The nine candidates for the Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election gathered in Naha on Tuesday to discuss their policies on foreign and national security issues. Shigeru Ishiba, former LDP Secretary General, expressed his long-held views on the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, suggesting that it should be reviewed and that U.S. bases in Japan should be jointly managed with the Self-Defense Forces. Ishiba emphasized the need for this review by referring to a 2004 crash of a U.S. military helicopter near an Okinawa university.
There have been concerns within the government and LDP about potential abrupt changes in foreign and security policies that require consistency. While there are strong demands in Okinawa Prefecture for a fundamental revision of the agreement, so far, the central government has addressed this issue through supplementary agreements and improvements in implementation.
In previous debates among LDP presidential candidates, both Shigeru Ishiba and economic security minister Sanae Takaichi stood out for their distinct views on diplomatic and security matters. Ishiba proposed discussing a nuclear sharing arrangement with the United States as part of Japan’s nuclear policy review. Takaichi called for discussions on revising Japan’s three non-nuclear principles and took a tough stance on China.
Some observers have raised concerns about these candidates’ positions, stating that they could significantly change previous government policies and potentially cause confusion. Additionally, some candidates demonstrated only superficial understanding of certain issues during public debates.
Shigeru Ishiba also discussed what would happen if former U.S. President Donald Trump won re-election in November and asked Japan to bear additional costs for U.S. troops stationed there. He argued that as long as they can present solid arguments backed by accurate figures, their position should be recognized regardless of who is president.
Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi highlighted his desire to open new developments through high-level diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un due to being from the same generation as him.
A senior Foreign Ministry official commented on these statements, emphasizing the importance of having a concrete strategy leading to diplomacy at the highest level when dealing with North Korea or any other international issue where relations may deteriorate after presenting arguments to leaders like Trump.
