Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to adopt a more assertive foreign policy than his predecessor, Yoshihiko Noda, but he is likely to remain pragmatic despite fears in Asia that his more bellicose views could escalate tensions with China and destabilize the region, a senior Singaporean academic said.

"What might concern countries in the region is Abe adopting a more hawkish approach that would lead to instability in Northeast Asia, which would directly impact Southeast Asia — maybe by pushing China a little bit too much or pursuing a policy that's going to antagonize" its rulers, said Bhubhindar Singh, assistant professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, a think tank in Singapore.

"But I don't think that will happen," Singh, an expert on international relations in Northeast Asia and on Japan's security policy, said in a recent interview.