Analyst: Fukuda only 'transitional' PM
James Wong Wing OnPublished: Sep 28, 2007 11:48 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Japan's newly elected Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is "only a transitional leader" in a political flux, according to a prominent observer of Japanese politics in Malaysia.
Japan's newly elected Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is "only a transitional leader" in a political flux, according to a prominent observer of Japanese politics in Malaysia.
"Fukuda is certainly more moderate and conciliatory towards China and the two Koreas," said Loke Thu Sang (left).
"He also seems to be more balanced in his management of Japan's relations between the United States on one hand and the rest of the world on the other, but there are still conservative forces within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as well as the entrenched bureaucracy that may resist his new approaches," he added.
Loke, 61, is a Visiting Professor of Japan's Aomori Chuo Gakuin University and a columnist of major Chinese-language newspapers in Malaysia. He is also a graduate of Japanese language studies from the prestigious Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
Fukuda, 71, was elected as the new president of the ruling LDP as well as Japan's new prime minister after the surprised resignation of his predecessor Shinzo Abe consequent on the humiliating defeat of LDP in the Upper House election.
Positive gesture
Fukuda has publicly committed not to visit the controversial Yasukuni War Shrine which caused widespread anti-Japanese protests in China, the Korean Peninsula and other parts of Asia-Pacific, including Malaysia and the Philippines.
"Although Fukuda's public commitment is a positive gesture but the real question is whether he could withstand the political pressure of the conservative nationalists in Japanese society from now on.
"Like it or not, Fukuda (left) will also have to deal with the bureaucracy whose size and influence are well known in the world for a long time. In Japan, unelected bureaucrats survive much longer in their positions than elected politicians and have therefore accumulated more power and influence in the policy-making process than is due to them," he added.
Loke also said if Fukuda survives politically after the next elections, then we can also expect him to be following the footsteps of his prime ministerial father Takeo who adopted the famous Fukuda Doctrine in 1977 for Japan to comprehensively engage Southeast Asia.
"But, for the moment, I think we still have to only wait and see," he added.
"Fukuda is certainly more moderate and conciliatory towards China and the two Koreas," said Loke Thu Sang (left). "He also seems to be more balanced in his management of Japan's relations between the United States on one hand and the rest of the world on the other, but there are still conservative forces within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) as well as the entrenched bureaucracy that may resist his new approaches," he added.
Loke, 61, is a Visiting Professor of Japan's Aomori Chuo Gakuin University and a columnist of major Chinese-language newspapers in Malaysia. He is also a graduate of Japanese language studies from the prestigious Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
Fukuda, 71, was elected as the new president of the ruling LDP as well as Japan's new prime minister after the surprised resignation of his predecessor Shinzo Abe consequent on the humiliating defeat of LDP in the Upper House election.
Positive gesture
Fukuda has publicly committed not to visit the controversial Yasukuni War Shrine which caused widespread anti-Japanese protests in China, the Korean Peninsula and other parts of Asia-Pacific, including Malaysia and the Philippines.
"Although Fukuda's public commitment is a positive gesture but the real question is whether he could withstand the political pressure of the conservative nationalists in Japanese society from now on. "Like it or not, Fukuda (left) will also have to deal with the bureaucracy whose size and influence are well known in the world for a long time. In Japan, unelected bureaucrats survive much longer in their positions than elected politicians and have therefore accumulated more power and influence in the policy-making process than is due to them," he added.
Loke also said if Fukuda survives politically after the next elections, then we can also expect him to be following the footsteps of his prime ministerial father Takeo who adopted the famous Fukuda Doctrine in 1977 for Japan to comprehensively engage Southeast Asia.
"But, for the moment, I think we still have to only wait and see," he added.
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