China, South Korea Wary of New Japan PM Sanae Takaichi’s Conservative Stance

By Akiko Yoshinaga and Seidai Fujihara / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondents

14:25 JST, October 27, 2025

BEIJING/SEOUL — China and South Korea appear wary of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s conservative political stance. The two countries seem intent on gauging how her stance will be reflected in Japan’s foreign policy.

Since taking office in March 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent congratulatory messages to foreign leaders upon their inauguration. He has sent such messages to three Japanese prime ministers — Yoshihide Suga, Fumio Kishida and Shigeru Ishiba — on their inauguration days and announced that he had done so.

Takaichi took office last Tuesday, but as of Sunday evening, the Xi administration has not announced whether it had sent a congratulatory message to her. So far, it has only been confirmed that Chinese Premier Li Qiang sent a congratulatory message to Takaichi, according to sources familiar with Japan-China relations.

The Global Times, an affiliate of the Chinese Communist Party’s official newspaper, has described Takaichi as “a leading figure of Japan’s right-wing conservatives.”

Before taking office, Takaichi would visit Yasukuni Shrine on occasions such as the anniversary of the end of World War II and has stressed her stance on protecting Japan’s sovereignty in territorial issues, thereby winning support from conservative voters.

A diplomatic source in Beijing analyzed China’s recent moves as “a possible indication that Beijing is trying to gauge moves by the Takaichi administration going forward.”

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s administration sent National Security Adviser Wi Sunglac to Japan on Oct. 21, the day Takaichi’s Cabinet was formed. The following day, Wi held talks with Keiichi Ichikawa, secretary general of the National Security Secretariat, and both agreed on maintaining and developing good bilateral relations.

Wi also met with Liberal Democratic Party Vice President Taro Aso on the same day, according to a South Korean presidential office source. This is a sign that the Lee administration, which is pursuing pragmatic diplomacy that prioritizes national interests, has continuously demonstrated its stance of placing importance on Japan.

However, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency published an article on Oct. 21 saying Takaichi has made hardline statements on topics such as historical views and territorial issues. It also said that if she visits Yasukuni Shrine, Japan-South Korea relations would suddenly take a sharp turn toward a difficult state.

A South Korean presidential office official anticipated active interactions between the two countries, but also stressed hope that “Japan will face history squarely and act in a manner reflecting genuine remorse.”