Newly Elected LDP President Takaichi Faces Diplomatic Test Balancing Relations with China, South Korea

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:07 JST, October 5, 2025

The Liberal Democratic Party’s new president, Sanae Takaichi, is known as one of the most prominent conservatives within the party. A central challenge for her administration will be whether she can maintain a balanced approach toward China and South Korea — both nations with which Japan continues to face sensitive historical issues. Preparations are also underway for U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Japan at the end of this month, meaning Takaichi’s diplomatic skills will be tested from the very start of her term.

In her speech before Saturday’s runoff vote, Takaichi emphasized, “Precisely because there are pending issues and challenges, we must approach diplomacy with a focus on dialogue.” In the previous 2024 party leadership race, she had expressed her intention to continue visiting the Yasukuni Shrine even as prime minister, but she has refrained from mentioning it this time. At her post-election press conference, she simply said she would “make an appropriate decision at the appropriate time,” signaling a more cautious stance mindful of diplomatic repercussions.

However, as conservative voters have drifted away from the LDP, those within the party’s conservative wing have continued to urge her to go. A senior Foreign Ministry official warned that a visit “would instantly chill relations with China and South Korea.” When then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the shrine in 2013, both nations reacted sharply in protest.

Takaichi has also put an emphasis on the relationship with Taiwan — whom China regards as part of its own territory — and has been outspoken in condemning human-rights violations against ethnic minorities under the Chinese government. As prime minister, her ability to reconcile her long-held views on history and China with the need for stable bilateral relations will likely shape the future of Japan’s diplomacy in the region.

Trump’s trip to Japan is being coordinated for around Oct. 27–29. Since Trump favors personal diplomacy between heads of states, quickly building a working relationship with him will be essential. During the summit, he may raise the issue of Japan’s defense spending increase, setting up an early diplomatic trial for the new prime minister.