Abe Named New Japanese Prime Minister

Abe Named New Japanese Prime Minister

<h1>Abe Named New Japanese Prime Minister</h1><img src="http://www.voanews.com/App_Themes/VOA_en-US/img/colorLogo.gif"/>​Japan has a new prime minister. The Diet (parliament) on Wednesday selected Shinzo Abe to again lead the country after his Liberal Democratic Party scored a solid comeback in elections this month. That ends a three-year stay in power for the Democratic Party of Japan.<br /> <br /> <div class="tag_image tag_backgrounder floatLeft" contenteditable="false" mode="backgrounder|plain|1572337|floatLeft"> Shinzo Abe<img alt="" src="../../img/spacer.gif" title="This is just placeholder, it will be replaced public site." /></div> &nbsp;Abe said his top priorities are to overcome the country&#39;s economic and diplomatic crises.<br /> <br /> At his initial news conference,&nbsp; following his selection by lawmakers to lead Japan, Abe lamented that any country that gives up on economic growth has no future.<br /> <br /> &nbsp;Abe said he wants to achieve results as soon as possible to earn the public&#39;s trust and avoid the fate of many of his predecessors who could barely last one year in office.<br /> <br /> Shinzo Abe succeeds Yoshihiko Noda whose fate was sealed after the DPJ lost its control of the lower house in elections earlier this month.<br /> <br /> <div class="tag_image tag_image5 floatLeft" contenteditable="false" mode="img|expand|8055824F-66E9-49E2-8CCD-BFDA9112D2B3.jpg|5|floatLeft|||0"> <img src="http://gdb.voanews.eu/8055824F-66E9-49E2-8CCD-BFDA9112D2B3_w268.jpg" />Japan&#39;s newly-named Prime Minsiter Shinzo Abe smiles as he waves at the media upon his arrival at the prime minister&#39;s official residence following his election at Parliament in Tokyo, December 26, 2012.</div> ​​It is a stunning comeback for Abe, a third-generation politician, who suddenly resigned as prime minister five years ago amid declining popularity.<br /> <br /> Abe said medication is effectively treating the inflammatory bowel disease that compelled him to step aside just short of one year in office in 2007.<br /> <br /> There were five prime ministers in between Abe&#39;s previous departure and his return to the post.<br /> <br /> The Democrat Party of Japan came to power three years ago, amid a prolonged economic decline, after the electorate voted out the scandal-ridden LDP which has governed the country for most of the period since World War II.<br /> <br /> Speaking to reporters, Abe emphasized that a closer alliance with the United States is key to stable diplomacy for Japan.<br /> <br /> Abe&#39;s return is being viewed cautiously in East Asia. That is due to his tough talk regarding Japan&#39;s worsening territorial disputes with its neighbors, his desire to strengthen Japan&#39;s defense forces and unapologetic views on the country&#39;s harsh, 20th century colonization of part of China and the whole of the Korean peninsula.<br /> <br /> China&#39;s foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, told reporters that Beijing is willing to make joint efforts with Tokyo &ldquo;to promote healthy and stable development of Sino-Japan relations.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> Hua said China hopes &ldquo;Japan can stick to the path of peaceful development and play a constructive role in maintaining peace and stability of the region.&rdquo;<br /> <br /> <div class="tag_image tag_backgrounder floatLeft" contenteditable="false" mode="backgrounder|plain|1572335|floatLeft"> Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe&#39;s Cabinet<img alt="" src="../../img/spacer.gif" title="This is just placeholder, it will be replaced public site." /></div> ​​Abe&#39;s key Cabinet appointments are giving some clues to the direction he plans to take.<br /> <br /> His new defense minister is Itsunori Onodera, who favors stronger security ties with the United States.<br /> <br /> Fumio Kishida is the new foreign minister. He has previous Cabinet experience dealing with Okinawa where there is widespread discontent over the long-stalled relocation of a U.S. Marine Corps air station.<br /> <br /> To help push through a $120 billion public works and other emergency stimulus spending plan, Abe has selected former prime minister Taro Aso as finance minister. Aso will also serve as deputy prime minister.<br /> <br /> <div class="tag_image tag_gallery_plain" contenteditable="false" mode="gallery|plain|1572498"> <img src="http://gdb.voanews.eu/7B5436F0-7436-418F-921D-64221E02C0ED_w512_h482.jpg?nocache=1" /></div> ​​<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.voanews.com/content/japan-lawmakers-return-hawkish-shinzo-abe-to-power/1572235.html"/><meta name="syndication-source" content="http://www.voanews.com/content/japan-lawmakers-return-hawkish-shinzo-abe-to-power/1572235.html"/><img src="http://livetracker.voanews.eu/counter.lt?PageType=256&RecordId=1572235&SiteId=415&r=946215622&it=0&pd=20121226071931&url=ArticleID1572235" alt="" style="border:none;" height="1" width="1">

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