The eve of the New Year of 2026 in Japan was marked by a series of notable publications from leading media outlets, focusing both on evaluating 2025 and making forecasts for the future trajectory of certain aspects of the country’s political line.

What was also curious and attracted attention was the outcomes of a public survey conducted by one of Japan’s leading newspapers, Yomiuri Shimbun. It found out what events of the past year covered by the newspaper were considered particularly significant by its readers. It goes without saying that these results were influenced by the “hype-and-clip” perception of the surrounding world, typical of an average citizen in any country and shaped by the very same media. Yet, even taking this factor into account, the top three places were quite deservedly occupied by Tokyo’s genuinely primary foreign policy challenges. Notably, the first and the third places were taken by issues pertaining to the relations with the country’s key ally, while sharply deteriorating ties with its principal adversary came second.

Issues in Relations with China

First and foremost, let us pinpoint the hardly eliminable factor of competitive positioning between two of the leading players in the Indo-Pacific region—China and Japan. Over time, this particular factor has only become more evident. However, the current phase of sharply escalating bilateral relations is unprecedented, and the reason for this is quite clear. It stems from a recent high-profile remark by Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, regarding the Taiwan issue. The problem is one of the most sensitive for the PRC, whilst Japan’s involvement in it has only been building up.

The response to this remark came in the form of two People’s Liberation Army military exercises held in December, involving units from different branches of China’s armed forces, including aircraft carrier strike groups. During the first of this series of drills, a hazardous........

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