Reuters examines how Japan’s Abe assured clout over next PM Kishida

Reuters examined how the election of Fumio Kishida as Japanese prime minister effectively means that former premier Shinzo Abe and his conservative base are the winners, their policy clout assured. Abe’s muscular defense policies and stern stance toward an assertive Beijing, while leaving the door open to dialogue given vital economic ties with China, will be a foundation of Japan’s diplomacy and security policies under Kishida, analysts told Reuters.