India, Nov. 2 -- With the election of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan stands at a pivotal moment-not only in its domestic politics, but in its role as a regional and global moral actor. As the first woman to lead the country, Takaichi brings a fresh mandate and a clear-eyed strategic vision, one that includes strengthening Japan's alliance with the United States and confronting authoritarianism in Asia.

Among the most urgent-and long-neglected-issues she must address is the ongoing repression in Tibet. For decades, Japan's foreign policy towards China has been marked by caution, economic pragmatism, and strategic ambiguity. Former Prime Ministers Kishida and Ishiba pursued engagement policies that often sidestepped human rights conc...