LDP’s pick for Japan PM Fumio Kishida won’t ‘rock the boat’ on US and China, analysts say

The “old guard” of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Wednesday once again defied popular will by electing Fumio Kishida as the new leader of both the party and the nation, with more critical analysts suggesting that party elders wanted a “puppet” who would bend to their wishes rather than a younger maverick as prime minister.Kishida, a 64-year-old former foreign minister, was elected in a second round of voting with 257 votes from LDP politicians, after none of the initial four…