Japan PM Takaichi to seek stable ties with China after Taiwan remarks sent relations to rock bottom

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is anticipated to emphasize China as an "important neighbour" and commit to fostering a stable relationship during a policy address, amid strained relations following her previous comments on Taiwan.

She will address Japan's socio-economic challenges, including formulating a comprehensive response to population decline, and reaffirm her commitment to proactive fiscal policies despite market concerns.

Additionally, Takaichi is expected to express Japan's support for the International Criminal Court following recent US sanctions against its Japanese president.

Her speech will open a parliamentary session addressing key issues, including inflation and tax cuts.

TOKYO, Oct 5 — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to call China an “important neighbour” and pledge to build a stable relationship between the rival nations in a policy address today according to media reports.

Diplomatic relations between the Asian economic giants have been at rock bottom since Takaichi suggested in November that Tokyo may intervene in any attack on the island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.

Takaichi will likely say she plans to build a constructive and stable relationship with Beijing and describe China as “an important neighbour”, private broadcaster TV Asahi reported, citing an early draft of the speech set to take place in Japan’s parliament today.

The premier was also expected to signal her government would draft a comprehensive plan to deal with population decline, which she will call a “quietly advancing national crisis”, Kyodo News reported, citing unnamed government sources.

Despite enjoying unusually high approval ratings a year into office, the prime minister is navigating a number of challenges including rising inflation, market concerns about Japan’s mounting debts and a diplomatic spat with China that has been rumbling since comments she made about Taiwan last year.

The policy speech comes after China’s top diplomat said last week ties with Tokyo were “waiting to be normalised again” as he met a former Japanese foreign minister who was leading a trade delegation in Beijing.

China had last year warned its citizens against travel to Japan, and imposed trade restrictions that have reportedly led to big drops in supplies of vital rare earth minerals to Japanese firms.

On population decline, Takaichi will likely pledge to formulate a comprehensive strategy by the end of the year, Kyodo reported.

The number of Japanese people living in the country fell below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, according to government data released in July.

Takaichi will also repeat her commitment to a proactive and responsible fiscal policy, after her programme of expansive government spending has rattled markets, the reports said.

The speech will kick off a parliamentary session that will run through to December and discuss several bills, including plans to cut a consumption tax on food for two years to curb the impact of inflation on voters’ daily lives.

The premier’s speech will also include a pledge to support the International Criminal Court after the United States targeted the tribunal’s Japanese President, Tomoko Akane, with sanctions in August, the media reports said. — AFP

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鉴于日本首相高市早苗此前对台湾发表的言论导致日美关系紧张，预计她将在施政演说中强调中国是“重要的邻国”，并承诺促进两国关系的稳定。

她将着手解决日本面临的社会经济挑战，包括制定应对人口下降的全面措施，并重申尽管市场担忧，她仍致力于推行积极的财政政策。

此外，预计高市将在美国最近对日本总统实施制裁后，表达日本对国际刑事法院的支持。

她的演讲将拉开议会会议的序幕，会议将讨论包括通货膨胀和减税在内的关键问题。

东京，10月5日——据媒体报道，日本首相高市早苗预计将在今天的施政演说中称中国为“重要邻国”，并承诺在两国之间建立稳定的关系。

自高市春华去年 11 月暗示东京可能会干预任何针对台湾岛（北京声称是其领土）的攻击以来，这两个亚洲经济巨头之间的外交关系一直处于最低点。

据日本私营电视台朝日电视台报道，高市春丽今天将在日本国会发表讲话，她可能会表示计划与北京建立建设性和稳定的关系，并将中国描述为“重要的邻国”。报道援引了高市春丽讲话的早期草稿。

据共同社援引未具名的政府消息人士报道，首相预计还将表示，她的政府将制定一项全面的计划来应对人口下降问题，她将把人口下降称为“正在悄然加剧的国家危机”。

尽管上任一年来首相的支持率异常高，但她仍面临诸多挑战，包括通货膨胀加剧、市场对日本不断增长的债务感到担忧，以及自她去年就台湾问题发表评论以来与中国持续不断的外交争端。

此前，中国最高外交官上周在北京会见了率领贸易代表团的日本前外相，并表示中日关系“正等待再次正常化”。

去年，中国曾警告其公民不要前往日本，并实施了贸易限制，据报道，这些限制导致日本企业重要的稀土矿物供应大幅下降。

据共同社报道，高市可能会承诺在年底前制定一项全面的应对人口下降的战略。

根据政府7月份公布的数据，日本国内人口数量42年来首次降至1.2亿以下。

报道称，高市将重申她对积极负责的财政政策的承诺，此前她的大规模政府支出计划曾令市场动荡不安。

此次演讲将拉开议会会期的序幕，该会期将持续到 12 月，并将讨论多项法案，其中包括一项为期两年的食品消费税减免计划，以遏制通货膨胀对选民日常生活的影响。

据媒体报道，首相的讲话还将包括承诺支持国际刑事法院。此前，美国于8月对该法院的日本院长茜智子实施了制裁。——法新社

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