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Nobuo Kishi, 63, became Japan's defense minister in September 2020, on the day his older brother, Shinzo Abe, stepped down as prime minister.

Military, with those really controversial positions in japan? >> they were somewhat controversial, especially, keep in mind, so shinzo abe had his best relationship in the world, was probably with modi, they liked each other, he thought it was very important to have a stronger union of democracies in the region, because personally, he was very concerned about the rise of china, more so than any other japanese high-level leader i had ever met, when you mentioned china to him, he would literally get more stiff. you could see the vein in his neck bulging a bit. he was worried that china was as it...

Him, i mean he would literally, he would get more stiff, you could see sort of like the vein in his neck bulging a bit, he was worried that china was as it was getting larger, as it was militarizing, it was a direct threat not just to a country like taiwan, but also, to japan directly, and that became the beginning of what is today, the quad, which shinzo abe really got started, he is the one that made the transpacific partnership really happen, when obama couldn't get it done for the united states and he is the one that wanted to change the country's constitution, to help japan remote rise an...

Even the lexicon, free and open indoe-pacific has been coopted by the u.s. the quad was something that he was extraordinarily powerful in bringing together. so much of the u.s. policy in the indo-pacific region was driven in part by what abe did. i know this is a very difficult moment in time for you and for your country. thanks so much for taking the time with us. >> thank you. >> all right. coming up next. we are learning more about the highland park shooter and how he was able to access guns, even though the police had already confiscated weapons from him before. you're live in the cnn "new...

Australia plans to establish an international defense school for the purpose of training the militaries of small Pacific island nations