Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she plans to attend the APEC leaders summit hosted by China if parliament permits, confirming her willingness to visit amid a deep freeze of ties between the two Asian economies. Takaichi signaled her intention to attend the meeting during a parliamentary session on Friday, in response to questions on Japan’s foreign policy and the government’s crises management. The summit is planned for Nov. 18-19 in Shenzhen.
It’s almost been a year since Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan triggered a spike in tensions between Japan and China. The APEC summit often serves as an opportunity for Japanese and Chinese leaders to meet without the hurdles of arranging a standalone visit, but questions remain whether China’s leader Xi Jinping will set aside time to sit down with Takaichi this year. Takaichi this week sought to contain the fallout from the resignation of Agriculture Minister Kazuo Yana — the first in her administration of a cabinet member stepping down due to a scandal.
Media reports alleged he circumvented some electoral rules, and had bragged about cutting funding for municipalities that did not support his campaign in February. Yana denied breaking the law, and said he was stepping down out of concern for holding up parliament and his ministerial duties. Although she initially defended him, Takaichi accepted his resignation ahead of the submission of a sales tax suspension bill that is expected to become the main agenda of this parliamentary session.
Her response to the scandal has attracted criticism from opposition lawmakers, but whether it has a lasting impact on her ratings remains to be seen. She also made waves this week after commenting on differences between being a female prime minister compared with her male counterparts.
Source: Bloomberg Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing