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The approval rating of the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has slipped to 67.5 per cent, with a majority of respondents saying her remarks on a Taiwan contingency, which have strained relations with China, could negatively affect Japan's economy, according to a Kyodo News survey.
The survey showed that concerns persist over Takaichi's comments on Taiwan, even as public opinion remains divided on whether her remarks were inappropriate. While 57.0 per cent of respondents said they did not view her statements as careless, 37.6 per cent said they were, especially when compared with past prime ministers who avoided direct comments on the sensitive Taiwan issue, Kyodo News reported. Sino-Japanese relations have worsened since Takaichi stated in parliament on November 7 that an attack on Taiwan, which China claims as its territory, could amount to a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan. The remark was widely seen as implying the possible involvement of Japan's Self-Defense Forces in support of the United States under the country's right to collective self-defense. The two-day telephone poll, conducted from Saturday, found that the Cabinet's approval rating declined by 2.4 percentage points from the previous month's survey. During the same period, the disapproval rating rose by 3.9 points to 20.4 per cent, Kyodo News said. The survey also highlighted growing unease over Japan's public finances. About 64.6 per cent of respondents said they are increasingly worried about the nation's fiscal health following the enactment on Tuesday of an 18.3 trillion yen supplementary budget for the current fiscal year ending in March. The government plans to issue 11.7 trillion yen in new bonds to finance more than 60 per cent of the total outlay. On inflation relief measures, 82.4 per cent of respondents said they believe the impact of distributing "rice vouchers" would be limited in curbing rising prices. In contrast, 64.1 per cent expressed a favourable view of a recent agreement between Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Democratic Party for the People (DPP) on a tax reform plan for fiscal 2026. Under the agreement, the tax-free annual income threshold is set to rise from 1.60 million yen to 1.78 million yen. In terms of party support, the poll showed backing of 31.1 per cent for the LDP, 7.8 per cent for the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, 7.8 per cent for the DPP and 8.0 per cent for the Japan Innovation Party, Kyodo News reported. When asked about the possibility of the DPP joining the ruling coalition, 49.2 per cent of respondents said they were in favour. About 40.0 per cent opposed the idea. The survey contacted 491 randomly selected households with eligible voters and 3,040 mobile phone numbers. It received responses from 420 household members and 620 mobile phone users. (ANI)
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