Takaichi Sets Eyes on Diplomacy with Firm Govt Footing

Tokyo, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)–Following her ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in the Feb. 8 House of Representatives election, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is poised to use the firm base of her administration to support her diplomacy. Next month, she is slated to visit the United States for the first time since she took office in October 2025. While hoping to reaffirm with U.S. President Donald Trump the unwavering Japan-U.S. alliance and demonstrate the two countries’ solidarity both at home and abroad, Takaichi is exploring ways to improve Japan-China ties, which have soured in the wake of her remarks last year over a possible Taiwan contingency. “I look forward to visiting the White House this spring and to continuing our work together to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance,” Takaichi said on X on Feb. 9, in response to a social media post by Trump expressing the U.S. leader’s full-fledged support for her during the race for the all-important lower chamber of Japan’s parliament. The LDP secured 316 seats in the closely watched election, more than two-thirds of the 465 Lower House seats. “Strengthening the administration’s foundations is a plus for our country’s diplomacy,” a senior official of Japan’s Foreign Ministry said, indicating that the election result would benefit Takaichi in her relations with Trump, who likes “strong” leaders. The two leaders are due to meet at the White House on March 19, ahead of Trump’s expected visit to China in early April for possible talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Takaichi’s U.S. trip will therefore be her most important diplomatic event in the early stage of this year. Many experts believe that Trump is paying less attention to Asia while advocating his “Donroe Doctrine,” which puts emphasis on the Western Hemisphere, including the Americas. In the upcoming bilateral summit, Takaichi, with China’s presence in mind, plans to seek the Trump administration’s active involvement in the free and open Indo-Pacific initiative, in an effort to keep him interested in Asia. She also hopes to prevent the United States from going over Japan’s head to strike a deal with China regarding issues such as Taiwan. She also aims to affirm with Trump the importance of strengthening supply chains for critical minerals, including rare earths, and come up with specific projects for Japan’s pledge to make 550 billion dollars of loans and investments in the United States, made as part of the two countries’ tariff agreement. Another focal point will be Takaichi’s response to Washington’s requests for its allies to raise the share of their defense spending to gross domestic product to at least 5 pct. In June, leaders of the Group of Seven major nations, including Japan, will gather in France for an annual summit. With a South Korea trip also eyed for Takaichi, Japan hopes to further boost cooperation with like-minded countries. Meanwhile, improving ties with China will likely be a tough task for the Japanese prime minister. Her parliamentary remarks last November that China’s possible use of force against Taiwan could constitute a so-called survival-threatening situation for Japan drew Beijing’s ire. Since then, China has taken retaliatory measures, such as halting fisheries imports from Japan again and banning exports of dual-use goods to the country. Takaichi hopes to find ways to ease the tensions by holding talks with Xi. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit to be held in China in November could be a good opportunity for her to hold a bilateral meeting with Xi. It is unclear at the moment, however, whether such a summit can be realized. Still, a close aide to the prime minister emphasized the importance of the LDP’s sweeping election victory in terms of ties with China. The result was “significant because we could show that China needs to deal with a Takaichi administration that will likely continue for a long period,” the official said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]