By Tetsushi Kajimoto, Antoni Slodkowski and Yoshifumi Takemoto
TOKYO (Reuters) – Former Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, a favorite in the next prime minister’s opinion polls, told Reuters on Monday that Tokyo deserves to deepen ties with its Asian neighbors, adding that South Korea, amid rising tension between China and the United States.States.
Ishiba, 63, has avoided signaling his candidacy in the run for the leadership 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 the country’s next ruler.
But later Monday, the Asahi newspaper said it had to come forward to “show citizens the option,” and mentioned several members of his party faction.
Ishiba, a rare critic of Abe through the LDP, said it was popular because it presented a break with the existing administration, highlighting its differences with Abe’s longtime assistant, Yoshihide Suga, a key competitor subsidized through several factions of the LDP.
Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, resigned Friday due to fitness issues, triggering a leadership career within his party, whose winner is virtually guaranteed as prime minister due to the LDP majority in the small space of parliament.
In response to calls from lawmakers and messages from secretaries in his parliamentary office, Ishiba said many Asian countries are “blocked” due to the growing rivalry between Washington and Beijing, and that Japan seeks more powerful ties with them, as well as with the South.. Korea.
“For example, does Japan have an accepted date as true with Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines or Singapore?” asked Ishiba.”We will have to build a political, cultural or security acceptance as true within the dating with Asia.”Added.
Abe oversaw a cautious improvement in relations with China, even though a territorial dispute and Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong are causing tensions. Tokyo’s ties to Seoul are strained by a dispute over the payment of Koreans forced to paint in Japanese factories and mines in wartime, as well as in Japanese army brothels.
“You can’t say that because we don’t love each other, we probably don’t paint together.South Korea is a very vital country from the point of view of Japan’s national security,” Ishiba said, adding that Japan “looks hard to understand.”get to know South Korea better.”
He also expressed fear of a lack of communication with North Korea: “We established liaison offices in Tokyo and Pyongyang,” he said.
FUTURE OF ABENOMICS
Ishiba said the “Abenomics” stimulus policy was not sustainable, that he did not see the need to radically replace existing policy, adding financial easing, “for the time being.”
“The existing economy has been backed by corporate tax cuts, 0 interest rates, a weakened yen, and sluggish wages, but I don’t think that policy is viable,” Ishiba said.
Asked about imaginable sales tax cuts to spice up domestic demand, Ishiba said choice financing resources will have to be guaranteed first, such as value-added corporate tax increases and social coverage reform.
“The merit of sales tax is to ensure a strong source of Revenue Array …but the role of sales tax wants to be reviewed when considering how to build the available source of income for low-income households.”
‘A DIFFERENT TASTE’
Ishiba pointed to the relationship between him and Abe’s right-hand man, Suga’s leading cabinet secretary.
Ishiba beat Abe in the first circular of a party’s presidential election in 2012, thanks to strong base support, but lost at the time of the lawmakers’ vote circular.In a vote for the party leadership in 2018, Ishiba lost a lot to Abe.
“People still need an LDP government, but after Mr. Abe, they ask, “Who has another style?Ishiba said. I have constantly challenged Abe and I have more than those who have not.It’s not based on performance, but on expectations,” Ishiba said.
He criticized leaders for leaning towards adopting a lighter electoral format limited to legislators and locals due to the coronavirus crisis and a complicated national security environment.
“There is no logic in those arguments, ” said Ishiba.” Mr Abe said he would do his thing as prime minister until the next prime minister is selected for the government to continue.There will be no political vacuum,” Ishiba said.
(Report through Yoshifumi Takemoto, Antoni Slodkowski and Tetsushi Kajimoto; edited through Chris Gallagher, Hugh Lawson, Peter Graff and Chizu Nomiyama)