Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda dies at 90: media

TOKYO - Former Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda died of heart failure at a hospital in Tokyo on Oct 22 at the age of 90, local media reported Monday.

Born on July 16, 1936, in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, Fukuda was the eldest son of former prime minister Takeo Fukuda and graduated from Waseda University.

He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 and served as chief cabinet secretary in the cabinets of Yoshiro Mori and Junichiro Koizumi.

Fukuda became prime minister in September 2007 and resigned in September 2008.

During his tenure as prime minister, Fukuda worked to improve and develop China-Japan relations. In 2008, the two countries issued the China-Japan Joint Statement on All-round Promotion of Strategic Relationship of Mutual Benefit.

After retiring from politics in 2012, Fukuda remained a committed advocate of China-Japan friendship and visited China many times.