Japan PM Kishida to reshuffle cabinet as COVID, Taiwan in focus

Reuters:

TOKYO, Aug 6 – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will reshuffle his cabinet next week to address mounting issues including the coronavirus, inflation, Taiwan affairs and economic stimulus measures, he said on Saturday.

“We need to set off a new formation as soon as possible considering the various issues,” he told a news conference in Hiroshima after attending a commemoration for the 77th anniversary of the world’s first atomic bombing in the city.

Kishida did not give any details of his cabinet changes but the Yomiuri daily reported earlier that he would likely replace Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi, given his health issues, in the reshuffle scheduled for Wednesday.

Defence is in the spotlight with tension surging between self-ruled Taiwan and mainland China in recent days. read more

A recent surge of COVID to record-high infection numbers poses another problem for the government.