On October 4 local time, after entering the "final vote" process, Japan's former Minister for Economic Security, Takahashi Sana, was elected as the new president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and she became the first female president in the party's history. She is likely to become Japan's next Prime Minister. However, from a specific point of view and foreign policy stance, Takahashi Sana has been criticized by some Japanese scholars as "too naive."
Takahashi Sana has long been seen as a representative of the far-right in Japan. Especially regarding issues related to foreigners, she has repeatedly made "extreme statements," such as "foreigners kick deer in Nara" and "police do not prosecute foreigners due to lack of interpreters." Although these remarks are often proven to be baseless by relevant personnel and departments, they have greatly increased Takahashi Sana's popularity among the far-right group in Japan. She has also frequently visited the Yasukuni Shrine publicly, denied the historical fact of the Nanjing Massacre, and advocated the "China threat theory." In this LDP presidential election, Takahashi Sana indeed gained a significant advantage in "party member votes."
Zhao Qingqing, a columnist at Guanchazhe.com and historian, pointed out that Takahashi Sana's campaign strategy and proposals have a distinct far-right color, but these extreme xenophobic opportunistic statements have backfired in the current political environment.
Takahashi Sana is often regarded as a "direct disciple" of Shinzo Abe and has received considerable favor from former supporters of Abe. As reported by Asahi Shimbun.
In addition, when discussing Sino-Japanese relations before the election, Takahashi emphasized: "There are unresolved matters in economic security and defense between Japan and China, and we will conduct sincere dialogue." However, Takahashi has repeatedly raised the issue of Taiwan, even citing the erroneous statement of the late former Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, "Taiwan's situation is Japan's situation," claiming that Japan will inevitably be involved in the conflict if there is a "Taiwan incident."
However, her related remarks and policies have been considered by some Japanese scholars as "too naive" (ナイーブ, naive). For example, Tetsuo Koyama, a researcher at the Institute for International Policy Studies, stated that Takahashi Sana claimed to "hope for a sincere dialogue with Chinese leaders on the Taiwan issue," which is too naive because she hasn't considered that her previous remarks would prevent her from having an opportunity to meet with the Chinese leader. Additionally, Takahashi Sana has shown an extremely pro-American stance in foreign affairs. This scholar finally joked, "Takahashi seems to have no competent foreign affairs advisor."
A post published by Tetsuo Koyama on a social media platform. Social media platform "X".
Regarding the prospects of Takahashi Sana after becoming the LDP president, Zhao Qingqing analyzed that she may find it difficult to replicate and continue Abe's success, the root cause being the lack of personal charm, unique political insights, and a solid political base. She more relies on the support of Abe and reflects his political energy. In other words, Takahashi's political appeal mainly comes from the label of "Abe successor," rather than her own political ideology, policy capabilities, or personal charm.
Zhao Qingqing predicted that the "Takahashi script"演绎了 "the tea cools when the person leaves" (人走茶凉) word, and it is difficult to continue merely by shouting the slogan of "inheriting Abe's line." After losing the organizational protection of a strong faction and the halo of a leader, her ability to mobilize the far-right line and the political market quickly shrinks.
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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7557269326839988782/
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