Death of former PM Yasuo Fukuda leaves void in fraught China-Japan relations

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who played a pivotal role in improving bilateral relations with China during his short tenure and later as a diplomatic intermediary during strained periods, passed away at the age of 90 from heart failure at a Tokyo hospital on Monday. Fukuda's death occurred as the relationship between China and Japan faced its most significant challenge since the normalization of diplomatic ties in 1972.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun conveyed condolences to Fukuda's family, praising him as an individual who "made positive contributions to improving and developing China-Japan relations" and emphasized his correct historical perspective during his tenure. Guo urged Japanese government officials to introspect and engage in genuine reflection.

Guo's remarks highlighted the deteriorating bilateral relations since August 2022, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested a possible military intervention in the Taiwan Strait, citing potential conflicts as a justification. Wang Guangtao, a deputy director at Fudan University's Centre for Japanese Studies, described Fukuda as "modest and gentle," highlighting his crucial role in maintaining bilateral ties at both official and informal levels.

Wang emphasized that Fukuda's credibility in Beijing, earned through consistent engagement and acknowledgment of historical facts, was irreplaceable, warning that Tokyo now lacks comparable figures with such influence in China. Wang attributed Japan's domestic political environment as the primary reason for the difficulty in finding another notable politician to trust by Beijing, citing the intimidation of politicians seeking rapprochement due to domestic pressures.

Fukuda served as Japan's 91st Prime Minister from September 2007 to September 2008, inheriting a strained relationship with China due to former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japanese war criminals alongside war dead. Fukuda's first official visit to Beijing in December 2007 at Peking University, where he delivered a speech advocating for historical reflection and cooperation, was hailed as a "warm spring" by Chinese state media.

Following his tenure, Fukuda played a significant role in post-North Korea nuclear crisis diplomacy and successfully mediated a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the Apec forum in November 2014.

Fukuda's commitment to China-Japan relations was deeply personal, tracing back to his involvement in his father Takeo Fukuda's political career, serving as his political secretary during the Treaty of Peace and Friendship negotiations in 1978. In 2008, Fukuda hosted Chinese President Hu Jintao for a state visit, resulting in the signing of a document pledging a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests," alongside the 1972 Joint Communique and earlier agreements, forming the foundation of modern China-Japan relations.

Throughout his post-presentation years, Fukuda consistently stressed the importance of upholding these commitments and cautioned against any reversal of principles.