Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TOKYO2663
2006-05-15 09:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:
U.S.-JAPAN-ROK POLICY PLANNING TRILATERAL, SESSION
how-toVZCZCXRO4245 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHNH RUEHPB DE RUEHKO #2663/01 1350905 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 150905Z MAY 06 FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2061 INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION PRIORITY RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 2252 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 8434 RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0257
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 002663
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2026
TAGS: PREL ASEAN EAID MARR UNSC IR IZ KS CH JA
SUBJECT: U.S.-JAPAN-ROK POLICY PLANNING TRILATERAL, SESSION
1: FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES
REF: TOKYO 2654
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Joe Donovan. Reason: 1.4 (b)(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 002663
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2026
TAGS: PREL ASEAN EAID MARR UNSC IR IZ KS CH JA
SUBJECT: U.S.-JAPAN-ROK POLICY PLANNING TRILATERAL, SESSION
1: FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES
REF: TOKYO 2654
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Joe Donovan. Reason: 1.4 (b)(d).
1. (C) Summary. In the May 11 U.S.-ROK-Japan Policy Planning
Session meeting between S/P Director Stephen D. Krasner,
Japanese Deputy Vice-Minister for Foreign Policy Masaharu
Kohno and Korean Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and
International Organizations Park In-Kook, the three delegates
outlined their country's foreign policy priorities and
strategies. Specifically:
-- Kohno described Japan's top five policy planning
priorities as: 1) improving relations with neighboring
countries; 2) expanding its scope of activities
geographically; 3) matching foreign policy with domestic
policy; 4) using ODA more strategically; and 5) reforming
international organizations;
-- Park said Korean policy planning is centered on the
principles of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula;
developing comprehensive relations with neighbors and the
U.S.; employing "omni-directional diplomacy;" and reforming
international organizations;
-- Krasner outlined U.S. policy in various geographic regions
and the goals of transformational diplomacy; he also
responded to questions on Iran policy; and
-- In follow-on discussions, participants acknowledged the
value of multilateral fora in promoting confidence building
measures, but also noted the importance of the U.S. military
presence in ensuring regional stability. End Summary.
Japan's Priorities
--------------
2. (C) S/P Director Stephen D. Krasner, Japanese Deputy Vice
Minister for Foreign Policy Masaharu Kohno and Korean Deputy
Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations
Park In-Kook met May 11 over a working dinner that served as
the first session of the U.S.-ROK-Japan Policy Planning
Trilateral. Japan DVFM Kohno opened the formal proceedings by
explaining that Japan's highest priority in terms of policy
planning is to improve relations with neighboring countries,
particularly China and South Korea. Kohno described the need
for improved relations with neighbors as "kind of a destiny
for us" and added that the larger goal was to improve the
security environment in Northeast Asia. The Six-Party Talks
and Japan's two-track approach to North Korea are important
tools in this policy and the proposed East Asian Community
could be another component of a cooperative East Asian
architecture, along with existing fora such as APEC, ASEAN
and ASEAN 3. The biggest challenges to improved relations
included long-standing territorial and historical issues
vis-a-vis China, Russia and Korea, Kohno stated.
3. (C) The second long-term priority for Japan was to expand
its scope of activities geographically, Kohno explained. As
examples of this, Kohno pointed out that Japan will hold
ministerial-level talks with Central Asian partners in June,
that the TICAD 4 (the fourth Tokyo International Conference
on African Development) is scheduled for 2008 - the same year
Japan will host the G8, he noted - and that Japan has
recently expanded dialogue with NATO.
4. (C) Kohno explained Japan's third priority as matching up
foreign policy with domestic policy, and described Japan's
efforts to establish legislation to allow the dispatch of
Self-Defense Force troops as needed, as opposed to the ad hoc
approach requiring specific enabling legislation as used for
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Constitutional revision, particularly proposals recognizing
Japan's right to collective self-defense, would become a
major domestic issue in the near future, he observed.
5. (C) Kohno also listed the use of official development
assistance (ODA) as a priority, stating that Japan recently
created a new mechanism to develop more strategic thinking on
ODA. Under procedures begun on May 8, Japan will now have a
monthly cabinet-level meeting to discuss ODA. MOFA has also
created a new ODA planning task force (with Kohno as its
Secretary General). In the future, Japan will consider ways
SIPDIS
to expand the scope of its ODA, focusing on peace
consolidation through programs such as disarmament,
TOKYO 00002663 002 OF 003
demobilization and reintegration (DDR),which Japan has
undertaken in Afghanistan, Cote D'Ivoire and Liberia.
