Farc East elections.

WITH the recent elections in Japan and South Korea and the relatively recent succession of Kim Jong-un in North Korea, the political and security outlook in the “Far East” is more uncertain than it has been for some time. The greatest concern is probably the return with a big majority of Shinzo Abe in Japan who was roundly rejected by the electorate only five years ago after a short and undistinguished term of office. Mr Abe's stimulus policies may end more than a decade of economic stagnation but his extreme nationalism seems to risk a return by Japan to its defensive attitudes of the post-war years.

In his election campaign Mr Abe rejected previous official recognition of Japan's guilt in enforcing Korean women into prostitution for Japan's arrmy and he also made a point of visiting the controversial Jasukini Shrine in Tokyo where the military leaders of World War Two are honoured. Even more worrying are Abe's aggressive threats towards China in their dispute over ownership of the Senkaku Island in the East China Sea. This also concerns the United States directly since it is a guarantor of Japan's security in much the same way that it stands by Israel. Perhaps Shinzo Abe calculated that the Japanese electorate wanted to hear tough talk and responded accordingly. But that would also be very worrying given the big majority he won.