Taiwan Remarks Merely Response to Question: Takaichi

Tokyo, Nov. 26 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday that she merely responded to what was asked when she made parliamentary remarks on a possible contingency around Taiwan. “I answered as much as could be said about what was asked,” Takaichi told Yoshihiko Noda, president of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, during a parliamentary debate of party leaders. It was the first leaders’ debate for Takaichi, president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Takaichi called on Noda to support a proposal to reduce the number of seats in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament. The LDP agreed to the proposal as part of its coalition deal with Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party). The prime minister said she had not explicitly instructed her government to review the country’s three nonnuclear principles and that the government will begin considering new legislation on espionage prevention this year. The debate was also attended by Yuichiro Tamaki of the Democratic Party for the People, Tetsuo Saito of Komeito and Sohei Kamiya of Sanseito. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]