On the 16th, Japan time, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time in Lima, the capital of Peru, where he was visiting South America. The two leaders confirmed the comprehensive promotion of a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests." Prime Minister Ishiba referred to China's embargo on Japanese seafood following the release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and called on China to resume imports as soon as possible. Following the Japan-China summit, a Foreign Ministry official analyzed, "We expect the U.S. economic policy toward China to be even tougher than that of the Biden administration. China is pursuing soft diplomacy with a dialogue-based approach toward Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and even ASEAN, which have the potential to invest in China." Prime Minister Ishiba also referred to the stabbing death of a Japanese boy that occurred in Shenzhen, China in September, and requested safety measures for Japanese residents there. Also, on the 17th, Japan time, U.S. President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met and confirmed the importance of continuing dialogue between the U.S. and China ahead of the inauguration of the Trump administration. A series of incidents aimed at social retaliation have shaken China. At around 7:30 pm on the 16th, a 21-year-old man with a knife attacked a vocational school in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, killing eight people and injuring 17. Furthermore, on the 11th, a car crash occurred in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, southern China, killing 35 people and injuring 43. This indiscriminate attack in a public place has shocked both domestically and internationally. According to local police investigations, the driver (62) attempted suicide with a knife he was carrying immediately after the incident and is now unconscious and in critical condition. As many people condemned the Zhuhai incident, President Xi Jinping issued "important instructions" to strengthen risk management and prevent incidents from occurring in order to avoid the impact of the incident. The police authorities' announcement regarding the incident has changed. Initially, the suspect's motive for the crime was said to be dissatisfaction with the court's ruling on the dispute over the division of assets after divorce, but the police deleted the part about "dissatisfaction with the court." The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that "China is one of the safest countries in the world with the lowest criminal crime rates." The Chinese government faces major challenges, including the prolonged real estate slump, measures to be taken by the next Trump administration, and the rising unemployment rate among young people. According to a survey by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, during the first term of the Trump administration, from January 2017 to January 2021, real estate investment was approaching 10% compared to the previous year, but has now dropped significantly to about minus 10%. The sluggish labor market is conspicuous. The unemployment rate has been on the rise since around 2019 and is currently in the high teens. Former President Trump has publicly stated that he will impose tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese products when his second term begins. China has no concrete retaliation cards to play against the fierce anti-China stance. ★Guests: Ko Ryu (Chief Researcher, Tokyo Foundation), Ako Tomoko (Professor, University of Tokyo) ★Anchor: Suenobu Yoshimasa (Journalist/former head of the TV Asahi Political Affairs Department) [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp