World Leaders React to the Assassination of Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
On Friday morning while giving a speech in Nara, Japan, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 67, was assassinated while campaigning for a parliamentary election.
A 41-year-old man, named as Tetsuya Yamagami, has been taken into custody following the assassination of former Prime Minister Abe, who was the longest running Prime Minister in Japan's history. The suspect reportedly used a handmade gun to commit the crime.
During his time as Prime Minister, Abe was regarded as a divisive, but an incredibly powerful figure. His political run consisted of him attempting to tackle issues such as stabilizing and improving the country’s economy as well as creating closer ties with Western allies, including the US. During his time in office from 2012 to 2022, Prime Minister Abe stayed in power through the terms of three US presidents, Obama, Trump and Biden. All three, plus a swathe or other world leaders, have since reacted to the news of the death of Shinzo Abe.
Upon hearing the news, the current Japanese Prime Minister rushed back to Tokyo from Northern Japan where he was campaigning. He gave an emotional press conference where he addressed the death of his predecessor. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of such a great politician who loved this country, was always one step ahead of the times, and left behind great achievements in various fields in order to pave the way for the future of this country,” he said.
President Bongbong Marcos expressed "shock and deep sadness" over the assassination of Prime Minister Abe in a Facebook post. "On behalf of the Philippine Government and the Filipino people, among whom he counts many friends and admirers, I offer my most profound sympathies to his family and the entire Japanese nation."
President Biden wrote in a tweet that he was "stunned, outraged and deeply saddened" by the assassination of Prime Minister Abe. "He was a champion of the friendship between our people," he said, "The United States stands with Japan in this moment of grief."
President Obama expressed a similar sentiment of shock and sadness. "Former Prime Minister Abe was devoted to both the country he served and the extraordinary alliance between the United States and Japan," he wrote in a tweet, "I will always remember the work we did to strengthen our alliance, the moving experience of traveling to Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor together, and the grace he and his wife Akie Abe showed to me and Michelle."
Former President Trump spoke out as well through a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
"Really BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD!" he wrote before adding that Prime Minister Abe was "a unifier like no other, but above all, he was a man who loved and cherished his magnificent country, Japan."
Plenty of other world leaders have also released statements and tweets in response to the tragedy.
Spokesperson for Chinese embassy in Japan:
"Former Prime Minister Abe made contributions towards improving China-Japan relations during his term. We express our condolences on his death and send our sympathies to his family," they said in a statement.
South Korean President, Yoon Suk-Yeol:
"I send my condolences to the bereaved families and Japanese people who have lost the longest-serving prime minister and respected politician in Japan's constitutional history," Yoon was quoted as saying in a statement delivered by the presidential office.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen:
"Not only has the international community lost an important leader, but Taiwan has also lost an important and close friend. Taiwan and Japan are both democratic countries with the rule of law, and our government severely condemns violent and illegal acts," said in a statement released by her office.
UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson:
French President, Emmanuel Macron:
Ukranian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy:
Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdo?an:
Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese:
From: Esquire US
