Aso's positive signals on Sino-Japanese ties

Japan's political landscape was again rocked when Yasuo Fukuda, who championed proactive advancement of the country's China ties, suddenly announced his resignation as prime minister on Sept 1.

He was under the pressure from waning popular support, numerous "negative assets" left behind by former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi's era, a nation embroiled in a global pandemic of rising oil and food prices, a spreading financial crisis, and particularly from a parliament where the upper and lower houses are controlled by the ruling Liberal Democrats and opposition parties respectively, preventing many of the former's administrative decisions from getting approval.

On Sept 24, Taro Aso, a known "hawk" in Japanese politics, was elected the new prime minister.