Yasuo Fukuda, former Japan PM who sought closer China ties, dies at 90
- Yasuo Fukuda, who led Japan from September 2007 to September 2008, has died at 90, a ruling party official said.
- He pushed for warmer ties with China and hosted Hu Jintao in 2008, the first visit by a Chinese head of state in a decade.
- He later quit politics in 2012 but kept up quiet diplomacy, meeting Xi Jinping in 2014.
Yasuo Fukuda, who served as Japan's prime minister for about a year, has died at the age of 90. An official of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party confirmed the death on Monday, according to the AFP news agency, and said Fukuda passed away on October 22.
Fukuda took office in September 2007, replacing Shinzo Abe after Abe's first stint as premier ended following just 12 months. He stayed in the job until September 2008, stepping down as his approval ratings fell.
A push for warmer ties with Beijing
His time in power was marked by efforts to steady Japan's relationship with China. He invited then Chinese president Hu Jintao to Japan, and Hu's visit in May 2008 was the first by a Chinese head of state in ten years.
The two leaders issued a joint statement committing to what they called a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests".
Fukuda left politics in 2012, but he did not step away from diplomacy. In 2014, with Tokyo and Beijing at odds over a disputed island chain and historical grievances, he travelled to China for talks with President Xi Jinping.
Those talks helped clear the way for a summit between Xi and Abe during Abe's second term in power.
For most Nigerians, the death of a former Japanese leader is distant news. But Japan and China are two of the world's biggest economies, and the temperature between them shapes trade, shipping costs and the price of goods that reach Nigerian ports and markets. A leader who worked to keep that relationship calm is worth noting.
