Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, who championed closer ties with China during his brief tenure and later served as a crucial diplomatic intermediary during bilateral crises, has died at the age of 90.
Fukuda died of heart failure on Thursday at a Tokyo hospital, Japanese media reported on Monday. His passing came as the relationship he spent decades nurturing faces its gravest test since diplomatic normalisation in 1972.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun offered condolences on Monday, praising Fukuda as someone who “made positive contributions to improving and developing China-Japan relations” and “held a correct view of history during his tenure”.