Japan PM Abe's three-year scorecard: mixed on economy, divisive on security

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks all but certain to win a second three-year term as ruling Liberal Democratic Party leader, and hence premier, in a party election that candidates must register for on Tuesday. Below are major developments on the economic, security and diplomatic fronts since Abe was elected LDP leader in 2012, pledging to reboot Japan's stalled economy with his "Abenomics" recipe of hyper-easy monetary policy, spending and reforms, and to bolster Tokyo's role on the global security stage. 'ABENOMICS' ** Tokyo share prices have more than doubled, although they are more than 15 percent off an 18-1/2 year high hit in June. The yen has weakened by a third against the dollar, hitting a 13-year low of 125.86 to the dollar in June before bouncing back to around 119. ** Corporate profits have doubled but wage rises have mostly failed to keep pace with price increases, eroding consumer spending power. Real wages showed their first rise in 27 months in July. ** Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's target of achieving stable inflation of 2 percent year-on-year within about two years from the launch of his massive quantitative easing policy in April 2013 is proving elusive. Inflation ground to a halt in July for the first time in two years. ** Gross domestic product showed annualised growth of 0.8 percent from the fourth quarter of 2012 through the second quarter of 2015. GDP shrank at an estimated annualised rate of 1.6 percent in April-June, however, due to weak exports and consumer spending. ** Economists generally welcome reforms in the energy, medical and agriculture sectors but want bolder regulatory reform of the labour market and repairs to social security. SECURITY/FOREIGN POLICY ** Legislation that could allow Japanese troops to fight abroad for the first time since World War Two is likely to be enacted this month despite popular protests and surveys showing a majority of voters are opposed. ** Japan and the United States unveiled new guidelines for defence cooperation in April, reflecting Japan's willingness to take on a bigger global role at a time of growing Chinese power and rising concerns about a nuclear-armed North Korea. ** Sino-Japanese relations, long frayed by rows over territory and the bitter legacy of the wartime past, have begun a tentative thaw. Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met twice since November 2014 and are expected to meet again before year-end. ** Ties with South Korea have also been chilly but expectations are growing that Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye can hold their first two-way summit at a three-way meeting with Xi that is expected to take place this autumn. ** Japan is boosting military cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, several of which have territorial rows with China. VOTER SUPPORT Abe's voter support fell below 40 percent in many media surveys in July due to his push for a bolder defence policy that critics say violates the pacifist constitution. His ratings have since rebounded a bit but remain under 50 percent. (Reporting by Linda Sieg; Editing by Edmund Klamann)