Unopposed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe retained his seat as president of the Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday, with his only potential rival, senior LDP lawmaker Seiko Noda, failing to elicit enough support to challenge him.

Legislation that could allow Japanese troops to fight abroad for the first time since World War II is likely to be enacted this month, despite popular protests and surveys showing that a majority of voters are opposed.

Observers said the China-Japan relationship will be further challenged if Abe refuses to stop both historical revisionist agenda and his defense policy overhauls.