Fumio Kishida delivers his first policy speech, emphasizing the need to halt the coronavirus outbreak, as well as promises to rebuild the middle class.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the party’s leader, has a fair level of popular support a week into the job, according to polls, indicating that he is on track to keep the LDP and its coalition partner, the Komeito party.

“We would like to show solid measures and appeal to the people, first, how to confront the coronavirus … and to bring peace of mind and hope to the people,” said LDP policy chief Sanae Takaichi.

Voters will be looking for a government that has plans in place to put an end to the pandemic and rebuild the economy. The manifesto emphasized coronavirus initiatives, including as the provision of oral antiviral treatment this year, as well as Kishida’s ambition of establishing a “new capitalism” centered on economic growth and wealth redistribution.

Fortunately for Kishida, the coronavirus situation has improved, with the least new cases since the middle of last year on Monday. But Kishida isn’t taking anything for granted, telling lawmakers earlier this week that the government would prepare for a worst-case coronavirus situation by acquiring extra health resources and beginning booster doses in December.

Fumio Kishida Aims to Raise Defence Budget

The administration intends to increase its defense budget above two percent. In recent decades, Japan’s defense budget has remained around 1% of GDP.

On security, the LDP said it will “reconsider” its response to an upsurge in Chinese military operations near the Taiwan Strait and islets in the western Pacific that Japan controls but that China also claims.