MEDIA REACTION BUSH VISIT TO INDIA AND

UNCLAS TOKYO 001043 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION BUSH VISIT TO INDIA AND PAKISTAN/IRAN - TOKYO LEAD STORIES: Most Tuesday morning papers front-paged the Taiwanese government's decision Monday to scrap a unification policymaking body and related guidelines on unification with mainland China. ¶1. "Hopes and Concerns over President Bush's Visits to India and Pakistan" An editorial in the business daily Nihon Keizai commented (2/28): "President Bush will visit India and Pakistan starting Wednesday. With this first visit to the two South Asian countries by President Bush, America's diplomacy toward the subcontinent will enter a new phase, as Washington is keeping an eye on a growing China.... The focal point of his visit to India will be whether Washington will cooperate with New Delhi on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The two countries, which agreed in principle last summer to cooperate in this area, are trying to work out the details and sign an agreement. Given that India is a nuclear power but not a signatory to the NPT, however, we cannot help but express skepticism about this development. ¶2. "At a time when the international community is trying frantically to prevent the proliferation of nuclear arms in North Korea and Iran, we wonder whether US-India nuclear cooperation, even if limited to peaceful use, might not further hasten the demise of the NPT regime.... During his visit to Pakistan, President Bush is expected to ask President Musharraf to further strengthen his country's antiterrorism measures.... Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding in Pakistan near the country's border with Afghanistan.... There has been strong opposition in Pakistan to President Musharraf's cooperation with the US. Although the US president's visit comes at a delicate time following violent protests against caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, we hope the two leaders will agree to intensify mop-up operations against al-Qaeda." ¶3. "Iranian Nuclear Issue: Tehran Must Dispel Doubts" The conservative Sankei editorialized (2/28): "With the international community concerned about Iran's nuclear development, Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki visited Japan on Monday and talked with Foreign Minister Aso. Aso reportedly told Mottaki that it is imperative for Tehran to dispel all doubts about its nuclear programs and win international trust in order to have the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. We think this is the only way to resolve the nuclear dispute.... ¶4. "Iran says it only wants to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, just like Japan. It took about 30 years of efforts and cooperation on Tokyo's part in demonstrating the peaceful nature of the nation's nuclear program before the IAEA made a decisision in September 2004 to allow it to enrich and reprocess uranium, to recognize Japan as a non-nuclear-weapons state, and to simplify inspections of Japanese nuclear facilities. Foreign Minister Mottaki, who served as ambassador to Japan for four and half years until the end of 1999, must be knowledgeable about Japan's transparent nuclear policy. We hope he will persuade the Iranian people to accept the fact that Iran needs to clarify its nuclear policy.... Tehran has no choice but to adopt a transparent, peaceful nuclear policy." SCHIEFFER