MEDIA REACTION IRAN/JAPAN-CHINA RELATIONS

UNCLAS TOKYO 002054 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 IRAN/JAPAN-CHINA RELATIONS - TOKYO LEAD STORIES: Monday morning's Sankei front-paged Beijing's failure to inform Tokyo that China had banned navigation around the Japan-China median line in the East China Sea near a gas exploration site. ¶1. "The Iranian Issue: Not the Time for Mutual Intimidation" The liberal Asahi editorialized (4/16): "Iran is pushing ahead with its nuclear development in defiance of the UN Security Council. Although Tehran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, the gap between Iran and the international community continues to widen.... Iran's announcement was surely timed to coincide with the visit of IAEA Director- General ElBaradei to Tehran in a bid to persuade the Iranians to suspend uranium enrichment activities, a move evoking the cat-and-mouse game that Iraq and the UN once played over inspections for banned weapons. ¶2. "Iranian President Ahmadinejad has repeatedly made statements intended to fan the flames of Persian nationalism. This can only be called an irresponsible, dangerous game. So long as Iran continues to ignore the UN and take a provocative stance, its insistence on its right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy will never win the understanding of the international community. The Gulf Arab states, which had previously refrained from criticism, are now clearly expressing concerns about Tehran's nuclear development. With Iraq no longer a counterweight to Iran's military power, these Arab nations are becoming more sensitive to the possibility of a nuclear Iran. If Tehran announces ballistic missile tests and acquires the ability to enrich uranium, further instability in the Middle East will be unavoidable." ¶3. "Japan, China Should Work Harder to Stabilize Bilateral Ties" An editorial in the business daily Nihon Keizai commented (4/16): "It has been one year since China was roiled by large-scale anti-Japanese demonstrations. Due to the concerted efforts by Chinese authorities to prevent a recurrence, however, major cities like Beijing and Shanghai have remained calm, and there has been no major adverse impact on China's economic relations with Japan. Nevertheless, political relations remain strained, and there are no grounds for optimism with regard to future ties.... Merely mouthing slogans of 'friendship' will not be enough to resolve the increasingly complicated friction that is growing between the two countries over such issues as history, territory, and Taiwan.... Resolving mutual differences through dialogue is of paramount importance." SCHIEFFER