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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigns as country’s longest serving premier due to ill health

The West Australian
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announces his resignation because a chronic illness has resurfaced.
Camera IconJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announces his resignation because a chronic illness has resurfaced. Credit: Franck Robichon/AP

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has resigned to undergo treatment for a chronic illness, ending his run as the country’s longest serving premier.

"What is most important in politics is to achieve results," Abe said at a briefing in Tokyo.

"I have done everything I can to achieve results in the last seven years and 8 months."

Shinzo Abe is Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister.
Camera IconShinzo Abe is Japan’s longest serving Prime Minister. Credit: Koji Sasahara/AP

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Abe spoke for a few minutes on Friday ahead of the reports, where he told a meeting of the government’s virus task force his administration has put together a new plan to combat COVID-19 ahead of the winter flu season.

"It was an absolute surprise since it was so sudden," Tomomi Inada, the party’s deputy secretary general, told reporters. "I hadn’t expected it."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was among the first to react to the news issuing a statement shortly after the shock announcement.

“On behalf of the people of Australia, I would like to thank Prime Minister of Japan Mr Shinzo Abe for his enduring commitment to Australia-Japan relations over his long and successful career.” Mr Morrison wrote.

“Shinzo Abe is a true friend. He is Australia’s true friend.

“One of the most moving experiences I’ve had as Prime Minister was to lay a wreath with Prime Minister Abe at the Cenotaph in Darwin.

“Standing side by side, we honoured Australia’s fallen and marked the bonds of loyalty and friendship that our two countries now share. It was another symbolic step in our journey, started many years ago.”

Abe’s record-setting run brought stability to Japan after a revolving door of six administrations, including a previous stint by the 65-year-old leader.

He helped Japan escape from a cycle of deflation, endured a Trump administration that questioned the nation’s only military alliance, and worked to improve ties with its biggest trading partner China, which were at their most hostile in decades when he took office.

Another aspect of Abe’s tenure that was highlighted in Mr Morrison’s statement.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was among those to thank Shinzo Abe for his service after his shock resignation this afternoon.
Camera IconPrime Minister Scott Morrison was among those to thank Shinzo Abe for his service after his shock resignation this afternoon. Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

“Today, Australia and Japan share a vision for an open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, strengthened by cooperation between our likeminded countries,” he added.

“Prime Minister Abe is a man of integrity and wisdom. He has been the senior statesman in our region and across the globe, a strong promoter of open trade and an outstanding international diplomat for Japan.

I wish Prime Minister Abe all the best for his health. I look forward to continuing our friendship, and Jenny and I wish he and Akie the very best for the future.

Abe is perhaps best known for his plans to revive the flagging economy through unprecedented monetary easing and regulatory reform that was eventually labelled "Abenomics."

He has been seen as a steady hand who has consolidated power during his record run and been able to overcome scandals, including one that came to light in 2017 over questionable government land allocations for schools provided to associates of Abe and his wife Akie.

In 2016, Abe became the first leader of a major nation to court Donald Trump following his election as U.S. president -- working to maintain personal ties through golf games and hamburger lunches, despite differences of opinion on subjects ranging from trade to climate change.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, right, is welcomed by U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House in Washington.
Camera IconFormer Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, right, is welcomed by U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House in Washington. Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Those efforts were called into question when Japan came under the threat of punitive U.S. auto tariffs, forcing him to agree to a bilateral trade deal that opponents criticized as giving away too much. Trump later called on Japan to quadruple what it pays to support U.S. troops in Japan.

Abe also devoted energy to trying to resolve a World War II territorial dispute with Russia, which has simmered for seven decades.

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