Japan's Noda, Abe gear up for election battle next month
Maritime row looms large as PM urges voters to shun jingoism while rival vows to restore Japan
Japanese politicians yesterday drew their battle lines ahead of a December 16 election that is likely to return the long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party to power under a conservative former premier, raising concerns about the future of Tokyo's already chilly ties with Beijing.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda urged voters to shun jingoism after rival LDP leader Shinzo Abe, who has vowed not to yield in a territorial row with China, said he would build a strong Japan.
The election for parliament's lower house is expected to usher in Japan's seventh prime minister in six years, but it is unlikely to fix a policy stalemate that has plagued the country struggling to cope with an ageing population, a declining manufacturing sector and China's emerging power.
"This fight is about restoring Japan. We will regain a strong economy," Abe, whose party is tipped to come out on top in the poll, told a news conference after the lower house of parliament was dissolved.
"We'll restore foreign policy. We will strongly appeal to voters on the need to restore the Japan-US alliance, which was badly damaged by the Democratic Party government.
"That will help us defend our beautiful country, territories and national interests," he said, echoing an agenda he floated during his 2006-2007 term as prime minister.