Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed Monday to "lead the world" in countering the recent rise in protectionism and trade wars if he wins re-election in his ruling Liberal Democratic Party's leadership contest later this month.
Abe was addressing a throng of LDP lawmakers gathered at a Tokyo hotel to celebrate the establishment of his campaign office in the lead-up to Friday's kickoff of official campaigning for the key Sept. 20 election.
As the world witnesses what he called a "worrying emergence of protectionism" that has led to the imposition of retaliatory tariffs by some of the world's largest economies, Japan "must not be an introvert," Abe said.