China looms over Japan’s electionsBy Wang Hung-jen 王宏仁Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Friday last week announced the dissolution of the Japanese House of Representatives. This is not only a calculation about political survival, it is a political response to pressure from China. When the answer is yes, Japan’s political system would ultimately choose to push forward with the policy rather than constrain itself in response to external pressure. Japan equips its prime minister with the constitutional authority to dissolve parliament and appeal directly to the electorate. Wang Hung-jen is a professor at National Cheng Kung University’s Department of Political Science and executive director of the Institute for National Policy Research.

Source: Taipei Times January 25, 2026 16:20 UTC