Fumio Kishida approved as Japan's next Prime Minister; Why its is good news for India

Tokyo, Oct 4: The Japanese lawmakers on Monday voted to approve Fumio Kishida, as the new prime minister of Japan. This comes after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) chose 64-years-old Kishida as the new leader last week. Back in September, incumbent Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had announced his decision not to run for the head of LDP, which meant his resignation as head of government.

 

 

According to reports, Toshimitsu Motegi will be retained as foreign minister while Hirokazu Matsuno will become Chief Cabinet Secretary. Kishida plans to dissolve the House of Representatives on October 14. According to Japanese media reports, an election of Japan's lower house will be convened on October 31. The LDP-led coalition controls both chambers of the Diet.

 

 

He will be taking charge of the world’s third-largest economy as it seeks to rebound from a virus emergency. The self-effacing former banker from Hiroshima has promised tens of trillions of yen in spending and pledged to steer away from "neoliberal" economic policies in a bid to bolster the middle class.

 

 

Kishida will continue to follow Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga policies specifically in international politics. It means that he will take a hard position on China. He will also emphasize the need to boost Japan’s defences and strengthen security ties with allies, particularly the US. Notably, India has partnered up with Japan for a vision of free and open Indo-Pacific which will remain a mainstay of Japan’s diplomatic outreach in the region and to other partners, including the Quad members, i.e. the US, Australia and India.

 

With India, Japan will be helping out in ongoing projects like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project. There will also be deepening of bilateral security and defence cooperation with India. Advancements will also be seen in the recently-launched Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) between India, Japan and Australia. On the security front, Kishida has reiterated Taiwan’s security as crucial to Japan’s own. He has sharply criticised China’s treatment of the Uighur minority and favours passing a resolution condemning it. He also aims to appoint a prime ministerial aide, a first for Japan, to monitor the Uighur human rights situation.

 

 

On the other hand, Kishida has not only criticised China’s economic and political aggression during his time as a candidate but also proclaimed his willingness to work with "those that share the same values, such as the US, Europe, India and Australia".