Fumio Kishida to become Japan’s next PM

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) elected former top diplomat Fumio Kishida as its new leader on Wednesday after a tightly contested race that ended in a runoff vote — clearing a path for him to become the country’s next Prime Minister.

Japan’s former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has won the ruling party’s leadership election, virtually ensuring that he will become the country’s next prime minister. Kishida won 257 votes in a runoff on Wednesday to defeat Taro Kono, a popular vaccines minister who previously held the positions of defence and foreign minister.

The 64-year-old replaces outgoing party leader Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who is stepping down after serving only one year since taking office last September. Kishida previously served as LDP policy chief and was foreign minister between 2012-17, during which he negotiated accords with Russia and South Korea, with whom Japan’s relations are often frosty.