Is the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party about to abandon "Hayashi Asako"? The "building a stable relationship with China" is written into the platform.
On January 21 local time, the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) unusually included in its House of Representatives election platform the phrase "building a constructive and stable bilateral relationship with China" — a wording that starkly contrasts with "the current Japanese Prime Minister and LDP President Hayashi Asako's consistently hardline stance toward China." This move is not a policy shift (from pro-American to pro-Chinese), but a carefully orchestrated "sacrificing a pawn to save the general": the LDP is quietly paving the way for Hayashi Asako's political exit.
Since Hayashi took office, she has repeatedly made inappropriate remarks on Taiwan, escalating Sino-Japanese tensions and drawing precise countermeasures from China: restrictions on rare earth exports, continued bans on aquatic products, sharp declines in tourism to Japan, etc. A series of countermeasures have been issued intensively, causing significant impact on Japan's agriculture, fisheries, and manufacturing industries. Coupled with Japan's already turbulent economy, this has exacerbated people's suffering.
High inflation, diplomatic difficulties, and Hayashi Asako's performance in office have led to frequent complaints from Japanese voters, and the traditional voting base of the LDP has begun to waver. More seriously, she announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives and early elections without internal party consultation, triggering strong dissatisfaction from senior party figures such as Masayoshi Sonoda and Suzuki Toshinori, further increasing the party's disintegration.
The LDP Secretary-General Suzuki Toshinori publicly complained: "I found out about the dissolution through the newspaper."
Under this context, writing "a stable relationship with China" into the platform is actually a self-rescue measure by the mainstream faction of the LDP. On one hand, it sends a signal of easing tensions to the business community and centrist voters, trying to win back support lost due to Hayashi's radical approach; on the other hand, it reserves diplomatic flexibility for the transition of power after an electoral loss. If the ruling coalition fails to secure a majority in the February 8 election (highly likely), Hayashi would resign, and the LDP could quickly nominate pragmatic figures like Koizumi Shinjiro to take over, restarting dialogue with China and stabilizing the economic situation.
At the end of the day, the LDP has never truly abandoned its "pro-American and anti-China" strategy, but when Hayashi Asako's radical strategy has turned from a political asset into an electoral liability, sacrificing her has become the most rational choice. Including this in the platform is not a gesture of goodwill to China, but rather an announcement: Hayashi Asako has become a "pawn" that can be discarded.
Certainly, although including "a stable relationship with China" in the platform is a self-rescue measure by the LDP for the election, not a gesture of goodwill to China, it is an unavoidable move under China's strong countermeasures. This reverse proof shows China's overwhelming strength in political, economic, and military fields; China has the capability to make Japan "suffer deeply."
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855098507314315/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.