Japanese voters headed to the polls in five constituencies yesterday, elections that could sway Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s decision on whether to call a general election in the coming months.
The prime minister’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is fighting to keep the three seats it previously held of the five. Managing to take a fourth would further fuel speculation that Kishida might opt for a national election after hosting the G7 summit in Hiroshima from May 19 to 21.
The timing of the general election may also play into monetary policy, as the Bank of Japan would face pressure to avoid any changes that could disrupt the markets during campaigning.
Photo: AP
While the lower house term does not end until 2025, renewing his mandate could help Kishida keep his party in line as he negotiates a series of difficult debates. Among them are how the deeply indebted country would fund a pledged 60 percent increase in defense spending amid rising regional threats, and a doubling of outlays on children and families intended to stem a fall in the birthrate.
Support for Kishida’s Cabinet has recovered in recent weeks, helped by his visit to Ukraine last month, as well as progress toward a rapprochement with South Korea. His decision to carry on campaigning after an attempted pipe-bomb attack as he was about to speak in support of a candidate in Wakayama a week ago gained him further points in media polls.
The five constituencies in contention include the one in the southwestern prefecture of Yamaguchi vacated when former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated last year.
A race in a neighboring constituency also opened up because Abe’s brother, former Japanese minister of defense Nobuo Kishi, stepped down due to ill health. The others are in Oita, Wakayama and Chiba.
MONEY MATTERS: Xi was to highlight projects such as a new high-speed railway between Belgrade and Budapest, as Serbia is entirely open to Chinese trade and investment Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic yesterday said that “Taiwan is China” as he made a speech welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to Belgrade, state broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) said. “We have a clear and simple position regarding Chinese territorial integrity,” he told a crowd outside the government offices while Xi applauded him. “Yes, Taiwan is China.” Xi landed in Belgrade on Tuesday night on the second leg of his European tour, and was greeted by Vucic and most government ministers. Xi had just completed a two-day trip to France, where he held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron as the
CUSTOMS DUTIES: France’s cognac industry was closely watching the talks, fearing that an anti-dumping investigation opened by China is retaliation for trade tensions French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at one of his beloved childhood haunts in the Pyrenees, seeking to press a message to Beijing not to support Russia’s war against Ukraine and to accept fairer trade. The first day of Xi’s state visit to France, his first to Europe since 2019, saw respectful, but sometimes robust exchanges between the two men during a succession of talks on Monday. Macron, joined initially by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urged Xi not to allow the export of any technology that could be used by Russia in its invasion
The most powerful solar storm in more than two decades struck Earth on Friday, triggering spectacular celestial light shows from Tasmania to the UK — and threatening possible disruptions to satellites and power grids as it persists into the weekend. The first of several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun — came just after 4pm GMT, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. It was later upgraded to an “extreme” geomagnetic storm — the first since the “Halloween Storms” of October 2003 caused blackouts in Sweden and damaged
INFLUENCE: The French president last year appealed to Xi Jinping to ‘bring Russia to its senses,’ but the call was not followed by any apparent change in stance French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday was to press Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to use his influence to move Russia toward ending the war in Ukraine during a two-day state visit to France. The leaders were also expected to discuss trade disputes over electric vehicles, cognac and cosmetics. Macron’s office said talks about diplomatic efforts to support Ukraine and put pressure on Russia are a top priority for France. Discussions would also include the Middle East, trade issues and global challenges including climate change. The European Commission president was to join part of the meetings to raise broader EU concerns. France is