China ‘willing to work’ with next Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida, but watches cautiously to see if dove will turn hawkish
- The former foreign minister, who beat Taro Kono in the ruling party’s leadership contest, will take over at a time of increasing tension with Beijing
- Some observers believe that public opinion will force him to take a tougher stance towards China, but others say he will still try to improve relations
Kishida defeated former defence and foreign minister Taro Kono in the second round of the party vote to choose a successor to Yoshihide Suga, who announced his resignation earlier this month after a year in the post.
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Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily press conference on Wednesday that China “is willing to work together with Japan’s new governing team … to deepen pragmatic cooperation in various areas and promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-Japanese relations”.
In a move that could touch a raw nerve with Beijing, he welcomed Taiwan’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership last week, saying that Japan and Taiwan share values such as human rights.
Japan, which took the lead in finalising the trade pact after the United States quit in early 2017, chairs the CPTPP this year.
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Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of its territory, has called on the 11 CPTPP members to oppose its application.
Earlier this year, China also accused Biden and Suga of sowing division after they vowed to counter Beijing’s “intimidation” and referred to Taiwan in the first mention of the island in a joint statement by the leaders of the US and Japan for 50 years.
Chen Youjun, a senior research fellow from the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said: “Generally speaking the stable development of China-Japan relations won’t change.
“Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalisation of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and both sides may hope to take this opportunity to do something conducive to the stable development of bilateral relations.
“Fumio Kishida made a lot of tough statements on China to win votes, which reflects that, on the China issue, the voice of hardliners has overwhelmed others and become the mainstream in Japan. Being influenced by such voices, he may take a tough stance on China in some areas.”
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During the candidates’ debate earlier this month, Kishida affirmed the importance of holding summits with Chinese leaders to ensure a stable relationship between the two countries.
Zhou Yongsheng, an international relations professor at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, said Kishida would follow his predecessors by making the alliance with the US a priority.
“He changed his position in the later stage of the campaign and became relatively positive about Japan’s relations with China. He proposed to make efforts to improve Sino-Japanese relations next year, and also emphasised the importance of leaders’ diplomacy, though like every prime minister from the Liberal Democratic Party, Japan’s ties with the US remain the most important.”
Tensions between Asia’s two largest economies have escalated in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the introduction by Beijing of a national security law in Hong Kong, and a planned state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping has been postponed.
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Beijing’s introduction of a coastguard law in January also heightened concerns in Japan about regular Chinese patrols in the disputed waters near the Diaoyu Islands, or Senkakus.
Meanwhile, Japan’s role in the Quad, a strategic grouping that also includes the US, Australia and India, has been criticised by Beijing, which has said it will stir up tensions in the region.
Additional reporting by Jun Mai
