Japan's New Female PM Ticks Off China in a Big Way

Japan's first female prime minister took office only last month, but Sanae Takaichi's reign already has been memorable: Her comments about Taiwan have brought Japan's relations with China to their lowest point in years, and the tensions have international implications. Coverage:

• The start: Earlier this month, when asked about a hypothetical attack on Taiwan by China, Takaichi suggested Japan would respond militarily. "If it involves the use of warships and the exercise of force, I believe this is a case that could unquestionably constitute a crisis threatening the nation's existence," Takaichi said, per the Wall Street Journal.
• Blowback: China responded angrily on several fronts, including a formal complaint to the UN and in scathing editorials and cartoons in state media. "For the first time, a Japanese leader has expressed ambitions for armed intervention in Taiwan and issued a military threat against China," a commentary in the People's Daily said this week, per CNN. "Behind this lies the dangerous attempt by Japan's right-wing forces to break free from the constraints of the pacifist constitution and seek the status of a 'military power.'"

• Trade war: China also has responded economically, notes the South China Morning Post, canceling flights from China to Japan, rerouting cruise ships, urging its citizens not to visit Japan as tourists, and even halting the import of Japanese seafood. If things escalate further, CNN notes that China has a major card to play: It could curb the export of rare-earth metals to Japan's tech industry.
• Not retreating: The ultra-conservative Takaichi "isn't backing down" and is seeing a big spike in her popularity at home, per the Journal. Meanwhile, Japan further irritated China by floating plans to deploy missiles on an island near Taiwan, reports Reuters. "Right-wing forces in Japan are... leading Japan and the region toward disaster," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning in response.
• Big picture: China appears to be responding so aggressively to warn Japan and its allies, including the US, about interfering in the future when it comes to Taiwan, according to the CNN analysis. And Beijing is calling attention to the sensitive topic of Japan's wartime atrocities in China during the 20th century as it does so. Beijing wants "to box Takaichi in and put her on the back foot early on—so she will be more reluctant to push forward on Japan's investment in defense," says Chong Ja Ian of the National University of Singapore.