Interview with Komeito party leader Tetsuo Saito published by the party on its official YouTube channel on October 12, 2025. Photo: screenshot from Komeito's YouTube channel

The Komeito party, often seen as a supporting actor in Japan's political arena, recently found itself in the spotlight after the party decided Friday to quit the Japanese ruling coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). 

The decision of the Komeito party has been hyped by certain political figures in Japan.

Regarding some Japanese far-right politicians' recent claims that "Komeito received instructions from China to prevent [Sanae] Takaichi from becoming the Japanese prime minister," Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito stated on the party's YouTube channel on Sunday that this is "completely baseless."

On Sunday, the Komeito party posted an interview with Saito on its official YouTube channel to address several hot-button issues and actively communicate its stance including on why the party decided to leave the coalition.

The topic of the party's relationship with China was particularly discussed. When asked about allegations from some far-right forces that "Komeito is subservient to China" or "takes directions from China" to prevent Takaichi from becoming prime minister, Saito replied, "It is pure disinformation, entirely groundless. I was elected as a representative of the Japanese people. I work for the interests of Japan and its citizens—that is the role of a Japanese politician. I do not work for China's interests."

Saito added that "It's truly saddening that such rumors even emerge."

During the interview, after the host said that these rumors are being made by sitting lawmakers like Haruo Kitamura of the Conservative Party, Saito stated that "Frankly, I want to protest. These claims are utterly unfounded."

Given the Komeito party's long-standing advocacy for friendly relations with China and its active efforts to improve ties, some far-right politicians in Japan have seized on this development to hype anti-China rhetoric, according to some Chinese experts. 

The hypes stem from entrenched inter-party conflicts in Japan, and linking it to diplomatic issues is a calculated political manipulation, Da Zhigang, a research fellow at the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday.

The so-called "evidence" cited by certain far-right Japanese politicians for their rumors was an alleged meeting between Saito and Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao, which reportedly took place at the Japanese Member's Office Building for the House of Councillors on October 6 — just days before the coalition breakup decision was announced.

In the interview on Sunday, in response to rumors that he received instructions from the Chinese side during his meeting with Wu, Saito dismissed this as "pure disinformation," noting that as the leader of the Komeito, he maintains regularly exchanges views with ambassadors from over 30 countries, including China, and that this meeting had been scheduled well in advance. 

"If we were truly discussing confidential matters," Saito remarked, "such a meeting would never have been held at the Japanese Member's Office Building for the House of Councillors." According to the Youtube interview, external visitors to the building must register upon entry, and the entire process is completely transparent from the moment they step into the lobby.

Komeito advocates pacifism and livelihoods, historically balancing the LDP's right-leaning policies,Da told the Global Times on Monday. 

The expert noted the right-leaning trends in Japanese society.

Da believes that right-wing forces exploit platforms to amplify this right-leaning trends. They are trying to constrain Komeito's votes by smearing the party and misleading public opinion ahead of the Japanese prime minister designation, according to Da.

This time, Komeito's clarifications are necessary otherwise misinformation may still mislead public opinion, Da added.

In the interview, when commenting on his party's decision to leave the Japanese ruling coalition, Saito mentioned the LDP's issue of political donations.

Asahi Shimbun reported Friday that Komeito, "frustrated with the Liberal Democratic Party's opposition to reforms on funding," said it will withdraw from the ruling coalition, severing a quarter-century relationship and throwing the Japanese political world into further turmoil.

Saito told a news conference after the 90-minute meeting with Takaichi on Friday that the LDP had failed to provide a satisfactory response regarding reforms concerning political donations from companies and organizations and other issues.

When commenting on Komeito's decision to leave the Japanese ruling coalition formed with the LDP, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated, "This is Japan's internal affair and we have no comment on that."