China ‘willing to work’ with next Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida, but watches cautiously to see if dove will turn hawkish

The former foreign minister, who beat Taro Kono in the ruling party’s leadership contest, will take over at a time of increasing tension with Beijing

Some observers believe that public opinion will force him to take a tougher stance towards China, but others say he will still try to improve relations

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Japan's newly elected Liberal Democratic Party leader Fumio Kishida pictured with outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Photo: Reuters

Laura Zhouin BeijingandRachel Zhangin Shanghai

Published: 8:00am, 30 Sep 2021Updated: 8:28am, 30 Sep 2021

China has cautiously welcomed Fumio Kishida’s election as the new leader of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democrats, a victory that paves the way for the former foreign minister to take over as prime minister next week.

Kishida defeated former defence and foreign minister Taro Kono in the second round of the party vote to choose a successor to Yoshihide Suga, who announced his resignation earlier this month after a year in the post.

The 64-year-old’s victory comes at a time when relations between China and Japan, already under strain due to historical grievances and a long-running dispute over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, have further deteriorated over issues such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

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Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily press conference on Wednesday that China “is willing to work together with Japan’s new governing team … to deepen pragmatic cooperation in various areas and promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-Japanese relations”.

Long seen as a dove on foreign policy, Kishida has appeared to become increasingly hawkish towards the country’s neighbour.

During his campaign he said countering China would be his priority if elected and Japan should work closely with the US and other “like-minded” democracies to counter China’s growing influence – a stance that aligns with US President Joe Biden’s containment strategy.

He also suggested that he would set up a post of special adviser to the prime minister to deal with alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and wants to increase the military budget.

In a move that could touch a raw nerve with Beijing, he welcomed Taiwan’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership last week, saying that Japan and Taiwan share values such as human rights.