Former Japan PM Yasuo Fukuda, the country’s first second-generation leader, dies at 90

Yasuo Fukuda served as PM from September 26, 2007 to September 24, 2008 Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who sought to strengthen diplomatic relations with China during his brief tenure in office, has died at the age of 90, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) official confirmed on Monday.Fukuda died on October 22, with Japanese business daily Nikkei reporting heart failure as the cause of death.He served as Japan's prime minister from September 2007 to September 2008, taking office after Shinzo Abe abruptly resigned following his first year as premier. Fukuda became the first son of a former Japanese prime minister to hold the country's top political office, following his father, Takeo Fukuda, who led Japan from 1976 to 1978.During his year in power, Fukuda prioritised improving relations with Japan's Asian neighbours, particularly China, at a time when historical disputes and regional tensions had strained ties between the two countries.In May 2008, he hosted then Chinese President Hu Jintao on a landmark visit to Japan, the first by a Chinese head of state in a decade. The two leaders issued a joint statement pledging to develop a “mutually beneficial relationship...