Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi’s support stays solid as China spat festers

TOKYO – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s support ratings held steady at historically high levels according to polls conducted over the weekend, in a sign of her continued popularity despite the fallout from a dispute with China over comments she made on Taiwan in November.

The surveys conducted over the weekend showed that about 70 per cent of respondents supported Ms Takaichi’s administration.

The Nikkei newspaper put her approval rating at 75 per cent, the Yomiuri at 73 per cent and Kyodo newswire at 67.5 per cent, while the Asahi and Mainichi newspapers put the figure at 68 per cent and 67 per cent respectively. 

The poll results tracked a continued trend since she became the first woman to take the top job in October.

She took over

at a time when the ruling bloc’s grip on power was weakened by its loss of majorities in both chambers of Parliament. 

Since then, she has weathered the collapse of a longstanding coalition between her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito and ushered in a new partnership with the Japan Innovation Party as well as the influx of a handful of independent lawmakers that allowed her to reclaim a razor-thin majority in the Lower House.

The premier has also passed an extra budget with the help of some opposition parties.

Her ratings are the highest for a Japanese prime minister in about two decades, stretching back to the administration of Mr Junichiro Koizumi, according to the Yomiuri.

The extra budget funds an economic package that includes ¥8.9 trillion (S$73.1 billion) specifically meant to help households cope with inflation – a top policy priority after frustration over soaring costs of living led to election setbacks for the LDP.

The package includes rice coupons, subsidies for electricity and gas, as well as a cut to petrol taxes.

Inflation continues to be at the top of voters’ minds.

Half of respondents to the Nikkei survey said they wanted to see Ms Takaichi implement inflation countermeasures as a top priority, with defence and diplomacy coming in second at 31 per cent, and then pensions at 29 per cent.

Japan’s pace of inflation stayed at or above the Bank of Japan’s 2 per cent target for a 44th straight month in November, data released on Dec 19 showed.

While keeping a handle on domestic issues, Ms Takaichi has also had to navigate

the ire of China

after she said that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could possibly be a “survival-threatening situation” – a legal justification for Japan to deploy troops to aid other countries in a contingency. 

China has sought a retraction of the comments, but Ms Takaichi has refused to do so, saying that Japan’s policy on Taiwan remains unchanged.

Beijing has since railed against Tokyo, issuing economic and diplomatic threats by

warning its citizens against travelling to Japan

and sending letters of complaint to the United Nations.

Tokyo has also alleged that Chinese fighter jets trained fire-control radars on at least one of its jets. 

A majority of respondents have supported Ms Takaichi’s stance against China.

Fifty-five per cent of respondents in the Asahi poll said they agreed with Ms Takaichi’s position on China, while 30 per cent disagreed.

The Kyodo poll showed that 57 per cent of respondents did not think Ms Takaichi’s comments were careless.

However, the public appears to be wary of the impact from the dispute.

The Nikkei poll showed that 46 per cent were concerned about the economic impact of a deterioration in ties between Tokyo and Beijing, while 48 per cent said they were not concerned.

In a separate Asahi poll, some 53 per cent of respondents were at least partially concerned about the economic impact, while the Kyodo poll put that rate at 59.9 per cent. 

Over the weekend, Mr Itsunori Onodera, who heads the LDP’s research on security, said that Japan should not shy away from discussing nuclear weapons, while emphasising that Japan is under the US nuclear umbrella.

The comments came after a senior government official last week expressed a personal opinion that

Japan should have nuclear weapons

.

The official said that there were no formal discussions on the matter within the government, and added that the possibility of obtaining such weapons was remote.

Still, the remarks sparked backlash from opposition parties and also from China. 

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun called the situation “severe” if true, saying it exposes the attempts of some in Japan to break international law and possess nuclear weapons. BLOOMBERG