FOCUS: Pragmatism key for new Japan PM Takaichi to navigate ties with China

With Beijing wary about how new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, known as a China hawk, will handle policies toward the country, she could draw lessons from her mentor, the late leader Shinzo Abe, who sometimes succeeded in improving bilateral relations through pragmatism.In their first official talks in Gyeongju, South Korea, on the sidelines of a regional summit, Takaichi and Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the countries' shared policy of promoting "a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests."Observers warn that Sino-Japanese ties, which had stab…READ FULL ARTICLE