Faced with a host of diplomatic challenges, from growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea to shaky ties with the South, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pinning his hopes on the latest cabinet reshuffle to regain public trust in his government. Japan has been able to carry forward talks…
Faced with a host of diplomatic challenges, from growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea to shaky ties with the South, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pinning his hopes on the latest cabinet reshuffle to regain public trust in his government.
Japan has been able to carry forward talks with other countries as Abe has created a long-serving government by continuing to win national elections and strengthening the foundations of his administration, analysts say.
But after a series of scandals involving his cabinet members, as well as his own alleged misconduct, public approval rates have tumbled to the lowest since Abe returned to power in late 2012. In a nationwide poll by Kyodo News released in mid-July, public support for Abe’s cabinet fell 9.1 points from the previous month to 35.8 percent.
If Abe fails to regain public support, even after the reshuffle, and speculation grows that he will leave his office in the near future, Tokyo would lose its negotiating power on the diplomatic front, in turn harming national interests, analysts add.
In addition to North Korea and the prolonged rows with South Korea over historical issues, Japan faces many other foreign policy issues; the enhancement of relations with the United States, and territorial disputes with China and Russia.
On the back of his ruling bloc’s huge parliamentary majorities, Abe has built close ties with authoritarian leaders, such as U. S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Until Abe began his second stint as prime minister in December 2012, Japan had seen six prime ministers, including Abe, since Junichiro Koizumi resigned as premier in September 2006. The frequent changes of Japanese leaders have been derided as a revolving door.
« It is very difficult for short-lived governments under weak political leaders to attain diplomatic breakthroughs, » political commentator Norio Toyoshima said.
