BEIJING: China on Friday (Sept 27) said it wanted to improve ties with Japan, after the country's ruling party chose former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba as its new leader.
"The long-term, sound and steady development of China-Japan relations serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said.
"It's the only appropriate choice," Lin said.
Beijing, he said, has "taken note of the election results", while adding "this is Japan's internal affair and China has no comment on it".
But he said he hoped Tokyo would "establish an objective and correct understanding of China, pursue a positive and rational policy toward China".
Japan should "work with China to ensure the sustained, sound and steady development of China-Japan relations along the right track", Lin said.
Ishiba, a 67-year-old train lover, beat arch-nationalist Sanae Takaichi -- who would have been the country's first-ever woman leader -- 215 votes to 194 in a run-off.
As prime minister, he will need to face down regional security threats, from an increasingly assertive China and its deepening ties with Russia to North Korea's banned missile tests.
Ishiba's push to boost the military and call for the creation of an Asian NATO could rile Beijing. - AFP
