Japan’s new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (front, centre) and his cabinet members step down for a photo session after their first cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo yesterday.

AFP/Tokyo

Japan’s newly-elected prime minister Shinzo Abe pledged to rebuild the economy and mend Japan’s alliance with the US in the face of an assertive China at his first press conference yesterday.

Abe was elected premier by the lower house of parliament earlier in the day after sweeping to power on a hawkish platform of getting tough on diplomatic issues while fixing the economy.

“A strong economy is the source of Japan’s national strength. Without a strong economy, Japan will not achieve fiscal reconstruction and have a future,” Abe told the late-night press conference.

Earlier yesterday, the yen had tumbled against the dollar on growing speculation that the Bank of Japan will usher in further easing measures—a key plank of Abe’s campaign.

Abe vowed to defend Japanese territory and waters but stressed that his government will carry out a diplomacy drive to “win back” national interests.

“There are many issues concerning Japan-China relations, Japan-South Korea relations and Japan-US relations—which is the foundation of Japan’s diplomacy,” he said.

“More than anything, we must re-establish trust in the Japan-US alliance,” he said, adding that he has spoken to US President Barack Obama and agreed to foster long-term relations.

Ties with the US were strained under the previous government, which pushed for the relocation of American bases in Okinawa.

Abe also said that his cabinet would stay focused on the reconstruction of the northern region that was devastated by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear crisis in 2011.

“By delivering results as soon as possible, I would like to earn the trust of the Japanese people and make this a stable government,” he said.

Abe achieved a resounding election victory earlier this month for his Liberal Democratic Party over the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ).

Yesterday he secured 328 votes to 57 for the DPJ’s new leader Banri Kaieda, the industry minister during last year’s Fukushima nuclear crisis.

Within hours of his election, Abe, who was prime minister from 2006 to 2007, unveiled his new cabinet as he rushed to draft an extra budget.

Taro Aso, another former prime minister in Japan’s revolving-door political system, was appointed as both Abe’s deputy and finance minister.

The foreign minister job went to Fumio Kishida, who was a state minister in charge of Okinawan affairs during Abe’s previous tenure.

His appointment was seen as a reflection of Abe’s desire for progress on the relocation of US military bases in the southern island chain, and comes as Japan is embroiled in a territorial row with China.

At a news conference, Kishida stressed its claim of the disputed islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, while calling for a dialogue with his Chinese counterpart in an effort to patch up ties with Beijing.

“Senkaku islands are undoubtedly part of our country’s territory,” Kishida said. “But Japan-China relations also have many aspects of mutual benefit. We must have firm communications between the two foreign ministers.”