Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida arrives at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's official residence in Tokyo, Japan July 28, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is set to take a key policy position in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in a cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, NHK public broadcaster said on Wednesday.

Kishida, 60, is set to be tapped for the post of LDP policy chief. He has been foreign minister since Abe returned to power in 2012 and is widely regarded in political circles as a potential rival for the leadership of the LDP and thus the premiership.