Japan’s PM Takaichi will dissolve parliament, call snap election

Sanae Takaichi, the prime minister of Japan, has announced that she will dissolve parliament on Friday and hold general elections to appoint candidates for her spending and other policies.

Three months into her first-ever female prime minister position, she announced the snap election announcement on Monday.

At a press conference, Takaichi stated that “I, as the prime minister, have decided to dissolve the lower house on January 23.”

The snap election on February 8 will determine all 465 of Takaichi’s parliamentary lower house seats and mark his first electoral test since taking office.

Withholding a vote early would enable her to capitalize on strong public support to consolidate her position within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and strengthen the fragile majority in her coalition.

At a time when the public is most concerned about the rising cost of living, the election will test voter appetite for higher spending. According to a poll conducted by NHK last week, 46% of respondents cited prices as their top concern, followed by 16% for diplomacy and 16% for national security.

Takaichi announced last week that she would hold snap elections while keeping her diplomatic schedule in mind.

The prime minister met with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on January 13 to talk about security and economic ties between the two countries in her hometown of Nara.

On the rumor that Takaichi would hold snap elections to capitalize on strong poll results, Tokyo shares increased by more than 3 percent on Tuesday.

Taiwan tussle with China

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, a clear mandate for Takaichi and the LDP could also aid in breaking the diplomatic stalemate.

Since Takaichi suggested in November that Japan might launch an attack on Taiwan, the self-proclaimed island nation, in November, ties have seriously deteriorated.

Beijing has reportedly been choking off exports of rare-earth products crucial to making everything from electric cars to missiles, and it has announced a broad ban on “dual-use” goods with potential military applications.

Takaichi stated last month that she was “always open” to discussions with China.

The Lee administration, for its part, has emphasized its desire to “restore” ties with China, which continues to be South Korea’s largest trading partner. It also asserts that Lee’s “practical diplomacy” aims to maintain strong ties with both Japan and the United States, South Korea’s most important allies.

Seoul’s relationship to Washington and Tokyo was bolstered by Yoon Suk-yeol’s predecessor, Lee, and China’s position on Taiwan was being criticized more.