With his Cabinet now in place, newly minted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is sending a message to both partners and rivals alike: When it comes to Japan’s foreign and security policy, stability and continuity will remain top priorities.
Kishida, who holds the title of Japan’s longest-serving foreign minister, brings a wealth of diplomatic experience to the table. But questions still hang over his fledgling administration as it seeks to fend off concerns about a potential return to revolving-door prime ministers and how it will deal with China, its increasingly assertive neighbor and key economic partner.
Still, with the formation of a new Cabinet, Kishida has already signaled to the United States that there will be little deviation from the positions staked out by his two immediate predecessors.
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