“China asks Japan to follow Abe’s policy of appeasement…Takaichi does not accept”

The Mainichi Shimbun reported on the 7th that China requested Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to include her intention to improve Sino-Japanese relations prior to her speech expressing her convictions at the extraordinary session of the National Assembly, but this was not accepted.

According to reports, ahead of Prime Minister Takaichi's speech expressing his convictions at the opening of the extraordinary session of the National Assembly on the 5th of last month, China delivered a message to Japanese government officials asking them to "revert the Takaichi administration's policy toward China to that of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe."

The Chinese side pointed out that then-Prime Minister Abe expressed his will for friendly relations between China and Japan in a speech to the National Assembly in September 2014.

Former Prime Minister Abe sent a conciliatory message to China through a speech expressing his convictions as Sino-Japanese relations froze sharply due to the Japanese government's nationalization of the Senkaku Islands in 2012 and his visit to the Yasukuni Shrine in 2013.

He emphasized building stable friendly relations without mentioning sensitive issues between the two countries at the time and requested an early summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

As a result, two months later, in November 2014, a meeting between former Prime Minister Abe and President Xi was held in Beijing, China.

In November last year, China-Japan relations froze again when Prime Minister Takaichi suggested 'Taiwan's intervention in case of emergency' in an answer to the National Assembly.

As the relationship strain continued for a year, the Chinese side also began to attempt to restore relations, and it appears that Prime Minister Takaichi's speech was the opportunity to make a behind-the-scenes proposal.

It is said that the Japanese Prime Minister's Office accepted this as a signal from the Chinese government to improve the currently cooled Sino-Japanese relationship and coordinated a plan to include the will for economic cooperation in the Prime Minister's speech in a way that will inherit former Prime Minister Abe's policy stance.

However, it is reported that Prime Minister Takaichi did not accept this and revised it.

In his speech, he stopped short of stating his principled policy of improving relations between the two countries, saying, "We will comprehensively promote a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship based on the relationship we have built over a long period of time."

In addition, he mentioned China's economic coercion measures, such as restrictions on exports of key minerals, and human rights issues, and ordered China to "strongly demand responsible action."

Not only is it different from Abe's speech in 2014, but it also contains remarks that could provoke China.

After the speech, the Mainichi reported that a Chinese government official pointed out to his Japanese counterpart, "Prime Minister Takaichi does not seem to have the will to improve relations with China."

Mainichi pointed out that China also seems to be willing to improve relations with Japan due to economic cooperation and other needs, but there is little incentive to take the lead as the Taiwan issue, which China regards as its core interest, is at stake.

While Xi Jinping's leadership maintains a hard-line attitude toward Prime Minister Takaichi, other Chinese government officials have recently praised Japan as an "important economic and trade partner," suggesting that China is preparing for a prolonged cooling off phase while managing its impact on the economy.