Incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided Saturday not to station officials on the Senkaku Islands to avoid further aggravating ties with China, at least for the time being.

The head of the Liberal Democratic Party, which scored a landslide victory in last week's general election, said during campaigning that the party would consider permanently posting officials on the uninhabited Senkakus to strengthen Japan's control over the island chain, which is also claimed by China and Taiwan.

Despite the flip-flop, however, Abe told reporters that "there is no change in our thinking" about stationing officials on the East China Sea islets.