On the morning of October 17, 2024, the seminar titled "Japan's Political Changes and Foreign Strategy Direction," co-hosted by the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS) and the Center for Japanese Studies, Peking University (PKU), was held at the North Pavilion.

Distinguished guests who attended the meeting and delivered speeches included: Zhang Boyu, Director and Research Fellow of the Japanese Political Research Office at the Institute of Japanese Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS); Xiang Haoyu, Special Research Fellow at the Asia-Pacific Research Institute of the China Institute of International Studies; Fan Xiaoju, Director and Research Fellow at the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations; Cai Guiquan, Assistant Research Fellow at the Asia Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce; Wang Xingyu, Associate Professor at the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China; Fang Ke, Associate Professor at the School of National Security of the National Defense University; Liu Weidong, Research Fellow at the Institute of American Studies at CASS; and Lu Hao, Director and Associate Research Fellow at the Comprehensive Strategy Research Office at the Institute of Japanese Studies, CASS.

The participants engaged in discussions covering Japan’s political situation, economic landscape, security policies, foreign policy, China-Japan relations, and Japan-U.S. relations. They assessed the political changes in Japan and their implications, along with Japan’s foreign strategy direction and its relations with major powers. According to them, Japan’s foreign strategy aims to actively shape the international order and bolster its influence in international affairs, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. They highlighted that after the election of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president, several factors, such as the new Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru’s policy stance, the dynamics of LDP factions, the result of the U.S. election, and the China-U.S. rivalry, will impact the implementation of foreign policies under Ishiba Shigeru’s administration.

The seminar was chaired by Associate Professor Dong Zhaohua, Associate Dean of the School of International Studies (SIS), Peking University (PKU) and Secretary-General of the Center for Japanese Studies, PKU. Associate Professor Gui Yongtao, Vice President of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), PKU and Director of the Center for Japanese Studies, PKU, delivered opening remarks at the meeting and provided a summary of the seminar’s discussion. Wang Minzhao, a Boya Postdoctoral Fellow from SIS, PKU also attended the seminar.

Editor: Li Fangqi    Photographer: Zheng Peijie