In just the past six weeks, with Japan plunged into a political vacuum following the virtual declaration of resignation by Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, several incidents have occurred that have shaken the world: the simultaneous fall of stock prices in Japan, the United States and Europe; the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Kyoto Protocol; and the midair collision between a U.S. military surveillance plane and a Chinese fighter jet.
In Japan, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has been embroiled in a storm in a teacup over choosing Mori's successor as party president. The lame-duck Mori administration has been unable to take any initiatives on world peace or international economic stability, and Japan's foreign policy has stagnated.
Regarding problems directly related to Japan's security, such as the Taiwan issue and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the government's approach has been conspicuously passive. Tomorrow, the LDP will elect a new party president, who will almost certainly become the next prime minister. But will the new administration be able to demonstrate leadership and take new initiatives?