By Tirthankar Mitra
The landslide victory of Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi in the snap polls she called earlier this week puts doubts about the future of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to rest. It also gives her a clear mandate to pursue her economic and foreign policies.
The LDP has been Japan’s pre-eminent political outfit post World War II. But for more than a decade it had been losing support in Parliament in successive elections. The mammoth victory of LDP led by Takaichi could not come have at a more appropriate time. For there were growing predictions that it was in terminal decline. The electoral triumph puts Takaichi firmly on the saddle of state. The policies of her government would be a pointer as to how Japan looks at others and how others look at it.
On the domestic front, Takaichi has promised to steer Japan’s anaemic economy to growth. Her prescription to regain robust financial health is to cut taxes and step up public spending. Her formula spooked the markets. But she won the people’s support all the same.
The grip of Takaichi’s party on Japan is firm and lasting. Small wonder, the markets that doubted her economic game plan are bouncing back again. Greater public spending, the other item on economic recovery prescription is yet to be put in place. It could spark inflation. But Takaichi has posted a giant mandate in her favour. It would give her time to try this approach.
Japan is the fifth largest economy in the world making its economic health a cause of concern to the rest of the world. That is why there is general relief at the room for maneouverability of Takaichi’s high public spending measure.
But it is the foreign policy approach of the present Japanese dispensation that will be under the scanner of most of the other countries. If China is to attack Taiwan, Japan would intervene. This is not the result of an opinion poll survey. Takaichi had said this in Parliament.
China has not taken it lying down. It has hit back diplomatically and scaled back economic and tourism relations. Takaichi has tried to engage China. But she has neither apologised nor walked back on her comments. Standing fast, the Japanese Prime Minister has placed her cards on the table. She will not kow tow to a neighbour stronger than her country in economic and military muscle.
Reiterating her standpoint, Takaichi has refused to keep Japan equidistant from America and China. She has cited Japan’s string ties with America to justify her stand. She has indicated that she wants to build a robust relation with India. In pursuance of this policy, she will be walking in the footsteps of her mentor, late prime minister, Shinzo Abe. Takaichi, the first woman prime minister of Japan has broken a glass ceiling. Having defied the odds so far, she faces the challenge of great expectations.
Takaichi’s thumping win in elections is a good news for the U.S. President Trump as the Japanese Prime Minister has been a big loyalist of the U.S. President and shares his conservative and rightwing views. Japan also needs Trump’s full backing in dealing with the powerful Chinese President Xi Jinping. China is constantly threatening Japan and admonishing Takaichi for her comments on Taiwan as also maritime security, Takaichi will closely follow the coming visit and trade talks by the US President to China in April this year and the implications on Japan for it.
As far as QUAD of which Japan is a member country, Takaichi has been talking of security cooperation among the member countries including USA, Australia and India. If India hosts the QUAD summit this year as scheduled, Takaichi may visit India and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi with whom she has a good rapport as a rightwing politician. India PM Modi is also happy at the big win of Takaichi in the latest elections. (IPA Service)
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