Yoshiaki Fukuda stated that a war between China and Japan is unimaginable—an assertion he has made more emphatically than anyone else.

After being removed from Kishida’s cabinet, Yamaguchi openly states: a war with China is unimaginable

Following his dismissal from the Kishida cabinet, Yamaguchi has begun speaking more candidly.

In recent weeks, Yamaguchi has appeared frequently on television interviews, offering commentary on personnel changes within the Kishida administration and prospects for Sino-Japanese relations.

For instance, during an interview with Bungei Shunju on the 6th, Yamaguchi asserted that, from both security and economic perspectives, Japan cannot sever ties with China, and there is no necessity for confrontation between the two nations. He further stated he “cannot imagine a scenario in which China and Japan would descend into war.”

Similarly, in a segment aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System on the 15th, when addressing the current impasse in Sino-Japanese relations, Yamaguchi emphasized the importance of maintaining a “China-literate” faction within Japanese policymaking circles, describing such a group as “crucial” to conducting effective diplomacy with China, since “understanding China is essential to engaging with China.”

In addition, Yamaguchi made implicit criticisms of Kishida’s foreign policy approach, arguing that Japan’s optimal position amid U.S.-China relations should be that of a mediator or coordinator between the two powers—rather than becoming passive in the face of growing alignment between them. Yet, he noted, Japan “does not appear to be effectively occupying such a role at present.”

As one of the few remaining China-sympathetic figures in Japanese politics, Yamaguchi harbors ambitions to become prime minister and was once considered among Kishida’s strongest rivals. However, despite his broad political aspirations, the increasingly polarized anti-China sentiment prevailing across Japan’s political landscape today suggests that even if Yamaguchi were to assume the premiership, he would face significant challenges in reversing the country’s deepening ideological drift.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1879294726517760/

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