International   

Abe for cordial ties with China

P. S. Suryanarayana

Premier to continue reforms

SINGAPORE: Shinzo Abe, the newly-chosen leader of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was on Tuesday elected by Diet (Parliament) in Tokyo to succeed Junichiro Koizumi as Prime Minister.

Mr. Abe, Japan's youngest Prime Minister since World War II, appointed his allies to key Cabinet positions, made a political gesture towards a rival in the party, pledged to carry forward Mr. Koizumi's initiative of far-reaching economic reforms, and signalled a desire for enhanced ties with the United States and rapprochement with China on a parallel track.

Mr. Abe's triumph in Parliament was a foregone conclusion because of the majority the ruling coalition of the LDP and the New Komeito Party enjoys.

Gesture to rival

Soon after his victory, Mr. Abe appointed Taro Aso, the outgoing Foreign Minister, to the same position. The choice was politically significant for the reason that Mr. Aso had unsuccessfully contested against Mr. Abe in the LDP leadership election on September 20. The new Prime Minister's gesture of accommodating a rival was seen to flow from their shared political principle of "hawkish conservatism."

Soon after reassuming his post, Mr. Aso outlined his priority as bringing about a summit meeting between Mr. Abe and Chinese President Hu Jintao at the earliest.

Notable among Mr. Abe's other key choices is the appointment of Fumio Kyuma, a veteran parliamentarian, as the Defence Agency Chief, virtually the Defence Minister under Japan's current pacifist Constitution. Mr. Abe has pledged to revise this statute, and Mr. Kyuma is expected to transform the Agency into a full-fledged ministry in this political environment.

A significant sidelight was that Mr. Abe did not offer any post to the outgoing Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, who too had unsuccessfully contested the LDP leadership election.

Xinhua reports:

China on Tuesday expressed the hope that Japan's new leader will make efforts to improve and develop bilateral relations.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the remarks at a regular press conference after Mr. Abe was elected Prime Minister.

``We hope Japan's new leadership will make constructive efforts to promote the improvement and development of China-Japan relations,'' said Mr. Qin, adding China wanted Mr. Abe to match his words with action.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Abe for cordial ties with China
India lauds Rajapaksa Government's resolve to build consensus on ethnic issue
Russian nuclear fuel for Iran
Blair finds it "hard to let go''
Saddam trial adjourned
Lack of funds impeding Iraq war, army tells Bush
U.N. gets offers of troops for Darfur
Probe into 10,000 graft claims
A blunder, says Reid
Thai man dies of bird flu
Australia mulling civilian nuclear deal with India
Kasuri asks India to respond positively
Senate likely to take up nuclear deal in November
Indian American develops sensor to detect E. coli
`Kanishka' case enquiry begins

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu