(Observer Network) According to the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) on November 10, on the afternoon of November 10, the Japanese House of Representatives and Senate held a prime ministerial election, and Fumio Kishida was elected as the 101st Cabinet Prime Minister and immediately formed a new cabinet.
The difference from before is that Kishida Fumio appointed his confidant, and Lin Fang, the former Minister of Science of the Ministry of Literature and Science, served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other cabinet officials were re-elected.
Lin Fang is a famous "Chinese-Knowing faction" in Japanese politics. She serves as the president of the "China-Japan Friendship Parliamentarian Alliance" and has led delegations to visit China many times. It is also because of this that he aroused great dissatisfaction among the conservatives within the party. On the 8th, Lin Fangzheng expressed that he "knows China" but not "pornography".
NHK report screenshot
Kishada "second-in-command"
0 At the end of October, after the Japanese House of Representatives held a general election, Toshisuke Motegi, the former Foreign Minister, was transferred to the position of Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party, to replace former Secretary-General Gan Li Aki who resigned after his defeat in the constituency. At that time, Fumio Kishida did not immediately announce the candidate for Foreign Minister, but instead served as the other party for the time being. On November 10, Kishida Fumio's new cabinet was officially unveiled. Kishida's confidant and former Minister of Science of the Ministry of Literature and Science, Lin Fangmashi served as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Lin Fangzheng is 60 years old this year. She comes from a political family and has a master's degree from the Kennedy School of Political Science at Harvard University in the United States. Lin Fangzheng worked in companies such as Mitsui Products. In December 1992, she entered politics because she was the secretary of the House of Representatives member Lin Yilang. Since then, Lin Fangzheng's career has been smooth. He has been elected five times in the Senate Yamaguchi Constituency. He has served as Minister of Defense, Minister of Economics and Finance, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Minister of Culture and Science, Minister of Culture and Science, etc., and is known as "Policy Connect". Lin Fangzheng also participated in the 2012 Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, but lost to Shinzo Abe.
Lin Fang is affiliated with the Kishida faction within the Liberal Democratic Party and is deeply trusted by Fumio Kishida. She serves as the "Chief" (Chairman of the Conference) in the Kishida faction and is the "second-in-chief" of the Kishida faction. In the October House election, Lin Fang was running from Yamaguchi's 3rd constituency and was elected as a member of the House of Representatives.
Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fangzheng Photo from The Paper Image
10, Lin Fangzheng said: "Yesterday, Prime Minister Kishida called me to tell me that I would be appointed as Foreign Minister. Because I have shouldered a great responsibility in diplomacy, I want to exert 100% and 120% of my strength. I will truly support the Kishida regime and promote national policies bit by bit."
Previously, when participating in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election in 2012, Lin Fangzheng publicly expressed his willingness to become the prime minister in the future. Yomiuri Shimbun said that Kishida Fumio appointed Lin Fangmasato, and he also wanted to use him as a strong candidate for his faction when he ran for the Prime Minister in the future.
"Knowing Hua" does not "fashion China"
Lin Fang is the president of the Japan-China Friendly Parliamentary Alliance "Japan-China Friendly Parliamentary Alliance". He has led a delegation to visit China many times and is regarded as one of the "Knowing Hua factions" within the Liberal Democratic Party.
The China-Japan Friendship Parliamentarian Alliance was established in 1974 to promote friendly cooperation between China and Japan. It is mainly composed of members of Congress from five political parties including the Liberal Democratic Party, the Komeito Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Japanese Restoration and the Japanese Communist Party.
It is worth mentioning that Lin Fangzheng has a lot of connections with China. Lin Fangzheng's father, Lin Yilang, is a famous "pro-China faction" in Japan. He was once the Minister of Health, Labor and Labor and Finance. Lin Yilang also served as the "President of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentary Union" and led delegations to visit China many times in 2001 and 2003. When visiting China in 2001, according to a previous report by Xinhua News Agency, Lin Yilang admitted that in the past historical period, Japan had colonized and invaded Asian neighbors due to its wrong national policies, which brought immeasurable damage and pain to various countries. Japan is willing to humbly accept this regrettable history, expressing deep reflection on it, and expressing deep condolences to all those who died in the war.
As Lin Yilang's son, Lin Fangzheng took over the position of president of the "Japan-China Friendly Parliamentarian Alliance" in 2017. Lin Fangzheng said at the time: "It is difficult to start the prospects of Japan-China relations, but I hope to brainstorm and reap the fruits of friendship."
Since then, Lin Fangzheng led a delegation to China for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019, and held talks with Wang Yang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Lin Fangzheng's "pro-China" tendency has also aroused concerns and dissatisfaction among the conservatives within the Liberal Democratic Party. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 10th, before Kishida Fumio called the party leader, Shinzo Abe and Taro Aso to seek understanding before appointing Lin Fangmasato. However, both of them believe that Lin Fang is the president of the Japan-China Friendly Parliamentary Alliance since December 2017, and other issues. believes that "the relationship with China may bring wrong information to the international community" , and is cautious.
However, Fumio Kishida was unwilling to give in. The Yomiuri Shimbun said that this was to select important cabinet officials from the Kishida faction and thus achieve a balance within the cabinet. In Kishida Cabinet, the Chief of the Office and the Minister of Finance were appointed from the Hosoda School and the Aso School. Fumio Kishida served as the Foreign Minister for 4 years and 7 months, and attached great importance to this position. "I hope that those who are intimate and trustworthy will stay in the cabinet." Therefore, he appointed Lin Fangzheng.
Kida Cabinet Member Photo from NHK
Regarding the doubts about "pro-China" within the Liberal Democratic Party, on the 8th, Lin Fang explained her position when she was participating in a program on BS Fuji TV in Japan, saying that she "knows China" rather than "pornography of China". Lin Fangzheng said: "Even the knowing Chinese school can do it, but it cannot be a charming Chinese school."
He also quoted the allusion of the idiom "Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles", saying "It is better to understand the other party clearly than not knowing." At the same time, in the program, Lin Fangzheng also discussed the so-called human rights issue in Xinjiang, claiming that "this is a serious issue that should be seriously concerned no matter how you think about it."
In response to this, according to Yomiuri Shimbun on the 10th, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said when welcoming Lin Fangmasato: "Not only China, but also know the United States where they study abroad. Mr. Lin understands that the two countries, the most important for Japanese diplomacy, are the most suitable candidates."
Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) pointed out that Fumio Kishida hopes to strengthen the foreign policy of the Japan-US alliance by allowing Lin Fangmasato, who is trustworthy in the faction, to take charge of diplomacy, so as to improve Japan-US relations at the same time.
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