Japanese PM Assassinated, & The Future of Sino-Japan Relations

Just days ago, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe got assassinated when giving a speech in Nara in western Japan. It is sad to hear about it. However, it is not only what lies on the surface because the death of Abe could mean a turbulent future for Sino-Japan relations.

Before we get into that, some details of the assassination. At the time of the shooting, Abe was speaking for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) candidates ahead of Upper House elections on July 10. Police say there was a flaw in Abe’s security, resulting in the suspect getting within 3 meters of Abe. Just after the shooting, the suspect got taken into custody. Shinzo Abe got airlifted to the hospital and later died from blood loss. He was 67 years old. The suspect carried a gun-like weapon with double barrels. I should also say that another reason this assassination has shaken people is that guns are strictly limited. Police later say that the suspect had hatred for a group to which he thought Abe was linked.

Shinzo Abe was the longest-serving Japanese Prime Minister in office from 2012 to 2020. He resigned due to health complications. Abe also served from 2006 to 2007. So what did he do during his time in office? An achievement Abe made was paving the road for the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that got first proposed by China. It includes all ten ASEAN countries, China, Japan, and South Korea. This economic alliance was a controversial topic among Japanese citizens and politicians. The majority at the time was anti-Chinese and didn’t want a partnership with China. But Abe’s move could mean a more prosperous future for these Asian countries. The agreement got signed in November of 2020. However, Abe had already left office in July of that year. But luckily, his successor got to sign it.

The United States wasn’t happy with the RCEP drafting because that would only mean a closer relationship between Japan and China. So the U.S. proposed a responsive alliance, the TPP, or the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which included Japan but excluded China. And so Japan, and its leader Shinzo Abe, was stuck between supporting the Japanese anti-Chinese groups or continuing with the friendly diplomatic and economic relations with China.

2022 is also the 50th anniversary of the Normalization of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and China. So with the unfortunate death of Shinzo Abe, the leader of the LDP, the Japanese government could turn to conservative policies. It could mean more anti-Chinese groups and cause a trade breakdown between these two countries. That would have negative impacts on the economies of both countries. So let’s hope that that wouldn’t happen and friendly diplomatic relations continue between Japan and China.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is the second famous Japanese Prime Minister to be assassinated in the last 100 years after Ito Bowen. So only time could tell the future of Japanese and world politics. That’s the end of this production from the New News Newsminute. Thank you for reading, and tune in next time for more.