Japan 's new prime minister offered a vision of his country as a reinvigorated Asian power . Japanese officials said the quote was `` misleading '' and Mr Abe had not said China sought conflicts with other countries . Shinzo Abe said he would push for the creation of an Asia-Pacific economic zone that includes Japan, South Korea and China, in what could be seen by some analysts as a bid to counter China's growing Abe in Washington : `` Japan is not , and will never be , a tier-two country ''
Japan 's new prime minister offered a vision of his country as a reinvigorated Asian power . Shinzo Abe said he would push for the creation of an Asia-Pacific economic zone that includes Japan, South Korea and China, in what could be seen by some analysts as a bid to counter China's growing Abe in Washington : `` Japan is not , and will never be , a tier-two country ''