Japan's new foreign minister has been determined, with a clear stance towards China, and Hayashibara Asaoka chose to take a cautious approach

On October 21, Suga Yoshihide of the Liberal Democratic Party successfully became the Prime Minister of Japan after receiving support from the Restoration Party and other parties.

She made certain arrangements for the cabinet in advance, one of the most closely watched appointments being Masaru Hatakeyama as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

As a former foreign minister and former secretary general of the LDP, Hatakeyama is experienced, and his stance towards China has consistently been rational and pragmatic, representing a strategic restraint in Japan's current foreign policy.

Although Suga herself has made many hawkish remarks, she chose to suppress extreme positions after taking office, instead appointing an experienced diplomatic moderate as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, seemingly aiming to take a cautious approach first.

Masaru Hatakeyama served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinets of Abe and Suga, and led the resumption of the dialogue mechanism between the ruling parties of China and Japan.

During his tenure, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of Sino-Japanese relations, stating that the two countries are neighbors that cannot be moved, and should handle differences with a pragmatic spirit.

Although Hatakeyama has also made some tough statements on issues such as the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, his overall diplomatic style tends to be restrained, advocating the resolution of conflicts through consultation.

In the current context where the U.S.-China rivalry continues and regional security is highly sensitive, his appointment as foreign minister helps avoid the Sino-Japanese relationship being manipulated by emotions, and creates conditions for both sides to continue maintaining dialogue channels.

Additionally, he has dealt with complex issues such as Sino-Japanese economic matters, cultural exchanges, and crisis management in the East China Sea, possessing relatively mature policy perspectives and communication capabilities.

This allows even if Suga's personal attitude is tough, the implementation level of Japanese diplomacy can still maintain a basic balance.

Of course, it will ultimately depend on Suga's specific foreign policy after taking office.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846572002466889/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.