• The Heritage Network
    • Resize:
    • A
    • A
    • A
  • Donate
  • Japan’s Pragmatic Cabinet Shuffle

    Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan survived a leadership challenge from a kingmaker in his own Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Ichiro Ozawa, and last Friday he reshuffled his cabinet. Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada was named the party’s secretary-general and number two to Kan. Okada leaves the foreign minister’s desk stacked high with unfinished business in Japan’s foreign relations, such as soothing bilateral tensions with Beijing over the recent collision of a Japanese patrol vessel and a Chinese fishing boat. Okada was also unable to resolve complicated negotiations over the relocation … More