Takaichi vows to make Japan ‘strong and prosperous’, rules out ‘reckless’ fiscal policy

South China Morning Post · Feb 20, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pledged on Friday to make Japan “strong and prosperous”, while hitting out at China and pledging to keep “hitting the growth button” following her party's landslide election win.“China is intensifying its attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, while also expanding and stepping up its military activities in the areas surrounding our country,” Takaichi told parliament in a policy address.Echoing her predecessor Shigeru Ishiba, Takaichi also said that Japan was facing “the most severe and complex security environment” since World War II, citing not just China but also Russia and North Korea.As a result, Takaichi said she will aim this year to revise Japan’s three major defence policy documents, as “changes in the security environment – such as the emergence of new ways of warfare and the need to prepare for prolonged conflicts – are accelerating across a wide range of fields”.She added that she wanted to accelerate discussions on further loosening Japan’s self-imposed ban on the export of lethal weapons.“This will contribute to strengthening the deterrence and response capabilities of our allies and like-minded partners, while also helping to reinforce Japan’s defence production base and its foundation of civilian technologies,” Takaichi said.