Ishiba, who wants an “Asian NATO” to counter security threats from China and North Korea, is the Liberal Democratic Party’s new leader, replacing Fumio Kishida.

Former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba won the race to lead Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) on Friday and replace incumbent prime minister Fumio Kishida as the country's next leader. The winner of the LDP's leadership election is all but assured to become prime minister given the party's control over parliament's powerful lower chamber.