China is hitting Japan where it hurts. Will PM Takaichi give in?

(Tessa Wong – BBC) Since Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made comments that have plunged ties with China to their lowest level in years, Beijing has been piling on the pressure in a wide range of ways – sending warships, throttling rare earth exports, curbing Chinese tourism, cancelling concerts and even reclaiming its pandas. As Takaichi begins a new term as PM after winning a historically strong public mandate from a recent snap election, analysts warn that both sides will find it difficult to de-escalate – and the China-Japan relationship will not recover anytime soon. The row began in November, when Takaichi appeared to suggest that Japan would activate its self-defence force in the event of an attack on Taiwan. China claims self-governed Taiwan as its own and has not ruled out the use of force to “reunify” with it one day. The island counts the US as its key ally, and Washington has pledged to help Taiwan defend itself. The worry has long been that any attack on Taiwan could result in a direct military conflict between the US and China, and then widen to include other US allies in the region such as Japan and the Philippines. The issue of Taiwan is an absolute red line for China, which reacts furiously to any comment perceived as “outside interference” and insists that it is a question of sovereignty that only China can decide for itself. Almost immediately after Takaichi’s remarks, Beijing responded with a flurry of condemnation and demanded a retraction. Observers have noted that Takaichi’s comments were in line with the government’s position and what other Japanese leaders have said in the past. But the difference is that it was the first time a sitting Japanese prime minister had voiced such views. For her part, Takaichi refused to apologise or retract her remarks, a stance that analysts say may likely be vindicated by the strong mandate she has won. But she said she would be more careful about commenting on specific scenarios, and her government has sent senior diplomats to meet their Chinese counterparts. This, however, has done little to allay Chinese anger. – China is piling pressure on Japan’s Sanae Takaichi. Will it work?