Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and US President Donald Trump have discussed the Japanese leader's decision to resign, and are believed to have confirmed their close cooperation will continue.
Abe and Trump talked for about 30 minutes a little after 10 a.m., Japan time, on Monday. Abe announced on Friday that he is leaving office for health reasons.
The global community is reacting to Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo's announcement that he will resign.
In China, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the government was watching the developing story.
Japan's Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has formally announced his intention to resign due to a relapse of an inflammatory bowel disease.
At a news conference on Friday, Abe said that a regular checkup in June showed signs of a recurrence of ulcerative colitis, and that he began feeling physically worn down as his condition worsened around mid-July. He said doctors confirmed a relapse in early August.
The chairman of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, says he is surprised and sorry Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is stepping down.
In a statement, Nakanishi Hiroaki says Japan faces important issues such as handling the coronavirus pandemic and reviewing its energy policy.