东京：据媒体报道，日本首相高市早苗预计将于周一（10月5日）在政策演说中称中国为“重要邻国”，并承诺在竞争对手国家之间建立稳定关系。
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to call China an "important neighbour" and pledge to build a stable relationship between the rival nations in a policy address on Monday (Oct 5), according to media reports.
自去年11月高市暗示东京可能会介入任何针对台湾岛的攻击以来，这两个亚洲经济巨头的外交关系已跌至谷底，北京声称台湾是其领土。
Diplomatic relations between the Asian economic giants have been at rock bottom since Takaichi suggested in November that Tokyo may intervene in any attack on the island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.
私营广播电视台朝日电视台援引周一将在日本国会发表的演讲早期草稿报道称，高市可能会表示她计划与北京建设建设性且稳定的关系，并将中国描述为“重要邻国”。
Takaichi will likely say she plans to build a constructive and stable relationship with Beijing and describe China as "an important neighbour", private broadcaster TV Asahi reported, citing an early draft of the speech set to take place in Japan's parliament on Monday.
共同社援引未具名政府消息人士报道，这位首相预计还将发出信号，表明她的政府将起草一项全面计划来应对人口减少，她将其称为“悄然逼近的国家危机”。
The premier was also expected to signal her government would draft a comprehensive plan to deal with population decline, which she will call a "quietly advancing national crisis", Kyodo News reported, citing unnamed government sources.
尽管上任一年来享有异常高的支持率，但这位首相正在应对诸多挑战，包括通胀上升、市场对日本不断攀升的债务的担忧，以及自去年她发表关于台湾言论以来持续不断的与中国的外交争端。
Despite enjoying unusually high approval ratings a year into office, the prime minister is navigating a number of challenges, including rising inflation, market concerns about Japan's mounting debts and a diplomatic spat with China that has been rumbling since comments she made about Taiwan last year.
此次政策演说是在中国最高外交官上周会见率领贸易代表团访华的日本前外相时表示，中日关系“正等待再次常态化”之后举行的。
The policy speech comes after China's top diplomat said last week ties with Tokyo were "waiting to be normalised again" as he met a former Japanese foreign minister who was leading a trade delegation in Beijing.
中国去年曾警告其公民不要前往日本旅行，并实施了贸易限制，据报道这导致向日本企业供应的关键稀土矿产大幅减少。
China had last year warned its citizens against travel to Japan, and imposed trade restrictions that have reportedly led to big drops in supplies of vital rare earth minerals to Japanese firms.
共同社报道称，在人口减少问题上，高市可能会承诺在年底前制定出一项综合战略。
On population decline, Takaichi will likely pledge to formulate a comprehensive strategy by the end of the year, Kyodo reported.
根据7月发布的政府数据，居住在日本的日本人数量42年来首次跌破1.2亿。
The number of Japanese people living in the country fell below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, according to government data released in July.
报道称，高市早苗还将重申其对积极且负责任的财政政策的承诺，此前她大规模政府支出的计划已令市场感到不安。
Takaichi will also repeat her commitment to a proactive and responsible fiscal policy, after her programme of expansive government spending has rattled markets, the reports said.
此次演讲将拉开国会会议的序幕，会期将持续至12月，并将讨论多项法案，其中包括将食品消费税减免两年的计划，以遏制通胀对选民日常生活的影响。
The speech will kick off a parliamentary session that will run through to December and discuss several bills, including plans to cut a consumption tax on food for two years to curb the impact of inflation on voters' daily lives.
媒体报道称，首相的演讲还将包含支持国际刑事法院的承诺，此前美国于8月以制裁针对该法院的日本籍院长赤根智子。
The premier's speech will also include a pledge to support the International Criminal Court after the United States targeted the tribunal's Japanese President, Tomoko Akane, with sanctions in August, the media reports said.