Former Japanese defense minister named head of majority party

Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to take over as Japan’s next prime minister after being elected president of the country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, known as the LDP. From now on the LDP will work hard and as a team, he wrote announcing his win Friday morning. Ishiba, who characterized himself as a centrist, beat out Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi, a conservative LDP member who hoped to become the country’s first female prime minister. Outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida decided to step down last month after widespread criticism around his handling of a party corruption scandal and the sharp rise of inflation.

The LDP must be a fair, impartial, and humble party that allows members to discuss the truth freely, Ishiba said at a first press conference. The LDP has seen a decline in approval ratings for how it has dealt with economic issues, said Masamichi Ida, a political professor at Japan’s Meiji University, in an interview with Reuters. That, and the failure of wages to keep up with the rising prices will be Ishiba’s key issues to solve, he added.

How might this leadership shift affect international relationships? Japanese relations with the United States will mostly stay the same, Ida said. Ishiba will likely continue the current pragmatic approach, but the outcome of November’s election will also influence the U.S.-Japanese relations, he added. China will be cautious during the shift in leadership, but not to an alarming level, Ida continued.

China has no comment on Japan’s recent party election, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Friday, according to Reuters. He then voiced Beijing's hope for Japan to “learn from history” and continue fostering what he characterized as a correct understanding of China with a proactive and rational policy. Chinese leaders encouraged Japan to keep a healthy, mutually beneficial relationship with their country so as to develop stable relations, Lin added.