Japan’s ‘Iron Lady’ Sanae Takaichi focuses on Taiwan, US in appeal to China hawks before LDP vote

Sanae Takaichi – the most hawkish candidate running to lead Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party in next week’s election, the winner of which will be the country’s next prime minister – has attempted to burnish her credentials with like-minded conservatives by speaking with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. During their 30-minute conversation on Monday afternoon, former internal affairs minister Takaichi, 60, emphasised that she hoped to enhance security ties between Taipei and Tokyo, and…