Japanese Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae has expressed serious concern over China’s human rights violations against Uyghurs during her first summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Japanese Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae raised serious concerns over China’s human rights violations against Uyghurs during her first summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea.
According to the official statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office of Japan on October 31, 2025, Takaichi described the talks as “very substantive and meaningful.” She noted that while Japan and China agreed to build a “Mutually Beneficial Relationship Based on Common Strategic Interests,” there remain “pending issues and differences in views” between the two countries.
Takaichi said she had raised several sensitive topics directly with Xi, including maritime tensions, export restrictions, and the detention of Japanese nationals. Importantly, she confirmed that human rights abuses in East Turkistan were part of the discussion: “I also expressed serious concern about China’s actions in the South China Sea, as well as the situations in Hong Kong and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.”
She later reiterated that Japan’s position on human rights was made clear to the Chinese side: “As I mentioned earlier regarding human rights issues, I have made our position clear, including on matters concerning the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Hong Kong, and other such cases.”
The Japanese Prime Minister also urged China to “fulfil its responsibility to contribute to the peace and prosperity of the region and the wider international community,” while emphasizing the need for “direct and candid dialogue” to manage differences.
Analysts view Takaichi’s remarks as one of Japan’s most explicit diplomatic statements in recent years addressing China’s repression of Uyghurs and other human rights concerns, marking a firmer stance in Tokyo’s policy toward Beijing under her leadership.
Takaichi is a close friend of the Uyghurs
Takaichi has long demonstrated a clear and consistent concern for the human rights situation of the Uyghur people. Before becoming prime minister, she served as the Vice President of the Japan Uyghur Parliamentary League, where she actively supported initiatives to raise awareness about forced labor, mass detention, and other abuses in East Turkistan. Takaichi has repeatedly emphasized that Japan must take a principled stance on human rights issues, regardless of economic or political pressure from China.
UygurNews’e konuşan araştırmacı Memet Tohti Atawulla, Japonya’nın yeni Başbakanı Sanae Takaichi’nin Çin ve Uygur meselesine yönelik tutumu hakkında şunları söyledi: ” Sanae Takaichi, Japonya siyaset sahnesinde Çin’e karşı kararlı duruşuyla tanınıyor. Siyasi çizgisi, merhum Başbakan Şinzo Abe’nin çizgisini takip ediyor. Abe gibi, Takaichi de Uygurların yakın bir dostu ve Doğu Türkistan davasının güçlü bir destekçisi. Bu nedenle Çin tarafı, başbakan seçilmesinden memnun kalmadı ve onu tebrik bile etmedi. “
Atawulla, Takaichi’nin Güney Kore’deki APEC zirvesindeki ilk görüşmelerinde Uygur meselesini doğrudan Çin Devlet Başkanı Xi Jinping ile gündeme getirme ve Uygur bölgesindeki durumla ilgili endişelerini dile getirdiği açıklamaları Başbakanlık resmi web sitesinde yayınlama kararının cesur bir davranış olduğunu vurguladı. Atawulla, “Takaichi, son yıllarda Uygur soykırımından bu şekilde açıkça bahseden en üst düzey yetkili olabilir. Uygurların sesinin giderek azaldığı bir dönemde, bu son derece önemli, ” dedi.
– UygurNews
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