6. (C) The final high priority issue for Japan, Kohno said,
was reform of international organizations. Japan's position
on UN and UNSC reform is well known, he said, but Japan also
hopes to reform WTO and post-Kyoto Protocol activities.
Kohno said he expects Japan to become more proactive and
imaginative in this area.
South Korea's Priorities
--------------
7. (C) Korean Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and
International Organizations Park In-Kook said Korean policy
planning is centered on the principles of peace and
prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, asserting that
instability on the peninsula would impact the world economy.
The ROKG's policy focuses on a smooth transition to achieving
reunification, he explained, using mechanisms such as
people-to-people and military-to-military exchanges and
institutionalization of coordination with North Korea. The
exchanges are aimed at enlightening and educating the North
Korean people.
8. (C) South Korea also seeks to develop comprehensive
relations with the U.S. and with Korea's neighbors, Park
said. However, Korea has become concerned recently with a
return to nationalism in the region and he agreed with Kohno
that territorial and historical issues need to be resolved.
9. (C) Because Korea imports 75 percent of its oil from the
Middle East, it is also trying "omni-directional diplomacy"
that focuses to the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. At
the same time, Korea is trying to reinforce relations with
its traditional partners, such as those in ASEAN, and with
European countries. Park noted that Korea aims to triple its
ODA.
10. (C) Park said Korea agrees with Japan in principle on the
need for reform of international organizations, and asked for
U.S. and Japanese support for Korea's candidate for UN
Secretary General. He stated that Korea believes it is
SIPDIS
important to widen multilateral security cooperation, and
offered as "food for thought" the idea of developing the
Six-Party Talks into a multilateral security format.
U.S. Priorities
--------------
11. (C) S/P Krasner described a wide range of U.S. policy
planning goals, beginning with those of transformational
diplomacy. He thanked both Japan and South Korea for their
support in Afghanistan and Iraq. Noting there would be time
for more thorough discussion in Session 4 (on the future of
the Middle East),he briefly described U.S. Middle East
policy, focusing on Iraq, the Middle East Peace Process and
Iran. He agreed with Park and Kohno's on the need for an
East Asian architecture that provided for regional stability,
but noted that when considering Asia, one must include the
Pacific region, as well.
Responses
--------------
12. (C) In the conversation following the formal
presentations, Japanese Political Minister to Japan's Embassy
in Seoul Koji Tomita asked what the timeline should be for
dealing with Iran, suggesting that an air strike may be a
last resort option if diplomacy fails. Krasner explained
that the U.S. is not thinking in terms of a timeline leading
to an air strike, but focusing on measures that will persuade
Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons program, or face
isolation from the international community. Park expressed
concern that moving too quickly into Chapter VII sanctions
could become a "paper tiger," citing the example of North
Korea in the early 1990s, when it was presented with redlines
and then easily crossed them.
13. (C) Kohno and Park both discussed the value of
multilateral fora as mechanisms for promoting confidence
building measures (CBMs) to ensure stability in the region.
S/P member Evan Feigenbaum noted that while multilateral CBMs
were of value, Kohno and Park had failed to mention the value
of the U.S. military presence as a factor in fostering
TOKYO 00002663 003 OF 003
regional stability. Park said both an East Asian
architecture based on multilateral structures and the
accumulation of bilateral security relations with the U.S.
were necessary, with one able to fill any gaps of the other.
Kohno added that regional CBMs have a spill-over effect
beyond traditional security, noting that ASEAN has helped
efforts in counter-terrorism, anti-piracy, nonproliferation,
and environmental issues.
Participants
--------------
14. (U) Participants in the meeting included:
United States
--------------
Stephen D. Krasner, Director, Policy Planning Staff
Jim Zumwalt, ECON Minister-Counselor, Embassy Tokyo
Evan Feigenbaum, S/P Member
David Wolff, Political Officer, Embassy Tokyo
Joel Ehrendreich, Political Officer, Embassy Tokyo (notetaker)
Japan
--------------
Masaharu Kohno, MOFA Deputy Vice-Minister for Foreign Policy
Nobukatsu Kanehara, Minister, Embassy of Japan (Washington)
Koji Tomita, Minister, Embassy of Japan (Seoul)
Hiroshi Kawamura, MOFA Director, Policy Planning Division
Shinya Fujita, MOFA Deputy Director, Policy Planning Division
South Korea
--------------
In-Kook Park, MOFAT Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and
International Organizations
Sang-mo Yeon, Minister-Counselor, Embassy of ROK (Tokyo)
Ki-woong Kim, MOFAT Director for Inter-Korean Policy Division
Ki-Jun Park, MOFA Deputy Director for Northeast Asia Division
Young-Kyu Park, MOFAT Deputy Director for Policy Planning and
Coordination Division
Song Oh, MOFAT Director for Policy Planning and Coordination
Division
Choong-hee Hahn, MOFAT Director for North America Division
15. (U) S/P Director Krasner cleared this message.
