S/P KRASNER'S MAY 10 MEETING WITH DFM NISHIDA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002637

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SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2026
TAGS: PREL ASEAN CH KS JA
SUBJECT: S/P KRASNER'S MAY 10 MEETING WITH DFM NISHIDA

REF: A. TOKYO 2575


B. TOKYO 2609

C. TOKYO 2610

D. TOKYO 2612

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Joe Donovan. Reason: 1.4 (b)(d)
.


1. (C) Summary: Deputy Foreign Minister Nishida told
visiting S/P Director Stephen D. Krasner on May 10 that he
was not hopeful for a short-term breakthrough in Japan's
relations with South Korea. He argued that the Roh
government's outlook, policies and low poll numbers explained
much about the present ROK policy toward Japan. Nishida said
Japan wanted to work with the United States on improving
APEC, but also wanted to engage in pan-Asian regional
organizations. Japan needs to find a way to relate its
involvement in pan-Asian regional groupings and it
intra-regional relations to its security ties to the United
States. He expressed great enthusiasm for the NATO Global
Partnership. Separately, Nishida expressed the "profound
gratitude" of the Koizumi administration and "all the
Japanese people" for the President's recent meeting with
abductee-family representative. At the conclusion of the
meeting, he asked for a full discussion of the abductions
issue at the upcoming G-8 summit and the inclusion of the
issue in G-8 summit documents (reported ref a). End Summary.

Japan-South Korea Relations
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2. (C) During a May 10 meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister
Tsuneo Nishida said efforts to strengthen U.S.-Japan-ROK

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relations during this difficult period in Japan-ROK ties were
especially welcome. Asked about prospects for improving
Japan-South Korea relations, Nishida said he was not
optimistic for a short-term breakthrough. ROK President Roh
is leveraging Korean nationalism to serve his own political
interests, he asserted, not least to compensate for his low
poll numbers. Previously, he averred, both Japanese and
Korean leaders handled the bilateral relationship with care,
recognizing the potential for friction. Roh, however, is
symptomatic of a new generation of Korean leaders who are
unwilling to take such responsibility. Nonetheless, Nishida
opined, the two countries' close economic and cultural ties
would eventually prompt an accommodation between Japan and
South Korea.


3. (C) Several U.S. participants urged Nishida to consider
the deeper roots of ROK views of Japan beyond just Roh's
government, for example a combination of generational change,
Korean national pride and a shifting ROK political spectrum.
Krasner asked whether progress in the Six-Party Talks would
give South Korea greater confidence in its relations with
Japan and others. Nishida stated that Japan and the United
States should try to find a way to accommodate the strong
desire of the Korean people to decide their own destiny. It
was difficult to see how the Six-Party Talks might accomplish
that, he observed, but he could offer no alternative.

Asian Regional Architecture
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4. (C) Turning to Asian regional architecture, Krasner asked
for Nishida's views on recent developments, noting that
regional organizations had proliferated and that Japan was
active in both pan-Asian and trans-Pacific groupings.
Nishida observed that no one organization would satisfy the
requirements of Asian integration. Japan understands the
U.S. wish to assert the primacy of APEC because of U.S.
involvement, but APEC has not produced the hoped for results
and the impulse to create "Asian" organizations is strong.
There are a growing number of organizations, including the
East Asia Summit, that are needed to satisfy the increasing
desire of Asian nations to work together as a region. Japan
wants to discuss frankly with the United States how to
improve APEC's performance. At the same time, Japan should
strengthen its intra-regional relations, and also seek to
bring Australia and India further into this process. In the
security field, Japan wants to enhance the U.S.-Japan
alliance and seeks ways to cooperate with other U.S. allies,
not least Australia, but also the ROK, where feasible. In
this vein, Nishida particularly welcomed NATO outreach to
those countries, including Japan.

Abductions Issue at G-8 Summit

TOKYO 00002637 002 OF 002


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5. (C) Raising the issue of North Korean abductions of
Japanese citizens, Nishida expressed the profound gratitude
of the Koizumi administration and "all the Japanese people"
for the President's recent meeting with abductee-family
representatives. Relating his discussion earlier that day
with Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, Nishida noted Abe's
intention to "internationalize" the abduction issue,
including by adding it to the G-8 agenda and summit
documents.


Participants
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6. (U) Participants in the meeting included:

United States
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Stephen D. Krasner, Director, Policy Planning Staff
Joe Donovan, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy Tokyo
Evan Feigenbaum, S/P Member
David Wolff, Political Officer, Embassy Tokyo
Steve Hill, Political Officer, Embassy Tokyo (notetaker)

Japan
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Tsuneo Nishida, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political

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Affairs, MOFA

Hiroshi Kawamura, Director, Foreign Policy Bureau Policy
Planning Division

Mayu Hagiwara. Deputy Director, Foreign Policy Bureau Policy
Planning Division


7. (U) S/P Director Krasner cleared this message.

DONOVAN