rì běn日本shǒu xiàng首相shí pò mào石破茂xuān bù宣布cí zhí辞职
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced on Sunday night that he would resign from his positions as Prime Minister and President of the Liberal Democratic Party.
He said he made this decision because he did not want the party to split.
Ishiba also stated that since Japan and the United States have signed a new trade agreement, he feels now is a good time to resign.
Ishiba was only elected as the president of the Liberal Democratic Party last year, but recently the party lost many seats in several elections, and many members want him to resign.
Ishiba said he originally wanted to continue working, but for the sake of the party and the country, he decided to take responsibility.
U.S. President Trump was surprised to hear about Ishiba's resignation and said he liked Ishiba very much.
Ishiba hopes the new prime minister will continue to handle trade issues with the United States well, promote the establishment of a disaster prevention agency, and increase everyone's wages.
The Liberal Democratic Party will soon elect a new president and prime minister.