Japan PM Takaichi seeks dialogue with China as tensions remain

TOKYO - Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Jan 5 reiterated that Japan wants dialogue with China as

bilateral relations remain strained,

following her remarks on a Taiwan contingency two months ago.

Communication is important to address concerns and challenges between the two countries, Ms Takaichi said in her first press conference of 2026, as she spoke about the government’s priorities.

“Our nation is open to various opportunities for dialogue with China and has never closed the door,” Ms Takaichi said after her visit to the Ise Jingu shrine in the central prefecture of Mie, a traditional New Year event for Japan’s prime minister.

On Nov 7, 2025, Ms Takaichi suggested in Parliament that an attack on Taiwan could constitute an existential threat to Japan and potentially trigger a response from its Self-Defence Forces to support the United States if Washington backs the democratic island.

The remarks infuriated China as it regards Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, prompting Beijing to take measures that could dent Japan’s economy, such as a travel advisory against visiting the neighbouring country.

Since she took office in October 2025, Ms Takaichi has met Chinese President Xi Jinping just once, a week before she made the remarks.

The prime minister also pledged to make “diplomatic efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela and stabilise the situation” following the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a US military operation on Jan 3. But she stopped short of providing her view on the operation, which raised legal questions at home and abroad.

On the economic front, Ms Takaichi said Japan aims for private and public investment worth more than 50 trillion yen (S$410 billion) in the artificial intelligence sector by utilising over 10 trillion yen in public assistance. She said this could have a ripple effect of around 160 trillion yen. KYODO NEWS