Japan PM hopeful Suga says he may need help from outgoing Abe on diplomacy

Japanese prime minister hopeful Yoshihide Suga said Saturday that he lacks the kind of diplomatic skills that outgoing leader Shinzo Abe has, including Abe’s personal friendship with President Donald Trump, and that he will need his assistance if he assumes the top job.

Abe in late August announced his intention to step down as prime minister due to health problems. He has led Japan since he returned to power in December 2012 for a second stint as prime minister.

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Suga, the chief Cabinet secretary, is expected to win Monday’s party election and then be endorsed in a parliamentary vote on Wednesday because of the majority held by the ruling bloc.

Abe has traveled to 80 overseas destinations during his tenure, bringing stability and consistency to Japanese diplomacy and raising the country’s profile in the international community, experts say. He was noted especially for developing a personal friendship with Trump.

Read more: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he will resign due to poor health

“Prime Minister Abe’s leadership diplomacy was truly amazing. I don’t think I can match that,” Suga said as he joined the two other contenders at a public debate. Former Defense Minister Shiberu Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida are also in the race.

“I think there is a diplomatic stance that would fit me and I will stick to my own style, while also seeking assistance from the Foreign Ministry. And of course I will consult with (Abe),” Suga said.

Suga served as a policy coordinator and adviser to Abe, the point man behind the centralized power of the Prime Minister’s Office and its influence over bureaucrats in implementing policies. The son of a strawberry farmer in northern Japan and a self-made politician, Suga is a rarity in the country’s largely hereditary world of politics.

Bu despite his influence and his political skills at home, Suga has hardly traveled overseas, and his diplomatic skills are unknown, though he is largely expected to pursue Abe’s priorities.