New Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has promised continuity after Shinzo Abe’s sudden resignation. Since his inauguration, Suga has promoted his own policy agenda in domestic issues such as digital transformation. Like Abe, he also began diplomacy by prioritising the US–Japan and the Australia–Japan relationship, but his approach to foreign policy differs from Abe’s. Suga’s political commitment to foreign affairs is secondary to the focus on domestic issues. Abe’s foreign policy was unique in Japan’s post-war history as he was actively engaged in diplomacy and spread Japan’s diplomatic wings around the world. ... (full story)