Tokyo: Yoshihide Suga is name the successor of Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Suga pledging on Wednesday to contain Covid-19 and push reforms after retaining about half of predecessor Shinzo Abe’s line-up in his cabinet. Suga (71), said he would stick with his former boss “Abe Nomics” growth policies while pushing reforms including de-regulation, digitilization and smashing of bureaucratic barriers.

What Japanese most wanted was to contain the Covid-19 outbreak and revive the battered economy. This is the first thing I want to work on with my new cabinet, he said to the reporters. Speaking to the media persons with little diplomatic experience, he must also cope with an intensifying US-China confrontation, build ties with the winner of the November 03 US Elections and try to keep Japan’s own relations with Beijing on track.

About Half of the new cabinet are carry overs from away. Only two are women and the average age, including Suga is 60. Abe’s younger brother, Nobuo Kishi, who has close ties with tiwan, was appointed defence minister. In reaction to Kishi’s appointment, China foreign ministry spokesperson said that Beijing hopes Japan will abide by the one-china principle and avoid any form of official exchanges with Tiwan.