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TOKYO: Former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a favorite in opinion polls to become the next prime minister, told Reuters on Monday that Tokyo should deepen ties with Asian neighbors, including South Korea, amid of the growing tension between China and the United States.
Ishiba, 63, avoided declaring his candidacy in the leadership race of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, even as opinion polls showed that he was the people’s choice to become. in the next leader of the country.
But later on Monday, the Asahi newspaper said that he had decided to run to “show citizens the option,” citing several members of his party faction.
Ishiba, a rare critic of Abe’s PLD, said it was popular because it featured a break with the current administration, underscoring his differences with Abe’s former aide Yoshihide Suga, a key contender backed by various factions of the PLD.
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, resigned on Friday due to health problems, kicking off a leadership contest within his party, the winner of which is almost guaranteed to be prime minister due to the majority of the PLD. in the lower house of parliament.
Receiving calls from legislators and messages from secretaries in his parliamentary office, Ishiba said that there are many countries in Asia that are “stagnant” due to the growing rivalry between Washington and Beijing, and that Japan should seek stronger ties with them, as well as with the South. Korea.
“For example, does Japan have a trusting relationship with Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, or Singapore?” Ishiba asked. “We must build trusting political, cultural or security relationships with Asia,” he added.
Abe oversaw a cautious improvement in ties with China, although a territorial dispute and Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong are causing tensions. Tokyo’s ties with Seoul are strained over a dispute over compensation for Koreans forced to work in wartime Japanese factories and mines, as well as in Japanese military brothels.
“It cannot be said that because we do not like each other we will not work together. South Korea is a very important country from the point of view of Japan’s national security,” Ishiba said, adding that Japan should “work hard to get to know better. South Korea “.
He also expressed concern about the lack of communication with North Korea: “We should create liaison offices in Tokyo and Pyongyang,” he said.
FUTURE OF ABENOMICS
Ishiba said the “Abenomics” stimulus policy was not sustainable, although he did not see the need to drastically change current policy, including monetary easing, “for the time being.”
“The current economy has been supported by corporate tax cuts, zero interest rates, a weak yen and sluggish wages, but I don’t think that policy is sustainable,” Ishiba said.
When asked about possible sales tax cuts to stimulate domestic demand, Ishiba said that alternative financial resources must first be secured, such as through value-added corporate tax increases and welfare reform.
“The merit of the sales tax is to ensure stable income … but the role of the sales tax needs to be reviewed when we consider how to boost the disposable income of low-income households.”
‘DIFFERENT FLAVOR’
Ishiba highlighted the differences between him and Abe’s right-hand man, Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga.
Ishiba defeated Abe in the first round of a party’s presidential election in 2012, thanks to strong grassroots support, but lost in a legislator’s second round. In a 2018 party leadership poll, Ishiba lost heavily to Abe.
“People still want a LDP government, but after Abe resigned, they wonder, ‘Who has a different style?'” Ishiba said. “I have continually challenged Abe and I have more support than those who have not. This is not based on performance, but on expectations,” Ishiba said.
He criticized party executives for leaning towards adopting a reduced election format limited to legislators and representatives of local chapters, due to the coronavirus crisis and the difficult national security environment.
“There is no logic in these arguments,” Ishiba said. “Mr. Abe said that he would do everything possible as prime minister until the next prime minister is elected for the government to continue … there would be no political vacuum,” Ishiba said.
– Reuters
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