Tokyo has summoned Beijing’s Ambassador after Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese jets, the latest incident in the row ignited after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments backing Taiwan.

Ms. Takaichi suggested last month that Japan would intervene militarily in any Chinese attack on the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own and which it has not ruled out seizing by force.

J-15 jets from China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier on Saturday (December 6, 2025) twice locked radar on Japanese aircraft in international waters near Okinawa, according to Japan.

No damage or injury was caused, but it was the first time that Japan had disclosed such an incident. Fighter jets use their radar for fire control to identify targets as well as for search and rescue operations.

Japan had scrambled its F-15 jets because it was worried about possible “airspace violations”, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said on Monday (December 8, 2025).

China’s Navy said on Sunday (December 7, 2025) that the Japanese planes “repeatedly approached the Chinese Navy’s training area and caused trouble, seriously affecting the normal training of the Chinese side and seriously endangering flight safety”.

A statement said that Tokyo’s claim was “completely inconsistent with the facts” and told Japan to “immediately stop slandering and smearing”.

Mr. Kihara responded on Monday (December 8) that China’s “claim that the Self-Defence Forces aircraft seriously obstructed the safe flight of Chinese aircraft is unfounded.”

Vice-Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi summoned Ambassador Wu Jianghao on Sunday (December 7) and “made a strong protest that such dangerous acts are extremely regrettable”.

Mr, Funakoshi “strongly urged the Government of China to ensure that similar actions do not recur”, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said late on Sunday (December 7, 2025).

Ms. Takaichi said the same day that Japan would “respond calmly and resolutely”.

Beijing’s Foreign Ministry said it rejected that protest, and had lodged its own counter-protest, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Rare earths

The comments on November 7 about Taiwan by Ms. Takaichi, seen before she became premier in October as a China hawk, have enraged Beijing.

China has urged its citizens to avoid Japan — they are the biggest source of tourists and cultural events involving Japanese performers and movies have been hit.

Last week Japanese and Chinese vessels engaged in a fresh standoff around disputed islands administered by Japan in the East China Sea that have long been a flashpoint.

Aside from reportedly renewing a ban on Japanese seafood imports, China has however so far stopped short of imposing more serious economic measures such as curbing exports of rare earth metals.

But the Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported on Sunday (December 7, 2025) that China’s export permit procedures for rare earths — key ingredients for smartphones and electric vehicles — to Japanese companies were taking longer than usual.

Mr. Kihara told reporters that there have been “no significant changes”, adding however that China’s existing control measures were having a “serious impact on the global supply chain”.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Friday (November 21, 2025) that she wants “constructive” ties with China and that the country’s stance on Taiwan remains “unchanged” amid a spat with Beijing over the island.

“At the end of last month, President Xi [Jinping] and I confirmed the broad direction of comprehensively advancing our strategic, mutually beneficial relationship and building a constructive and stable relationship,” Ms. Takaichi told reporters.

“The government’s position remains unchanged” on Taiwan, she added.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Japan’s new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, on Tuesday (October 28, 2025)  signed a framework agreement for securing the supply of critical minerals and rare earths through mining and processing, the White House said in a statement.

The agreement was signed during Mr. Trump’s visit to Japan, part of his wider Asia trip, as both countries are looking to strengthen their rare earth supply chains used everywhere from renewable energy to electronics and cars.

The U.S. and Japan plan to cooperate through use of economic policy tools and coordinated investment to accelerate development of diversified, liquid, and fair markets for critical minerals and rare earths, the statement said.

China processes more than 90% of the world’s rare earths and has recently expanded export curbs, including new elements on its control list and tightened oversight of foreign producers that rely on Chinese materials.

The U.S., by contrast, has one operational rare earth mine and is racing to secure minerals vital for electric vehicles, defense systems and advanced manufacturing. Trump plans to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

As part of their deal, the U.S. and Japan agreed to streamline and deregulate permitting timelines and processes for critical minerals and rare earths, as well as to address non-market policies and unfair trade practices.

