Former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba wins LDP primaries and will become Japan’s prime minister

Beijing asks Tokyo to “learn from History” to maintain “stable and healthy” relations with China

September 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (PLD) elected this Thursday the former Minister of Defense Shigeru Ishiba as president of the party after a primary election in which the deputy and Secretary of Economy, Sanae Takaichi, was imposed, so He will clearly become the next Japanese prime minister.

After four failed attempts, Ishiba has managed to take over the leadership of the formation. The politician, who has held the position of general secretary of the PLD in the past, is called to become the head of the Executive on October 1 after a vote in Parliament.

Ishiba has thus won with 215 votes compared to 189, to which must be added 26 votes from local party representatives. In a first vote – in which a total of eight candidates participated – he managed to obtain 154 votes, although Takaichi obtained the support of 181 deputies, as confirmed by the party itself.

The 67-year-old former minister will have to decide when to call the next general elections in Japan, although he has a period of just over a year to do so. This will put his leadership skills to the test as the country struggles to increase its economic growth while dealing with rising costs of living and housing problems.

Backed by the most conservative voices and aligned with the positions of the late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi, 63, aspired to become the first woman to reach office in Japan, although it was the second time she ran for office. party primaries.

The vote comes just days after the main opposition party, the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP), named former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as its new leader.

The LDP has the majority in Japan’s Diet and has governed virtually uninterrupted for decades. That is why the winner of the party leadership race is virtually guaranteed to become the next prime minister.

Former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who took office three years ago, resigned as leader of the party in August after registering minimal approval levels as a result of a series of financing scandals involving several senior officials.

However, he has claimed the “achievements” of his mandate, referring to an increase in salaries and improved investments, as well as greater defense spending and the holding of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima.

CHINA’S REACTION

For their part, the Chinese authorities have advocated maintaining “stable and healthy” relations between the parties and have expressed that they hope that Japan “learns from History and adheres to the path of peaceful development and the principles and consensus established in the declarations.” “joint agreements” signed by both States.

This was expressed by the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Lin Jian, in a press conference in which he urged the future Japanese leader to “establish an objective and correct understanding of China and seek a rational and positive policy” towards the Asian giant, as reported by the CCTV network.

“These results are an internal matter and we are not going to comment on the election,” he clarified, but not before emphasizing that Tokyo must promote a strategy of “beneficial relations for both parties, with an eye toward joint work.”