Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Taro Aso may be losing to Yasuo Fukuda in the party's presidential election battle, but he scored a few points over his rival at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Wednesday, using his English-language ability to charm the foreign press.
Both candidates in Sunday's LDP presidential election to replace Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed at the FCCJ news conference to continue Japan's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean.
But while Fukuda reiterated vague policies, Aso seized the opportunity to give a 10-minute speech in English in which he expressed his confidence as a leader.