According to Japanese media reports recently, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio was scheduled to travel to Australia in early this month, but he cancelled the trip to cope with the surge in new coronavirus cases in Japan. So Kishida spoke at the opening of the regular diet on January 17, talking about Sino-Japanese relations and declaring that he would be "outspoken" about China. Beginning with his campaign for president of the Liberal Democratic Party, Kishida emphasized three principles for dealing with China, the world's second-largest economy.
The three principles are: say what needs to be said, urge China to act responsibly, and cooperate on issues of common interest. Tom Carraco, a scholar of American strategic issues, pointed out that these three principles mean that the goal Kishida wants to achieve is to let China understand that Japan is no longer a "second-class country" in the international order that is unwilling to speak out and is unwilling to adhere to its own position, and that Japan wants to truly become a political power and completely get rid of the identity of a "defeated country", even if China and other neighboring countries believe that Japan has not reflected enough on issues such as historical guilt and responsibility, Japan will no longer have too much scruples.
Kishida's china principles, announced at a time of tension between the two countries, do not make people expect too much from Sino-Japanese relations. Kishida also believes that improved relations with China will bring regional stability, and in his autobiography he describes how he arranged a meeting with Chinese diplomats without an interpreter. The Chinese diplomat spoke in Japanese about Kishida's belonging to the "Hongchikai." Kishi was, and still is, the leader of this LDP. The anecdote highlights how much China attaches importance to the Hongchihui, a liberal democratic party that supports a policy of "economic diplomacy and light arms" based on regional dialogue.
Clearly, China seems to want to use Kishida's background to make a breakthrough in repairing the bilateral relationship. The "Hongchihui" faction emphasizes listening to the opinions of the other side and making unremitting efforts to solve problems. With this in mind, Kishida's political views are rooted in the 1957 hongikekai founded by former Prime Minister Isamu Ikeda. Successive prime ministers from this faction have supported the so-called "Yoshida Doctrine" developed when Shigeru Yoshida was prime minister, which emphasizes economic recovery after World War II while maintaining Japan's security relationship with its ally, the United States.
In his autobiography published in 2020, Kishida mentioned that the "Hongchihui" has played a greater role in promoting China's economic success than most people realize. But perhaps this is where The views of China and Japan collide. For the Japanese, since China's economic development has benefited greatly from Japan's "help," it has been a wrong policy for many years that Japan "does not dare" to take a tough attitude toward China. Kishida's "Hiroikekai" seems to have a particular sense of agreement with such an idea. At the very least, Kishida is not opposed to continuing dialogue with China. Text/PY