Takaichi and Xi reaffirm pledge in first meet to pursue ‘mutually beneficial’ ties
- Hge News
- Nov 2, 2025
- 3 min read
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi allayed fears she would take a more hawkish approach to Beijing in her first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, conveying instead her will to “deepen their personal relationship” and promote a “mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests.”
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the city of Gyeongju in South Korea on Friday as part of efforts to reassure each other as relations remain strained by deep rifts on issues ranging from national security to the economy.
The phrase “mutually beneficial strategic ties” was first used in a joint statement between former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi’s political mentor, and Chinese President Hu Jintao in 2006, referring to promoting bilateral ties, including economic ties, despite political differences.
In a signal of continuity with her predecessor’s diplomatic and security policies, Takaichi said the two countries share a responsibility for the peace and prosperity of the region and the international community.
“I want to confirm the overarching direction of our bilateral relations,” Takaichi said. “That is a constructive and stable relationship, as well as a mutually beneficial one.”
Takaichi referred to existing concerns between the two countries, without specifying, but underscored the importance of obtaining concrete results and reducing potential tensions.
“Conviction and decisive action is my political philosophy,” she said.
“I want to continue a frank dialogue with you and deepen my personal relationship with you,” she added in an unexpected overture to Xi.
In his opening remarks, Xi, who had already met with the leaders of the United States and South Korea, also stressed the importance of stable and constructive ties between China and Japan, acknowledging Takaichi’s commitment to a “mutually beneficial relationship.”
“The world — including China — is undergoing major changes not seen in a century, and various instabilities are emerging,” Xi said. He refrained from congratulating Takaichi on her new role.
“As Japan and China are important partners, the long-term, stable and healthy development of bilateral ties aligns with the common expectations of both our peoples as well as the international community,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Takaichi said she conveyed her concerns over China’s assertiveness in the South and East China seas, the safety of Japanese nationals in China, current import bans on Japanese products and China’s tight control on rare materials.
She also referred to Hong Kong and the Uyghurs, an ethnic minority living in China’s Xinjiang region.
“We had a very fruitful meeting,” she said. “Because there are these concerns, we have to talk often.”
It was the first time the leaders of the two nations had met since last November, when Xi held talks with then-Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Peru.
The firebrand political conservatism of Takaichi, who only took office last week, has prompted caution in Beijing.
In an unusual move, Xi refrained from sending a personal congratulatory message to Takaichi when she assumed the role, deferring the issue to Prime Minister Li Qiang. He had previously done so with the three former prime ministers who took office in the period since he has led China.
Takaichi has long been seen as a China hawk. Arguing for a need to bolster Japan’s economic independence from Beijing, she has also pledged to accelerate a planned hike in military spending, ease Japan’s strict rules on the export of lethal defense equipment and revise the country’s three key security documents much sooner than expected.
She has also displayed a closeness to Taiwan, visiting the island as recently as April when she met with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. The two discussed supply chains and the economy. Prior to winning the country’s leadership, Takaichi even reportedly suggested building a "quasi-security alliance" between Japan, Taiwan, Australia, India, the Philippines and other countries, including in Europe.
Some of Takaichi’s allies in government and the leadership of her Liberal Democratic Party — such as Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara and LDP election strategy chief Keiji Furuya — are well-known for their pro-Taiwan stance. Furuya was in Taipei as recently as early October.
As for Takaichi herself, she appears to have toned down some of her fiery rhetoric on relations with China.
She has so far refrained from visiting the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine that has long been at the center of diplomatic disputes between Tokyo and its neighbors.
In a policy speech in parliament last week, she called China “an important neighbor,” while noting tensions regarding national and economic security. She also underlined her adherence to the “mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests.”
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