2022, which included removing Abe's brother, Nobuo Kishi, from the role of Minister of Defense. Taro Kono was made the Minister of Digital Affairs. While the majority of members of the LDP, including Shinzo Abe and Nobuo Kishi, were related to the church to various degrees, there were no evidences of Kishida having any direct tie with the church or any of its affiliated entities. However, it was reported in the 1 September issue of Shūkan Bunshun that , the president of a Kumamoto circle for backing Kishida's bidding of the premiership was also a chairperson of a Unification Church-affiliated group which was advocating for building the Japan-Korea Undersea Tunnel. Both Kishida and Nakayama denied any knowledge of the tunnel advocacy group being related to the Unification Church. Domestic policy Kishida set child care as his government's priority for the year 2023. He emphasized the potential consequences of declining birth rates in Japan, and stated that his administration would increase monetary child benefits given to parents. He announced a plan to double the country's children-related budget by June 2023, and instructed government ministers in the administration to outline child care plans by the end of March 2023. In February 2023, Kishida fired an aide after the aide made homophobic comments in local media. According to the report, the now-former aide Masayoshi Arai stated that Japanese people would flee the country if same-sex marriage was permitted. Arai also claimed that Japanese people do not want to have members of the LGBT community as their neighbors. Political views Kishida is seen as dovish on foreign policy and lukewarm about revising Japan's pacifist constitution. Following the political philosophy of his own faction, Kishida has pledged a "humane diplomacy" based on the Peace Constitution, the Japan–U.S. alliance, and the Self-Defense Forces and that he will seek to strengthen Japan–U.S. relations and to promote the free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy while counterbalancing Chinese political assertiveness and military presence in the region. Regarding Chinese influence over Taiwan and Hong Kong, Kishida has stated that the Taiwan Strait may be the "next major diplomatic problem" following "China's clampdown on Hong Kong" and that Japan should seek more cooperation with Taiwan. Despite being the leader of the moderate Kōchikai faction, Kishida has an affiliation with the parliamentary league of the ultraconservative and nationalist organization Nippon Kaigi similar to many other LDP lawmakers. However, he is also described