Beijing Targets Japan to Undermine Taiwan’s Resolve

Japan’s new conservative leader is shaking up China’s Pacific plans.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference after the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Nov. 1, 2025. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

Commentary

Like her political hero, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Japan’s new conservative and first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, isn’t afraid of making waves in the Asia-Pacific region. More than a few of her new foreign policy shifts have rattled Beijing’s cage, to say the least, and for good reason.

The End of Japanese Pacifism

With the Chinese regime’s growing aggression in the Indo–Pacific in recent years, Tokyo has reassessed its regional security requirements and is actively pursuing a more active role in its national defense.