According to Japan's Kyodo News Agency on January 1, 2024, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivered a New Year's message to the Japanese people through a statement on the same day. Fumio Kishida declared that in the "tense" year of 2024, Japan will be at the forefront of global affairs and play a leading role in diplomacy, and mentioned that a number of important events will occur in 2024, including the United States.
According to the report, Fumio Kishida specifically mentioned diplomacy with leaders of other countries in his New Year's speech, citing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and other issues, and claimed that Japan will overcome the difficult situation through summit diplomacy and show leadership in "a way that only Japan can do" and give full play to Japan's unique leadership.
According to the report, Fumio Kishida also declared that in the complex security environment in East Asia, Japan will resolutely protect its people, as well as the security of Japan's territory, sea and airspace. On the economic front, Fumio Kishida pledged to take the necessary measures to ensure that wage increases outpace price increases, and said that he hoped that the Japanese people would feel the economic growth and change the social mentality.
In addition, Fumio Kishida also mentioned the incident of LDP MPs receiving kickbacks for tickets to fund-raising parties, in response to which he said that he would do his best to restore the trust of the people. Kyodo News said, but he did not elaborate on what specific measures would be taken.
Regarding Fumio Kishida's New Year's speech, Kyodo News mentioned that the recent sharp decline in the approval rating of the Kishida cabinet was due to the failure of Japan** to achieve wage growth similar to the price level**, which further eroded consumer confidence. In addition, several scandals involving ** and the Liberal Democratic Party ** also took a toll on his public image.