Japanese PM dissolves lower house

Tokyo also confirms its new envoy to China will arrive in late December

Tokyo kicked off its political reshuffling on Friday after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda dissolved the lower house, while pessimism remained over possible future political deadlock as well as Japan's trend of going conservative.

Tokyo also confirmed that its new ambassador to China will arrive in Beijing in December.

Observers said the country's ties with China, which have suffered over the Diaoyu Islands dispute, will face further tests amid the Japanese candidates' tough talk on the issue.

The Japanese House of Representatives was officially dissolved at the plenary session for a general election scheduled for Dec 16. Election campaigning will begin on Dec 4.

The election comes as Japan is struggling to prop up its economy, mend ties with China, re-establish energy policies after the Fukushima nuclear crisis, and reconstruct areas devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Kyodo News Agency said.

The prospect of the Liberal Democratic Party's potential return to power has prompted concerns that the conservative Shinzo Abe, president of the Liberal Democratic Party, will likely be the next prime minister and further fray ties with China, Reuters said.

"We'll restore foreign policy. We will strongly appeal to voters on the need to restore the Japan-US alliance" and "that will help us defend our beautiful country, territories and national interests", Abe said.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda bows during a lower house of parliament meeting in Tokyo on Thursday. [Photo/Agencies]