral ties aligns with the common expectations of both our peoples as well as the international community,” Xi said. But just two weeks later, the neighboring countries have fallen into a diplomatic spat that neither side seems eager to climb out from. In Nov. 7 parliamentary remarks, Takaichi...

Liberal Democratic Party President Sanae Takaichi and Japan Innovation Party leader Hirofumi Yoshimura agreed to form a coalition government on Monday, after the LDP agreed to requests from the JIP on such policies as reducing the number of seats in the Diet.With the agreement, JIP lawmakers are expected to join LDP lawmakers in voting for Takaichi in the prime ministerial election on Tuesday during the extraordinary Diet session to be convened on the same day. This could crown her as Japan’s first-ever female prime minister.“I would like to thank Yoshimura, [JIP co-leader Fumitake] Fujita and other JIP members for engaging...