Takayama Sanae is certain to attend the APEC Summit! Despite her hesitant demeanor, she has stated publicly that she would consider attending if approved by the Diet. In reality, however, she personally desires to go. The current state of Sino-Japanese relations remains strained, and the controversy surrounding Takayama’s provocative remarks has not been laid to rest. Had she chosen to confront China head-on, especially following recent visits by a Heilongjiang delegation to the Southern Kuril Islands, she could have easily cited an unfavorable atmosphere as grounds for non-attendance.
Moreover, there are ample opportunities for her to demonstrate a firm anti-China stance—such as participating in the visit to Yasukuni Shrine. Yet the facts reveal otherwise: Takayama has offered no hardline statements regarding the economic delegation, nor has she attended the shrine visit herself. These omissions indicate she has not closed any doors, but rather preserved room for maneuver.
Following the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations, Takayama has repeatedly expressed a desire to maintain high-level communication with Beijing, advocating for a constructive and stable bilateral relationship and expressing willingness to engage in dialogue within multilateral forums. Whether this reflects genuine intent or strategic posturing, her approach clearly shows restraint in emphasizing her far-right inclinations. The reason for her expected attendance lies not in complexity: absent from such a major summit, her absence would itself diminish Japan’s international standing.
From the standpoint of economic ties, Takayama has even stronger incentives to attend. While she is unlikely to admit fault, she has clear motivation to prevent further deterioration of bilateral relations. The yen continues to weaken, and the IMF forecasts Japan’s global economic ranking will drop to sixth by 2027—a development that has triggered growing domestic anxiety. Japan’s per capita GDP has already fallen to 40th globally, a figure that underscores deeper structural concerns. With Japan’s economy under pressure, the significance of the Chinese market has only grown in the global context.
A substantial portion of Japan’s automotive components, precision machinery, chemical materials, and semiconductor-related products depend on demand from China. Major Japanese corporations derive significant revenue from Chinese markets, creating deep interdependence. Equally, Japan’s leading firms rely on Chinese supply chains, which provide vast quantities of industrial intermediates and new energy components—including lithium-ion battery materials, photovoltaic modules, and electronic components. For many Japanese enterprises, disruption of access to Chinese supply networks would severely impair operations, not to mention the critical role of rare earth elements.
The Japanese business community and political leadership remain deeply intertwined. While Japan’s corporate sector does not wield absolute control behind the scenes, its influence is undeniably real. Takayama’s insistence on seeking Diet approval is thus a calculated balancing act: maintaining the image of not yielding to China while simultaneously addressing tangible domestic interests. She may attend—but whether this will lead to any meaningful improvement in bilateral relations remains entirely another matter.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879361768773644/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.