Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced his new "Cabinet to carry on reforms" Oct. 31.

"Both new Foreign Minister Taro Aso and Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe are pro-U.S. hawks. Through their appointments, Koizumi has expressed his will to come down hard on China," analyst Minoru Morita said.

Koizumi, who has promised to step down next September, reshaped his Cabinet on Oct. 31. The biggest changes were in foreign policy. Aso, 65, and Abe, 51, both seen as potential successors to Koizumi, are known for their hawkish stances toward China as well as North Korea and have been frequent visitors to Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japnese war dead.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe

"I would call them the 'Yasukuni Cabinet,' " said Kaoru Okano, a political scientist and former president of Meiji University.

Outgoing Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, who stayed clear of Yasukuni while in office but defended Koizumi's visits, warned Oct. 31 that the country could be in "a quite serious situation" if the three most senior government officials all went to the shrine.

But Koizumi -- whose foreign ministers until Machimura tended to be low-key moderates -- reportedly chose Aso specifically for his hard line.

Foreign Minister Taro Aso

Shigeaki Uno, an East Asia expert and president of the University of Shimane, said pronounced hawks with strong domestic support bases often find it easier to negotiate than do doves with generally weak political backing. He predicted that the hawks would likely tone down their stances once engaged in talks as they know Japan is hurt by the friction with its largest trading partner. Aso could use his extensive business contacts for back-door negotiations with China.

For all its hostility toward Japan, China is more concerned over improving its ties with the United States. "Chinese officials are very pragmatic. They are cautious about Japanese hawks. But their focus is beyond Japan," he said.

The Japan Times Weekly: Nov. 5, 2005
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