The photo is of former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Photographed at the National Diet in Tokyo on August 1, 2026 (Reuters/Issei Kato)
[東京 １２日 ロイター] – In an exclusive interview with Reuters, former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said, “I don’t think it’s time to retract the statement made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi,” which caused China to harden its stance toward Japan. He warned that there was a risk that the deterioration in relations would be prolonged, and stressed the urgent need to create a system that does not rely on any particular country for procurement of rare earths. He also mentioned that the momentum for the dissolution of the House of Representatives was rapidly increasing, and expressed the view that the Liberal Democratic Party candidate, who is relying on the wind and backed by Takaichi’s high approval rating, may be forced to struggle in the election.
<“Efforts to reduce dependence on China”>
Sino-Japanese relations deteriorated in the wake of Mr. Takaichi’s parliamentary response regarding the Taiwan emergency last November, with China asking its citizens to refrain from visiting Japan. This month, the country announced stricter export controls, and there are concerns about the impact of rare earth regulations on the Japanese economy.
Regarding Takaichi’s response that the Taiwan emergency could constitute an “existence-threatening situation” in which Japan could exercise its right to collective self-defense, Ishiba said, “I don’t think we should withdraw now,” and expressed concern about a prolonged deterioration in relations, saying, “China will show strong opposition to everything from now on and try to use it as a domestic vent.” “We have to think about how to compensate for the negative aspects,” he said.
In order to compensate for the negative effects of the deterioration of relations, it is necessary to “for example, invite inbound tourists from other countries if they are not coming from China,” and “It was predicted even before the Takaichi administration that it would be extremely difficult for rare earths to come from China.” “I think we have no choice but to make efforts to reduce our dependence on China as much as possible, such as by promoting procurement from other regions even if it costs more.”
<“Russia continues to violate international law”>
Regarding the United States’ attack on Venezuela and the detention of President Maduro on the 3rd of this month, he stated, “The United States did not exercise its right of self-defense.Under U.S. domestic law, drugs are designated as similar to “weapons of mass destruction,” and the distribution of such drugs is considered an act of terrorism.”He added, “I do not understand that this will fundamentally change the international order.”
Regarding the fact that the Japanese government has not determined whether or not the U.S.’s actions violate international law, he explained, “We don’t know what is actually being done in the U.S. and how much of it is due to the involvement of the Maduro regime.” “As long as the U.S. government says it is law enforcement, the Japanese government is not in a position to say out loud that it is a violation of international law.Just because it is an ally, there is no need to actively support it, nor is it in a position to criticize it,” he said, expressing his understanding of the current government position.
Asked whether he thought Russia, which invaded Ukraine, and China, which is aiming to unify Taiwan, had learned lessons from the U.S. actions, he said, “Russia continues to clearly violate international law, and China is making similar threats.Even if those countries criticize the U.S. measures, I don’t think anything will change.”He acknowledged that the nature of the events were different. “Russia used force against Ukraine, an independent and sovereign state, in the name of collective self-defense.Although Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations, it has territory, a people with a shared identity, and a system of governance of its own.In response, China has declared that it will not hesitate to use force.”
<"Dissolution is something Mr. Takaichi thinks about">
In response to reports that Takaichi was considering dissolving the House of Representatives at the beginning of the regular Diet session, he said, “Prime Minister Takaichi is considering dissolving the House of Representatives, and it is not something I would think about.”He added, “There is no point in saying things like there was a lack of preparation because it happened suddenly, and I think daily efforts will be a factor in the next election.”He stressed the need to prepare for the election campaign.
“The extent to which candidates (Liberal Democratic Party) have faith in voters depends on their daily efforts. Those who are working steadily will be elected, and those who came here based on wind may not benefit as much from wind this time.”
Ishiba took office as prime minister (party president) in October 2024. For about a year before leaving office in October last year, he engaged in negotiations related to US President Donald Trump’s additional tariffs, and shortly before leaving office, he issued a statement commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, in which he appealed for the lessons of not being able to avoid the Pacific War. He is known within the party as a veteran with a deep understanding of history and security issues.
(Tamiyuki Kihara, editor: Nobuhiro Kubo)
*I interviewed on the 10th.
Our Code of Conduct: Thomson Reuters “Principles of Trust”
