Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been elected as the top leader of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party.
58-year-old Abe beat his rival ex-Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba in a run-off following the initial round in which all five candidates were not able to secure a majority of votes. The presidential election kicked off Wednesday at the party headquarters in Tokyo, with five candidates vying for the leadership of the party. Other three candidates include LDP Secretary General Nobuteru Ishihara, ex-Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, and former economic and fiscal policy minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei reiterates China's position on the Diaoyu Islands as Shinzo Abe won the presidential election of Japan's main opposition Liberal Democratic Party. Hong Lei says he has no comment on the election results, as they are part of Japan's internal affairs. However, he urges Japan to take concrete measures to correct its mistakes and return to the track of negotiation so as to create conditions for the improvement of bilateral ties.

日本前首相安倍晋三竞选成功，成为日本最大在野党自民党的党首。
在第二轮的投票中，今年58岁的安倍晋三击败了他的对手，前国防部长石破茂，此前的第一轮投票中五位候选人都没能获得绝对多数。 周三举行的自民党党首选举活动在位于东京的本部进行，一共有五位候选人参选。 另外三名候选人分别是自民党秘书长石原伸晃，前外交大臣町村信孝和前经济和财政政策的大臣长林芳正。 同时在日本自民党党首选举结果揭晓之后，中国外交部发言人洪磊重申中国在钓鱼岛问题上的立场。 洪磊说，他对自民党选举的结果不予评论，因为这是日本的内部政治事项。 不过，他敦促日本采取具体措施来改正自己的错误并回到谈判的轨道，为改善双边关系创造条件。