LDP Conservatives Frustrated by Ishiba's Diplomacy with China

   Tokyo, Feb. 2 (Jiji Press)--Conservative lawmakers in Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party are growing increasingly frustrated with the diplomatic stance of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration toward China.
   In particular, they claim that a recent easing of visa rules for Chinese visitors under the Ishiba administration was too conciliatory.
   As Ishiba's foothold in the LDP is not so solid, the prime minister mishandling the situation could spark moves that undermine his administration, observers said.
   "We make concessions where we can, and we fully assert what we should," Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said in a speech in the southwestern Japan city of Beppu, Oita Prefecture, on Saturday. "By doing so, we will maintain a relationship to solve problems."
   Iwaya's remarks came as he is under fire from within the LDP after announcing during a visit to China in late December that the Japanese government would extend the maximum number of days that Chinese visitors on group tours can stay in Japan, and issue new multiple-entry visas for Chinese tourists that last 10 years.

(2025/02/02-17:43)

To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.