"Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s decision on Wednesday to appoint his predecessor’s brother as defence minister sparked an immediate reaction from China over his Taiwan ties.
Nobuo Kishi, 61, is the younger sibling of former leader Shinzo Abe, although he was adopted by his maternal uncle as a baby and carries his surname.
Kishi is known for his close ties to the self-ruled island of Taiwan, having represented the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) over the years in engagements with current Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and other Taiwanese leaders." *
*Taiwan ties of Japan's new defence minister Nobuo Kishi spark reaction from China, SCMP, by Julian Ryall and Maria Siow, Published: 8:45pm, 16 Sep, 2020; https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3101818/taiwan-ties-japans-new-defence-minister-nobuo-kishi-sparks
Hosaka Yuji, political science professor at Sejong University in Seoul did a commentary on the appointment of Kishi as defense minister on his youtube channel September 20. Due credit to the professor as the source of the analytical interpretation loosely summarized in the next two paragraphs.
This appointment of Abe's brother suggests a balancing act by Japan's new Prime Minister Suga. Kishi is regarded as not really senior enough to be Defense Minister and may reflect Abe's continued influence in the new cabinet. Kishi is a hard liner and part of the Abe-Aso (anti-China) faction. Before Kishi's appointment there was public discussion in media that an anti-ballistic missile system wasn't enough of a deterrent to protect Japan, implying that the new cabinet might be receptive to the installation of ballistic missiles possibly in Okinawa.
Nikai Toshihiro, as the Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party on the other hand is said to lean toward mainland China. His retention as LDP Secretary General reflects a priority concern for the Japanese economy and a desire to encourage tourism and to maintain a positive economic relationship with mainland China. Nikai was an early supporter of Suga for the Prime Minister's office. Economic retaliation from China could be expected in the event of deployment of offensive ballistic missile systems, similar in nature to the response South Korea experienced after the US deployment of a THAAD battery allegedly directed against the North Korean threat.
Soon after Abe stepped down he visited the Yasukuni Shrine. One of the accounts said Abe visited to apologize to Japan's war dead for not completing his mission to amend the Japanese constitution to change restrictions on Japan's use of military force. The SCMP article cited above points out Kishi's ties to far right groups, and concludes with the observation that Kishi agreed "there should be debate on Japan deploying nuclear weapons." China's discomfort with Kishi's appointment is understandable. Kishi Nabusuke the maternal grandfather and model figure to Abe and his brother, was an accused war criminal, never tried, who became prime minister of Japan under US sponsorship. So the current defense minister, like his older brother, is a historical revisionist who rationalizes Japanese invasions, occupations, and crimes against humanity in East Asia during the 20th Century. This remains a source of rancor in relationships with China and other East Asian states. The latter understandably are wary of Japan's intentions.
The potential problems and risks of Japanese historical revisionism, incident to the right wing revival of Japan's imperial legacy, to coin a phrase, "to make Japan great again," is seldom acknowledged in US media.
Correction Sep 23- The original version of this article mistakenly identified Nikai Toshihiro as the Chief Cabinet Secretary when he was in fact, retained as LDP Secretary General. Katsunobu Kato, serves as new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's chief cabinet secretary. One of his initial concerns appears to be Chinese military operations in East Sea.*
* Japan should hold Senkaku defense drills with US, LDP says Lawmakers call for stronger presence around East China Sea islands; Nikkei Asian Review, Sep. 23, 2020; https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Japan-should-hold-Senkaku-defense-drills-with-US-LDP-says
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