Both countries would consider a mutually complementary stockpiling arrangement and would cooperate with other international partners to ensure supply chain security, the White House statement added. 

Trump praises Japan’s new prime minister, says US an ‘ally at strongest level’

U.S. President Donald Trump began one of his busiest days of his Asia trip by warmly greeting the new Japanese Prime Minister, with plans to later speak to US troops aboard an aircraft carrier and mingle with business leaders.

“It’s a very strong handshake,” Mr. Trump said, as the pair posed for photos at the Akasaka Palace in downtown Tokyo, before Trump was guided into the ballroom for an honour guard.

They were earlier heard chatting about late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a close political ally of Ms. Takaichi who struck up a bond with Mr. Trump in his first term during hours spent golfing together.

“He was a great friend of mine and a great friend of yours,” Mr. Trump said to Ms. Takaichi as he entered the palace.

Mr. Trump was last at the palace, an ornate residence built in a European style, in 2019 for talks with Abe, who was assassinated in 2022.

He received a royal welcome shortly after his arrival on Monday (October 27), meeting with Japanese Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace.

Gifting Abe’s golf club

During their meeting, Ms. Takaichi will present Mr. Trump with one of Abe’s golf clubs in a gesture meant to rekindle the close bond the two leaders had formed on golf courses in Japan and the United States, a source familiar with the plan told Reuters.

The source sought anonymity as they were not allowed to speak to the media.

A similar close relationship with the leader of Japan’s key security and trade partner could help Ms. Takaichi bolster her weak political position at home.

Though she has seen a surge in public support since becoming Prime Minister, her coalition government is two votes shy of a majority in parliament’s lower house.

On Tuesday (October 28) afternoon Mr. Trump and Ms. Takaichi will visit the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka near Tokyo, which is home to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, part of the U.S. military’s powerful presence in the region.

Mr. Trump will meet business leaders in Tokyo, before travelling on Wednesday to South Korea. In talks there with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump said he hopes to seal a trade war truce between the world’s two biggest economies

Japan’s parliament is set to elect ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female Prime Minister on Tuesday (October 21, 2025), one day after her struggling party struck a coalition deal with a new partner that would pull her governing bloc further to the right.

Ms. Takaichi will replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, ending a three-month political vacuum and wrangling since the Liberal Democratic Party’s disastrous election loss in July.

Mr. Ishiba, who lasted only one year in office, resigned with his Cabinet earlier on Tuesday (October 21, 2025), paving the way for his successor.

The LDP’s off-the-cuff alliance with the Osaka-based rightwing Japan Innovation Party, or Ishin no Kai, ensures her premiership in a vote later in the day because the opposition is not united.

Ms. Takaichi’s untested alliance is still short of a majority in both houses of parliament and they need to court other opposition groups to pass any legislation – a risk that could make her government unstable and short-lived.

“Political stability is essential right now,” Ms. Takaichi said at Monday’s (October 20, 2025) signing ceremony with the JIP leader and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura. “Without stability, we cannot push measures for a strong economy or diplomacy.”

The two parties signed a coalition agreement on policies underscoring Ms. Takaichi’s hawkish and nationalistic views.

Their last-minute deal Monday (October 20, 2025) comes 10 days after the Liberal Democrats lost its longtime partner, the Buddhist-backed Komeito, which has a more dovish and centrist stance. The breakup threatened a change of power for the LDP, which has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades.

Once she is elected Prime Minister, Ms. Takaichi, 64, will present a Cabinet with a number of allies of LDP’s most powerful kingmaker, Taro Aso, and others who backed her in the party leadership vote.

JIP will not hold ministerial posts in Ms. Takaichi’s Cabinet until his party is confident about its partnership with the LDP, Mr. Yoshimura said.