DONOVAN
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2026
TAGS: PREL ASEAN EAID MARR UNSC IR IZ KS CH JA
SUBJECT: U.S.-JAPAN-ROK POLICY PLANNING TRILATERAL, SESSION
1: FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIES
REF: TOKYO 2654
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Joe Donovan. Reason: 1.4 (b)(d).
1. (C) Summary. In the May 11 U.S.-ROK-Japan Policy Planning
Session meeting between S/P Director Stephen D. Krasner,
Japanese Deputy Vice-Minister for Foreign Policy Masaharu
Kohno and Korean Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and
International Organizations Park In-Kook, the three delegates
outlined their country's foreign policy priorities and
strategies. Specifically:
-- Kohno described Japan's top five policy planning
priorities as: 1) improving relations with neighboring
countries; 2) expanding its scope of activities
geographically; 3) matching foreign policy with domestic
policy; 4) using ODA more strategically; and 5) reforming
international organizations;
-- Park said Korean policy planning is centered on the
principles of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula;
developing comprehensive relations with neighbors and the
U.S.; employing "omni-directional diplomacy;" and reforming
international organizations;
-- Krasner outlined U.S. policy in various geographic regions
and the goals of transformational diplomacy; he also
responded to questions on Iran policy; and
-- In follow-on discussions, participants acknowledged the
value of multilateral fora in promoting confidence building
measures, but also noted the importance of the U.S. military
presence in ensuring regional stability. End Summary.
Japan's Priorities
--------------
2. (C) S/P Director Stephen D. Krasner, Japanese Deputy Vice
Minister for Foreign Policy Masaharu Kohno and Korean Deputy
Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations
Park In-Kook met May 11 over a working dinner that served as
the first session of the U.S.-ROK-Japan Policy Planning
Trilateral. Japan DVFM Kohno opened the formal proceedings by
explaining that Japan's highest priority in terms of policy
planning is to improve relations with neighboring countries,
particularly China and South Korea. Kohno described the need
for improved relations with neighbors as "kind of a destiny
for us" and added that the larger goal was to improve the
security environment in Northeast Asia. The Six-Party Talks
and Japan's two-track approach to North Korea are important
tools in this policy and the proposed East Asian Community
could be another component of a cooperative East Asian
architecture, along with existing fora such as APEC, ASEAN
and ASEAN 3. The biggest challenges to improved relations
included long-standing territorial and historical issues
vis-a-vis China, Russia and Korea, Kohno stated.
3. (C) The second long-term priority for Japan was to expand
its scope of activities geographically, Kohno explained. As
examples of this, Kohno pointed out that Japan will hold
ministerial-level talks with Central Asian partners in June,
that the TICAD 4 (the fourth Tokyo International Conference
on African Development) is scheduled for 2008 - the same year
Japan will host the G8, he noted - and that Japan has
recently expanded dialogue with NATO.
4. (C) Kohno explained Japan's third priority as matching up
foreign policy with domestic policy, and described Japan's
efforts to establish legislation to allow the dispatch of
Self-Defense Force troops as needed, as opposed to the ad hoc
approach requiring specific enabling legislation as used for
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Constitutional revision, particularly proposals recognizing
Japan's right to collective self-defense, would become a
major domestic issue in the near future, he observed.
5. (C) Kohno also listed the use of official development
assistance (ODA) as a priority, stating that Japan recently
created a new mechanism to develop more strategic thinking on
ODA. Under procedures begun on May 8, Japan will now have a
monthly cabinet-level meeting to discuss ODA. MOFA has also
created a new ODA planning task force (with Kohno as its
Secretary General). In the future, Japan will consider ways
SIPDIS
to expand the scope of its ODA, focusing on peace
consolidation through programs such as disarmament,
TOKYO 00002663 002 OF 003
demobilization and reintegration (DDR),which Japan has
undertaken in Afghanistan, Cote D'Ivoire and Liberia.
6. (C) The final high priority issue for Japan, Kohno said,
was reform of international organizations. Japan's position
on UN and UNSC reform is well known, he said, but Japan also
hopes to reform WTO and post-Kyoto Protocol activities.
Kohno said he expects Japan to become more proactive and
imaginative in this area.
