• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Sanae Takaichi officially elected Japanese PM; ties with China, US under cautious watch amid Tokyo's political uncertainties

Global Times

By Xu Keyue and Xing Xiaojing Published: Oct 21, 2025 01:50 PM

Sanae Takaichi, leader of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was officially elected the country's prime minister on Tuesday after winning the vote in both houses of parliament, becoming the country's first female leader.

Her election as prime minister ended Japan's three-month political vacuum and wrangling since the coalition's loss in the July parliamentary election, Asahi Shimbun reported.

When commenting on Takaichi's election, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated, "China noted the result of the vote and considers it Japan's internal affair."

He added that China and Japan are each other's neighbors. China's fundamental position on its relations with Japan is consistent and clear. We hope Japan will work with China, observe the principles laid down in the four political documents between the two countries, honor its political commitments on major issues concerning history and Taiwan, uphold the political foundation of the bilateral relationship, and fully advance the China-Japan strategic relationship of mutual benefit, Guo stated.

Conservative identity outweighs gender label

Former prime minister Shigeru Ishiba resigned with his cabinet on Tuesday morning, marking an end to the administration that took office just over a year ago, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

As Ishiba's 386-day tenure has ended, Japan has sworn in its first female leader.

Later in the day, new Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara announced the list of Cabinet members, such as Satsuki Katayama, a LDP lawmaker who became Japan's first female finance minister, and Kimi Onoda, who was named economic security minister and holds a concurrent post as minister responsible for policies on foreigners, Kyodo News reported.

Some Chinese experts view Takaichi's election, who is widely regarded as a conservative within the LDP, as representing a victory for conservatism more than a breakthrough for female candidates. In her case, her conservative identity appears to carry greater weight than the gender label, according to experts.

Takaichi's election as Japan's first female prime minister marks a historic break from political tradition, but her victory primarily stems from power struggles within conservative political circles rather than representing progress in gender equality, Lu Hao, a research fellow at the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

"Her election signals the rising influence of right-wing populism in Japan," Lu said.

Prior to her election, Takaichi had drawn significant attention for her right-leaning remarks, particularly regarding China-Japan relations. Her stance on the infamous Yasukuni Shrine issue had also raised concerns among some in Japan about whether her leadership might strain relations with neighboring countries, according to some experts.

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that "Takaichi is among Japan's historical revisionists who minimize Imperial Japan's wartime atrocities, and she helped edit history text-books to tone down language that referred to Japanese aggression."

CNN on Monday reported that like Shinzo Abe, she supports revising Japan's pacifist constitution and has visited the Yasukuni Shrine. "Some of these stances - such as her hawkish views on China - could complicate Japan's regional relationships," CNN commented.

Notably, unlike her practice before being elected LDP president, Takaichi did not visit the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo during its three-day autumn festival through Sunday, the Japan Times reported Monday. According to the report, she apparently took into account the possibility that any visit to the shrine could "adversely impact foreign affairs."

According to some Chinese experts, this was widely interpreted as a tactical concession to secure the top office in Japan.

Da Zhigang, a research fellow at the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that visiting the notorious Yasukuni Shrine would spark criticism from China, South Korea and others, hindering the new government's diplomatic outreach. As a result, Takaichi's position on such historical issues will likely be more restrained than in the past, he noted.

The expert believes that her values will shape her fundamental attitude toward China, but the political realities she faces will likely deter her from igniting fresh conflicts in bilateral relations.

Domestic, foreign policies in 'new crossroads'

According to Nikkei Shimbun, on Tuesday evening, Takaichi held her first press conference as the Japanese prime minister. She emphasized her commitment to "building a strong Japanese economy and steadfastly protecting Japan's national interests in diplomacy and security."

The prime minister stressed her intention to arrange an early summit with US President Donald Trump, stating she aims to "elevate Japan-US relations to new heights." She further clarified that the U.S.-Japan alliance serves as the cornerstone of Japan's foreign and security policies, Nikkei Shimbun reported.

She also apologized for the prolonged political vacuum caused by the extended transition from her election as LDP president to the formation of the new cabinet, saying, "I offer my heartfelt apologies to the public," Sankei Shimbun reported.

Asahi Shimbun reported that the LDP has dissolved its coalition government with Komeito and has joined forces with the Japan Innovation Party (JIP) as its new partner. Although the LDP intended to offer cabinet positions to the JIP to share governmental responsibility, the proposal was declined as the JIP appears intent on maintaining strategic flexibility, the re-port said.

The "whirlwind alliance" between the LDP and the JIP, both of which are conservative, is also being scrutinized by the international community.

According to Lu, the new coalition is driven by both the practical need to consolidate power through collaboration and their shared political views on issues such as constitution-al revision, national security and energy. However, the JIP's regional power base and its relatively unbalanced policy positions suggest that the coalition's public support may further weaken.

The rise of populist-leaning minor parties, such as the Sanseito party, has fragmented Japan's political landscape, pushing both domestic and foreign policies to a new crossroads, Xiang Haoyu, distinguished research fellow at the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies of the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

In essence, Japan's political landscape has transitioned from LDP-dominated one-party rule to a fragmented, multi-polar era of instability, Xiang said.

Analysts believe that with urgent policy challenges piling up at home and abroad and key diplomatic engagements imminent, the new Japanese leader faces steep challenges.

Domestically, she must navigate skillfully within a "double minority" parliament to secure the passage of critical legislation. At the same time, the effectiveness of her proposed "Takaichinomics" in alleviating public livelihood pressures, amid mounting national debt and inflationary pressures, will serve as a litmus test of her administrative competence, Xiang commented.

Among these challenges, managing relations with the US and China remains the core issue of Japan's foreign policy and will test Takaichi's political acumen, according to analysts.

Citing recent media reports revealing that US President Donald Trump's Asia tour is set to include a visit to Japan later this month, Xiang believes the trip will likely serve as the first test of Takaichi's diplomatic skills and the resilience of the US-Japan alliance.

The Washington Post, citing experts, said on Tuesday that "there are broad uncertainties about how the two countries will work together, especially given the level of political instability in Japan. Takaichi is the fourth Japanese prime minister in five years."

Takaichi's previously displayed hawkish stance appears to align to some extent with the US' domestic political landscape and regional strategic objectives. However, her right-wing position, tinged with historical revisionism, along with Japan's domestic political instability and potential trade frictions between Japan and the US, could pose structural challenges to Japan-US relations on three levels: strategic trust, policy coordination and regional stability, Xiang commented.

Key points to observe include whether Takaichi can leverage shared ideologies and policies to build closer ties with Washington, while simultaneously curbing her populist and historical revisionist tendencies to avoid undermining China-Japan relations, Lu Hao remarked.