U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks about modernizing American diplomacy during a speech at the Department of State's Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia, on Oct. 27, 2021. (Leah Millis/Pool via AP)

       WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The United States remains committed to working with Japan on a range of regional and global issues, a State Department spokesperson said Monday, after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling coalition secured an election victory.

       "The U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," the official said in a statement.

       "We look forward to continuing our work with the government of Japan, a steadfast ally, across our broad agenda of regional and global issues," the official added, a comment made in the context of China's growing assertiveness in the region.

       In Japan's House of Representatives election on Sunday, Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition ally Komeito retained a comfortable majority, giving the weeks-old leadership a fresh mandate to push ahead with its economic and foreign policies.

       Despite the clear-cut victory, LDP Secretary General Akira Amari decided to resign from his post after the veteran lawmaker suffered a humiliating loss in his single-seat constituency. The key party post will be filled by Toshimitsu Motegi, who has served as foreign minister since September 2019.

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