South Korea's Priorities
--------------
7. (C) Korean Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and
International Organizations Park In-Kook said Korean policy
planning is centered on the principles of peace and
prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, asserting that
instability on the peninsula would impact the world economy.
The ROKG's policy focuses on a smooth transition to achieving
reunification, he explained, using mechanisms such as
people-to-people and military-to-military exchanges and
institutionalization of coordination with North Korea. The
exchanges are aimed at enlightening and educating the North
Korean people.
8. (C) South Korea also seeks to develop comprehensive
relations with the U.S. and with Korea's neighbors, Park
said. However, Korea has become concerned recently with a
return to nationalism in the region and he agreed with Kohno
that territorial and historical issues need to be resolved.
9. (C) Because Korea imports 75 percent of its oil from the
Middle East, it is also trying "omni-directional diplomacy"
that focuses to the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. At
the same time, Korea is trying to reinforce relations with
its traditional partners, such as those in ASEAN, and with
European countries. Park noted that Korea aims to triple its
ODA.
10. (C) Park said Korea agrees with Japan in principle on the
need for reform of international organizations, and asked for
U.S. and Japanese support for Korea's candidate for UN
Secretary General. He stated that Korea believes it is
SIPDIS
important to widen multilateral security cooperation, and
offered as "food for thought" the idea of developing the
Six-Party Talks into a multilateral security format.
U.S. Priorities
--------------
11. (C) S/P Krasner described a wide range of U.S. policy
planning goals, beginning with those of transformational
diplomacy. He thanked both Japan and South Korea for their
support in Afghanistan and Iraq. Noting there would be time
for more thorough discussion in Session 4 (on the future of
the Middle East),he briefly described U.S. Middle East
policy, focusing on Iraq, the Middle East Peace Process and
Iran. He agreed with Park and Kohno's on the need for an
East Asian architecture that provided for regional stability,
but noted that when considering Asia, one must include the
Pacific region, as well.
Responses
--------------
12. (C) In the conversation following the formal
presentations, Japanese Political Minister to Japan's Embassy
in Seoul Koji Tomita asked what the timeline should be for
dealing with Iran, suggesting that an air strike may be a
last resort option if diplomacy fails. Krasner explained
that the U.S. is not thinking in terms of a timeline leading
to an air strike, but focusing on measures that will persuade
Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons program, or face
isolation from the international community. Park expressed
concern that moving too quickly into Chapter VII sanctions
could become a "paper tiger," citing the example of North
Korea in the early 1990s, when it was presented with redlines
and then easily crossed them.
13. (C) Kohno and Park both discussed the value of
multilateral fora as mechanisms for promoting confidence
building measures (CBMs) to ensure stability in the region.
S/P member Evan Feigenbaum noted that while multilateral CBMs
were of value, Kohno and Park had failed to mention the value
of the U.S. military presence as a factor in fostering
TOKYO 00002663 003 OF 003
regional stability. Park said both an East Asian
architecture based on multilateral structures and the
accumulation of bilateral security relations with the U.S.
were necessary, with one able to fill any gaps of the other.
Kohno added that regional CBMs have a spill-over effect
beyond traditional security, noting that ASEAN has helped
efforts in counter-terrorism, anti-piracy, nonproliferation,
and environmental issues.
Participants
--------------
14. (U) Participants in the meeting included:
United States
--------------
Stephen D. Krasner, Director, Policy Planning Staff
Jim Zumwalt, ECON Minister-Counselor, Embassy Tokyo
Evan Feigenbaum, S/P Member
David Wolff, Political Officer, Embassy Tokyo
Joel Ehrendreich, Political Officer, Embassy Tokyo (notetaker)
Japan
--------------
Masaharu Kohno, MOFA Deputy Vice-Minister for Foreign Policy
Nobukatsu Kanehara, Minister, Embassy of Japan (Washington)
Koji Tomita, Minister, Embassy of Japan (Seoul)
Hiroshi Kawamura, MOFA Director, Policy Planning Division
Shinya Fujita, MOFA Deputy Director, Policy Planning Division
South Korea
--------------
In-Kook Park, MOFAT Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and
International Organizations
Sang-mo Yeon, Minister-Counselor, Embassy of ROK (Tokyo)
Ki-woong Kim, MOFAT Director for Inter-Korean Policy Division
Ki-Jun Park, MOFA Deputy Director for Northeast Asia Division
Young-Kyu Park, MOFAT Deputy Director for Policy Planning and
Coordination Division
Song Oh, MOFAT Director for Policy Planning and Coordination
Division
Choong-hee Hahn, MOFAT Director for North America Division
15. (U) S/P Director Krasner cleared this message.
DONOVAN