First female Japanese PM pledges to ’bring back’ diplomacy with US
(MENAFN) Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi — the first woman to ever hold the position — vowed on Tuesday to restore Japan’s diplomatic influence and deepen ties with the United States.
"I will bring back Japan's diplomacy to the center of the world to flourish," Takaichi declared during her first press conference after her historic election.
Acknowledging both domestic and international challenges, she said, "Both on the inside and outside, Japan faces major crises. We have no time to stand by idly," emphasizing that her Cabinet ministers will actively pursue their responsibilities across the political spectrum.
Takaichi also noted that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), which supported her through a political agreement, together fall short of a parliamentary majority. "We are a minority ruling bloc, so it will be rough sailing ahead, but I will never give up. Our cabinet stands for resolve and advancement," she stated.
Outlining her administration’s priorities, Takaichi pointed to "controlling commodity price increases, establishing a backup system to secure metropolitan functions, implementing social security reform and revising the Constitution" as key issues. She further pledged that her government would do its "utmost to ease the impact of the US tariffs."
She described the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in South Korea as "a great chance to meet many state leaders" and advance "a free and open Indo-Pacific."
US President Donald Trump is expected to attend the ASEAN summit and visit both South Korea and Japan afterward. On his Truth Social platform, Trump hailed Takaichi’s election as “tremendous news for the incredible people of Japan.”
Speaking on Japan’s foreign policy direction, Takaichi reaffirmed, "The Japan-US alliance is the very foundation of Japan's diplomatic and security policies. We will not be confined to bilateral matters," adding that discussions would also cover issues extending from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East and Europe to Ukraine.
"Japan is a very important partner for the United States," she said. "If I meet him (Trump), we will discuss the issues very important to both of our countries.”
She also underlined the need for Japan to enhance its own military readiness, stating, "We are in cooperation with the United States, but Japan's own defense capability needs to be improved. That's what I'd like to talk about with Mr. Trump."
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