JAKARTA - The Chinese government said its policy had not changed towards Japan even though the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi managed to win a majority of seats in the lower house and opened up further tensions with Beijing.
"China's policy towards Japan has been stable and consistent, and will not change because of one election. We once again urge Japan to retract Sanae Takaichi's false statement on Taiwan," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a press conference in Beijing, Monday, February 10. reported by ANTARA.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a major victory in the lower house elections held on Sunday (8/2), although the official results have not been announced.
Projections by various institutions place the LDP in its biggest victory since the party was formed in 1955. Jiji Press projects the LDP to win 316 of the 465 seats contested. Meanwhile, NHK projects the LDP to win up to 328 seats.
Previously on November 7, 2025, Takaichi said China's use of military force against Taiwan could "create a situation that threatens Japan's survival" triggering prolonged tensions in Sino-Japanese relations.
"We ask Japan to take concrete actions to show the sincerity needed in upholding the political foundation of China-Japan relations. Our message is very clear: the Chinese people remain firm in our determination to protect the core interests of the nation," Lin Jian said.
Chinese people, said Lin Jian, will firmly defend the victory of World War II and the post-war international order, and fight against and foil all forms of provocation and reckless behavior from forces opposed to China.
Although he acknowledged that the lower house elections were Japan's internal affairs, Lin Jian said the elections reflected some fundamental and structural problems as well as certain views, tendencies, and developments that emerged and were worthy of serious study by people with insight in Japan and the international community.
"The lessons of history are still fresh in our memory and must not be forgotten. We urge those who run the Japanese government to respond seriously, not ignore, the concerns of the international community, follow the path of peaceful development rather than returning to militarism," said Lin Jian.
He also expressed his hope that the Japanese government would abide by the four political documents between China and Japan rather than reneging on the commitments it had made.
"If the Japanese right wing power miscalculates and acts recklessly, they will face resistance from the Japanese people and a strong reaction from the international community," he said.
"China's policy towards Japan is clear and maintains continuity and consistency. Any political party or leader in power in Japan, they must abide by the four political documents between China and Japan and Japan's own pacifist Constitution, and respect Japan's international commitments and obligations," Lin Jian added.
On paper, the lower house seat obtained by the LDP makes the party immediately able to pass laws because it has occupied more than two-thirds of the total 465 lower house seats.
In addition, the LDP partnered with the Japanese Innovation Party known as Ishin so that the coalition controlled 352 seats.
With a big victory in the election, Takaichi is considered to have passed the test. The LDP has ruled Japan for almost the last seven decades but the conservative party has been shaken by various scandals so that it only holds a slim majority since the poor results of the 2024 election and the difficulty of passing various draft laws.
Japanese voters are judged to sympathize with Takaichi because of her image as a female politician who pioneered a career from the bottom to the Japanese political world dominated by old male politicians. Voters are also said to be interested in Takaichi's image as straightforward and hard-working, but tend to be nationalistic and emphasize security issues.
The victory paves the way for the tax cuts promised by Takaichi while increasing military spending as an ultraconservative. He also pushed for stricter immigration policies and efforts to revive Japan's economy.
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