Ms. Takaichi is running on deadline — a major policy speech later this week, talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and regional summits. She needs to quickly tackle rising prices and compile economy-boosting measures by late December to address public frustration.

While she would be the first woman serving as Japan’s Prime Minister, she is in no rush to promote gender equality or diversity.

Ms. Takaichi is among Japanese politicians who have stonewalled measures for women’s advancement. Ms. Takaichi supports the imperial family’s male-only succession and opposes same-sex marriage and allowing separate surnames for married couples.

A protege of assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Ms. Takaichi is expected to emulate his policies including stronger military and economy, as well as revising Japan’s pacifist constitution. With a potentially weak grip on power, it’s unknown how much Ms. Takaichi would be able to achieve.

When Komeito left the governing coalition, it cited the LDP’s lax response to slush fund scandals that led to their consecutive election defeats.

The centrist party also raised concern about Ms. Takaichi’s revisionist view of Japan’s wartime past and her regular prayers at Yasukuni Shrine despite protests from Beijing and Seoul that see the visits as lack of remorse about Japanese aggression, as well as her recent xenophobic remarks.

Ms. Takaichi has toned down her hawkish rhetorics. On Friday (October 17, 2025), Ms. Takaichi sent a religious ornament instead of going to Yasukuni.

Japan’s Parliament elected ultraconservative Sanae Takaichi as the country’s first female Prime Minister Tuesday (October 21, 2025), a day after her struggling party struck a coalition deal with a new partner expected to pull her governing bloc further to the right.

Ms. Takaichi replaces Shigeru Ishiba, ending a three-month political vacuum and wrangling since the Liberal Democratic Party’s disastrous election loss in July.

Mr. Ishiba, who lasted only one year as Prime Minister, resigned with his Cabinet earlier in the day, paving the way for his successor.

Ms. Takaichi won 237 votes — four more than a majority — compared to 149 won by Yoshikoko Noda, head of the largest opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, in the lower house, which elects the Prime Minister. As the results were announced, Ms. Takaichi stood up and bowed deeply.

The LDP’s alliance with the Osaka-based rightwing Japan Innovation Party, or Ishin no Kai, ensured her premiership because the opposition is not united. Ms. Takaichi’s untested alliance is still short of a majority in both houses of parliament and will need to court other opposition groups to pass any legislation — a risk that could make her government unstable and short-lived.

“Political stability is essential right now,” Ms. Takaichi said at Monday’s (October 20, 2025) signing ceremony with the JIP leader and Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura. “Without stability, we cannot push measures for a strong economy or diplomacy.” The two parties signed a coalition agreement on policies underscoring Ms. Takaichi’s hawkish and nationalistic views.

Their last-minute deal came after the Liberal Democrats lost its longtime partner, the Buddhist-backed Komeito, which has a more dovish and centrist stance. The breakup threatened a change of power for the LDP, which has governed Japan almost uninterrupted for decades.

Later in the day, Ms. Takaichi, 64, will present a Cabinet with a number of allies of LDP’s most powerful kingmaker, Taro Aso, and others who backed her in the party leadership vote.

JIP will not hold ministerial posts in Ms. Takaichi’s Cabinet until his party is confident about its partnership with the LDP, Yoshimura said.

Ms. Takaichi is running on deadline, as she prepares for a major policy speech later this week, talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and regional summits. She needs to quickly tackle rising prices and compile economy-boosting measures by late December to address public frustration.

While she is the first woman serving as Japan’s Prime Minister, she is in no rush to promote gender equality or diversity.

Ms. Takaichi is among Japanese politicians who have stonewalled measures for women’s advancement. Ms. Takaichi supports the imperial family’s male-only succession and opposes same-sex marriage and allowing separate surnames for married couples.

A protege of assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Ms. Takaichi is expected to emulate his policies including a stronger military and economy, as well as revising Japan’s pacifist constitution. With her potentially weak grip on power, it’s unknown how much Ms. Takaichi will be able to achieve.

