自民党じみんとう総裁そうさい選せんは後半こうはんに 国会こっかい議員ぎいんの支持しじ獲得かくとくの働はたらきかけ強つよめる

The Liberal Democratic Party presidential election has entered the second half of the campaign.

Each camp is expected to step up efforts to win the support of Diet members in the run-up to the voting and ballot counting on the 4th of next month.

On the night of the 28th, five candidates participated in a debate on the video streaming site Niconico Live, where they answered questions from high school students and discussed diplomacy with China.

Former Minister for Economic Security Motoyuki Kobayashi said, Security and the economy should be considered separately.

Security measures must be taken with the reality in mind, including unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the detention of Japanese nationals.

It is important to pay attention from the perspective of economic security and consider how to incorporate Chinas advancing innovations into Japans strengths, he said.

Former Secretary-General Motegi said, Right now, China is approaching Japan partly because of its tariff issues with the United States, but there are also aspects where it tries to change the status quo by force or does not abide by international rules.

We want to take a firm stance where necessary, cooperate in areas where we can, and build a forward-looking relationship.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi said, We have a tremendous amount of trade and economic exchanges with China, but our systems are different.

He said, The ideal Japan-China relationship is one in which both sides say what needs to be said, take a fair and balanced approach, and, through mutual efforts, build a relationship where we cooperate on issues that require collaboration, such as the economy, environmental problems, and pandemic response.

Former Minister for Economic Security, Sanae Takaichi, said, China, Russia, and North Korea are deepening their relations, and we must pay close attention from a national defense perspective.

On the other hand, he stated, It is also important to value our relationship with China as a trading partner, and while keeping in mind concerns regarding economic security, we will work to deepen the relationship between our leaders as an important neighboring country.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Koizumi said, I think many people feel uneasy about Japans security environment after seeing the three leaders of China, North Korea, and Russia together.

Next month, President Trump may visit Japan, but it is necessary to demonstrate to the entire region, including China, that the unwavering deterrence of our alliance is at work, he said.

The Liberal Democratic Party presidential election is now five days away from the voting and ballot counting on the 4th of next month, and the race has entered its second half.

The party is urging its members to mail their ballots by the day before the deadline, which is the 1st of next month, if they are voting by post.

Each faction is expected to step up efforts to gain support from members of parliament going forward.