Japan's former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida attends a press conference at the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party after he was elected as party president in Tokyo on Sept. 29, 2021. (Du Xiaoyi/Pool Photo via AP)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's newly elected ruling party President Fumio Kishida said Wednesday he will give his utmost to bolstering the government's coronavirus response, as the country is confronting a "national crisis."

       As Kishida, a former foreign minister, is almost certain to become Japan's next prime minister, he said he will work toward achieving a "free and open" Indo-Pacific based on shared values.

       He made the remarks at a press conference after his victory in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election earlier in the day.

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