Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi put forward the 'Taiwan contingency' theory at the Diet on the 7th of this month, triggering a strong backlash from Beijing, the announcement of a suspension of Japanese seafood imports, and a wave of Chinese tourists cancelling hotel and flight reservations to Japan. According to Japanese media reports, Takaichi privately admitted to her aides that her remarks on the 'Taiwan contingency' were somewhat 'over the top.'
● PM Expected to Be Asked about Taiwan, Refused to Use Replies Drafted by Aides
According to the latest report by Japan's Asahi Shimbun, before the Q&A session, Takaichi, in preparation for her first attendance at the House of Representatives Budget Committee as Prime Minister, entered the Prime Minister’s official residence alone at 3am to prepare, insisting on revising word by word the drafts submitted by various ministries. She relied solely on a red pen and a stack of draft replies on the desk as she 'fought alone' for three and a half hours.
The report states that Takaichi went into a room at the official residence, spread out several draft response documents from ministries and agencies on the table, and revised them line by line with her red pen. The secretary was only allowed to wait in the next room, and could enter to assist with adjustments only after hearing the 'beep' when she pressed the buzzer.
An official from the residence revealed that Takaichi insisted on answering in 'her own words' and hoped to use this to establish a new approach for 'the Takaichi administration.' The whole preparation process lasted about three and a half hours, during which she repeatedly deliberated over the wording alone in the residence.
Asahi Shimbun describes Takaichi's political style as 'going her own way.' Since taking office, she has been busy with diplomacy and parliamentary affairs, and in the month since taking office, she 'hasn’t attended a single social engagement.' Official residence work mostly relies on close aides who share her philosophy, including key figures from the Abe administration — former Prime Minister’s secretary Imai Takaya and former Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Akiba Takeo — hoping to use the Abe-era residence model to build a long-term and stable administrative foundation.
However, despite Takaichi's current high popularity, the overall operation of the official residence team has yet to be as solid as it was during Abe's tenure, and even the aides acknowledge there is still much room for adjustment.
Takaichi was aware in advance that she would be asked about the Taiwan issue; according to reports, she insisted on answering from her own standpoint and did not adopt her aides’ suggestions, ultimately making sensitive remarks in the Diet and immediately triggering a diplomatic controversy.
An aide close to Takaichi revealed that after the Q&A, Takaichi candidly admitted, "I might have gone a bit too far just now."
Aides also privately expressed regret, feeling they failed to provide sufficient checks in advance and did not fully grasp the potential international backlash from her remarks. An official residence aide said bluntly: "Letting the prime minister respond without full confirmation, the residence’s preparations were indeed inadequate."