• About Us
  • Careers
  • Brand Partnerships
TFI Official Merchandise
TFI English
TFI हिन्दी
Sunday, January 29, 2023
TFIGlobal
TFIGlobal
Right Arm. Round the World. FAST.
No Result
View All Result
  • Premium
  • Indo-Pacific
  • Americas
  • Canada
  • Indian Subcontinent
  • West Asia
  • Europe
  • Africa
  • The Caribbean
  • Premium
  • Indo-Pacific
  • Americas
  • Canada
  • Indian Subcontinent
  • West Asia
  • Europe
  • Africa
  • The Caribbean
TFIGlobal
TFIGlobal
No Result
View All Result

Message to Beijing: Japan has a new Prime Minister, but Defense and Foreign Ministers remain the same

Akshay Narang by Akshay Narang
October 5, 2021
in Japan
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Message to Beijing: Japan has a new Prime Minister, but Defense and Foreign Ministers remain the same
102
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Japan’s parliament has elected former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida as its new Prime Minister. Japan and the rest of the world have high expectations from Kishida. They want him to lend continuity and stability to Japan’s political structure and avoid a return to the era of revolving-door Prime Ministers even as Tokyo looks to find a way to combat the China threat.

Meanwhile, China has got nothing to celebrate about a change of guard in Tokyo. Japan may have a new Prime Minister, but it continues to follow the Shinzo Abe’s policy of challenging Chinese hegemony. In fact, Kishida has even sent a strong a warning signal to China by retaining the two key Ministers from Suga cabinet – Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi.

Also Read

UAE backs Zambia’s Solar Dream

Is South-East Asia ready for the Chinese collapse?

Reassuring Washington and challenging Beijing

Kishida is making it clear that he won’t tinker with the anti-China policies of his two immediate predecessors – Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga. For Kishida, stability and continuity in Japanese diplomacy and security strategy seem to be the topmost priorities.

By retaining the two key ministers, Kishida is reassuring the United States as well as Japan’s other Quad partners namely India and Australia, that there will be continuity in Tokyo’s anti-China strategy. At the same time, Japan is also making it clear that China cannot breath easy because Japan will keep pursuing the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” policy.

Mike Mochizuki, a Japan politics and foreign policy expert at George Washington University said, “In keeping Motegi and Kishi in their respective posts, Kishida is certainly trying to reassure the U.S. and other key Japanese international partners that there will not be any major and abrupt changes in Japanese foreign policy.”

Kishida adapting to changing environment

Fumio Kishida is himself a career diplomat and holds the record for serving as Japan’s Foreign Minister for the longest time. Traditionally, he is a China dove but during the LDP leadership election, he underwent a remarkable transformation to emerge as a China hawk. He is clearly adapting to an era where conflicts like the one instigated by Chinese incursions into Japanese waters near the Senkaku Islands are putting Tokyo and Beijing at loggerheads.

Also read: Every Japanese PM candidate was a China hawk. Kishida, the biggest hawk among them is now the Prime Minister

During the LDP leadership election, Kishida even described China as presenting a challenge which is compelling Japan to re-examine its military firepower and relationship with the communist nation. Kishida is therefore expected to take a tough line against Beijing, despite his prior efforts to encourage economic relations with China. If there were any doubts about Kishida’s commitment to combat the China threat, he has removed them by retaining Kishi and Motegi.

Kishi a China hawk; Motegi a moderate

Nobuo Kishi, who presently serves as Japan’s Defense Minister, is probably the biggest China hawk in Japan right now. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s younger brother, Kishi is an outspoken Taiwanese ally and is known to be quite close to Taiwan’s pro-Independence President Tsai Ing-wen, as he has represented Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) during engagements with the Taiwanese President.

During his stint as Japan’s Defense Minister, Kishi has never minced his words. He recently made it clear that the introduction of Japan’s new standoff missiles is aimed at China. He said that Japan has to “respond” to increasing Chinese naval activity around Japan’s southwestern islands. Kishi was actually referring to Chinese intrusions into Japanese waters near the Senkaku Islands.

Also read: After weeks of wooing Suga and failing, a frustrated China sends vessels back to Senkaku Islands

Meanwhile, Japan has grown increasingly active on the Taiwan front since Kishi’s appointment as the Defense Minister.

On the other hand, Motegi belongs to the Liberal Democratic Party’s traditionally pro-China Takeshita faction. Yet, Motegi has been vocal in criticising China and forming a broad understanding with like-minded democracies to take on the China threat. In fact, Motegi was at the helm of Japanese diplomacy when Tokyo cancelled Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Japan visit unceremoniously. Motegi has also been at the forefront of Japan’s efforts to corner China over the issue of human rights violations in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.

With his Cabinet now in place, newly appointed PM Fumio Kishida is sending a clear message to Japan’s allies and enemies – Tokyo continues to challenge Chinese hegemony and the scope of cooperation with anti-China powers remains unlimited.

Tags: ChinaFumio KishidaJapanNobuo KishiShinzo AbeYoshihide Suga
ShareTweetSend
Previous Post

Jinping ensures that only the rich in China get access to tutors

Next Post

Biden is resuming trade ties with China

Also Read

Japan China

Japan’s first line of defence against China is in-the-making

January 6, 2023
After going sanction free on Moscow, the Netherlands rebukes US publicly

After going sanction free on Moscow, the Netherlands rebukes US publicly

November 21, 2022
Sanae Takaichi

Only Shinzo Abe’s disciple Sanae Takaichi can save Japan

November 8, 2022
Japan takes another step towards militarizing anti-China nations in the Indo-Pacific

Japan takes another step towards militarizing anti-China nations in the Indo-Pacific

November 6, 2022
Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms of use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Saudi Arabia Caribbean

Saudi Arabia expands its Caribbean foothold with an $80m gift

January 22, 2023
Did Ukraine use innocent civilians as human shield against Russia in the name of evacuation?

Did Ukraine use innocent civilians as human shield against Russia in the name of evacuation?

May 9, 2022
World Economic Forum

“Sex, sleaze, and drugs” is what WEF is all about

January 18, 2023
Cuba Ally

Cuba in Ukraine war is impossible! USA has gone bonkers in its desperation

January 24, 2023
Orwellian “Ministry of Truth” becomes a reality in Biden’s America

Orwellian “Ministry of Truth” becomes a reality in Biden’s America

April 28, 2022
Jamaica: The Best Hotspot for Pure Tropical Fun

Jamaica: The Best Hotspot for Pure Tropical Fun

January 29, 2023
All 13 Premiers of Canada give Trudeau a wakeup call

All 13 Premiers of Canada give Trudeau a wakeup call

January 29, 2023
Canada and Denmark threatened by Russia’s new move

Canada and Denmark threatened by Russia’s new move

January 29, 2023
Finland could now throw out Western Companies, so it decides to tax them instead

Finland could now throw out Western Companies, so it decides to tax them instead

January 29, 2023
Trudeau’s data manipulation skills leave Cuomo in the dust

Trudeau’s data manipulation skills leave Cuomo in the dust

January 29, 2023
Youtube Twitter Facebook
TFIGlobal
  • About us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy

©2023 - TFI MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

No Result
View All Result
  • Premium
  • Indo-Pacific
  • Americas
  • Canada
  • Indian Subcontinent
  • West Asia
  • Europe
  • Africa
  • The Caribbean

©2023 - TFI MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Follow us on Twitter

and never miss an insightful take by the TFIGlobal team

Follow @tfiglobal
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. View our Privacy and Cookie Policy.