Also an admirer of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Ms. Takaichi was first elected to parliament in 1993 and has served in a number of senior party and government posts, including as ministers of economic security and internal affairs, but her diplomatic background is thin.

When Komeito left the governing coalition, it cited the LDP’s lax response to slush fund scandals that led to their consecutive election defeats.

The centrist party also raised concern about Ms. Takaichi’s revisionist view of Japan’s wartime past and her regular prayers at Yasukuni Shrine despite protests from Beijing and Seoul that see the visits as lack of remorse about Japanese aggression, as well as her recent xenophobic remarks.

Ms. Takaichi has toned down her hawkish rhetoric. On Friday (October 17, 2025), she sent a religious ornament instead of going to Yasukuni. 

When the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected Sanae Takaichi as its new leader on October 4, it marked a watershed moment in Japanese politics. For the first time, the ruling party entrusted its helm to a woman, and in doing so made her the frontrunner to become Japan’s first woman Prime Minister.

But Ms. Takaichi’s ascent is more than symbolic. It also highlighted the LDP’s shift back toward a hard-right, security-oriented posture after recent electoral setbacks.

A veteran politician with more than three decades of experience in politics, Ms. Takaichi has earned a name for herself as one of the country’s most recognisable conservative figures. Over the years, she has held key ministerial portfolios, including multiple terms as Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications. She also served as Minister of State for Economic Security under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida from 2022-24.

Within the LDP, she has served as chair of both the Policy Research Council and the Public Relations Headquarters — positions that expanded her influence in party policymaking and communication strategy.

Ms. Takaichi was born on March 7, 1961, in Nara Prefecture. She earned a degree in Business Administration from Kobe University in 1984 and later studied at the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management. In the late 1980s, she spent time in the U.S. as a congressional fellow, working in the office of U.S. Representative Patricia Schroeder, before returning to Japan to work as a legislative analyst and broadcaster.

Her entry into politics came in 1993, when she won a seat in the House of Representatives as an independent before joining the LDP, where she became aligned with the party’s conservative wing and formed a close association with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Over the decades, Ms. Takaichi’s administrative experience and political tenacity helped her consolidate her position within the party, leading to her election as LDP president on October 4, 2025.

Also Read | Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female governing-party leader, is an ultra-conservative star in a male-dominated group

Crisis investment

Ms. Takaichi’s ministerial record and public statements outline policy priorities centred on economic resilience, industrial competitiveness, and national security. She has described her economic approach as one of crisis investment, advocating for targeted government spending to support strategic sectors such as advanced technology, semiconductors and infrastructure. Her economic stance is broadly consistent with the principles of Abenomics (Shinzo Abe’s policies), avouring state-led stimulus and innovation-driven growth.

In security policy, she has expressed support for revising Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution to formalise a more proactive defence posture for the Self-Defence Forces, while backing closer strategic coordination with allies. Regionally, she has underscored the need for deterrence amid growing tensions in East Asia.

EDITORIAL | ​Japan’s Iron Lady: on the rise of Sanae Takaichi 

Ms. Takaichi’s social and cultural positions align with the LDP’s traditionalist wing. She has opposed the introduction of separate surnames for married couples, resisted reforms to allow female succession in the Imperial Household, and stated her opposition to same-sex marriage, while maintaining that discrimination based on sexual orientation should not exist.

Her incoming administration faces immediate constraints. The LDP, which has ruled Japan for most of its post-War era, and its coalition partner, Komeito, split up on Friday over a political funding scandal. Japan’s structural challenges, an ageing population, high public debt, and slow productivity growth further constrain fiscal agility. Regionally, her visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which commemorates Japan’s war dead, and her conservative rhetoric have drawn scrutiny from neighbouring countries.

With Komeito gone, Ms. Takaichi’s immediate challenge would be to form another coalition. Offering stable governance in a period of political and economic uncertainty itself would be a tall ask for the conservative leader.