Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda Dies at 90
Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda has died at the age of 90. Local media reported the news on Monday (26 October).
A Xinhua report dated 22 October had said Fukuda died at a hospital in Tokyo. Monday's reports carried his death on the basis of that information.
Fukuda was born on 16 July 1936 in Takasaki, in Gunma Prefecture. He was the eldest son of former Japanese prime minister Takeo Fukuda, and he graduated from Waseda University.
In 1990, Fukuda was elected a member of Japan's House of Representatives. He later served as chief cabinet secretary in the cabinets of Yoshiro Mori and Junichiro Koizumi.
He became prime minister of Japan in September 2007. The following year, in September 2008, he resigned as prime minister.
As prime minister, Fukuda worked to improve and expand China-Japan relations. In 2008, the two countries issued a China-Japan joint statement on the comprehensive promotion of their mutually beneficial strategic relationship.
Even after retiring from politics in 2012, Fukuda remained active as a staunch supporter of China-Japan friendship. During that period he visited China many times.
