DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 07/14/06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 003955 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 07/14/06 Part-1 INDEX: (1) Editorial: Time to aim at a unified UNSC resolution on North Korea (2) World Click column by Yoichi Kato: America's "values" diplomacy now stumbles, putting Japan in awkward situation for its statement that it shares values with America (3) US deputy assistant trade representative urges Japan to compromise in Doha Round (4) Prime Minister Koizumi meets secretly with Yasuo Fukuda at Japanese restaurant (5) Takeo Hiranuma starts consultations with Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe to rejoin LDP (6) Vice Minister Takemasa Moriya to be retained in post: Unusual case (7) Successors are also blindly following US -- There will be no Daily Summary on July 17 - a Japanese holiday. ARTICLES: (1) Editorial: Time to aim at a unified UNSC resolution on North Korea ASAHI (Page 3) (Abridged) July 14, 2006 China and Russia, which are both against Japan's sanctions resolution against North Korea, have indicated they will propose their own draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) critical of North Korea. Although they have drawn the line at imposing sanctions, the two Council members seem to have lined up on the point of expressing the will of the international community in the form of a resolution. A number of other countries including Britain and France have added their names to the joint sponsors of the UNSC resolution drafted by Japan and the United States. In response, China and Russia at first proposed a non-binding statement by the chair of the Council, and the Chinese ambassador was so fiercely opposed, he threatened to use China's veto power against it. Deep divisions seem to have opened up in the UNSC. A rumor of a compromise then spread, involving a two-stage plan: the chair would first issue a moderate statement, and then afterward, depending on the situation, move toward a forceful resolution. We would like to welcome China and Russia's willingness to compromise and to provide a new opportunity for the Council to come together. The reality in the UNSC is that permanent members have a powerful weapon in their possession, a veto power that can stop anything action from moving forward. Even if a resolution moves forward to a vote, it can be buried by the use of a veto, laying open the split in the international community. Indeed, that was exactly what North Korea had wanted. At this point, what the international community should not do is to exaggerate its differences. Both China and Russia historically have had close relations with North Korea. China in particular even now TOKYO 00003955 002 OF 007 SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 07/14/06 Part-1 INDEX: (1) Editorial: Time to aim at a unified UNSC resolution on North Korea continues to assist the North with oil, food, and other supplies. It would have great significance if China itself drafts a resolution denouncing by name that country, with which it has had friendly ties. That is why it has appeared to take the recent missile launches very seriously. The recognition of that fact in itself can form the basis for bringing together the views of the Council. There is no major difference between the two draft resolutions on the two points of asking North Korea not to launch any more missiles and to return to the six-party talks. Japan and other concerned countries should strengthen their efforts to unify the two resolutions into one. The biggest difference in view is the mention in the Japan-US version of Chapter 7 of the UN Charter that opens the way for the use of military and non-military sanctions. This contents gives additional forceful pressure on North Korea. Such wording is missing in the China-Russia draft, and the tone of the criticism of North Korea is weak. The focus next should be on how to coordinate between the two sides. As long as China and Russia are not on board, no matter what content is in the draft resolution, it will clearly never see the light of day. Japan's hard-line stance has had an aspect of getting China and Russia to move. China even sent a vice minister to North Korea to try to persuade Pyongyang. Both Japan and the US' strong contents and China and Russia's moderately worded draft likely had an impact on talks between Beijing and Pyongyang. If North Korea will take a flexible stance, the situation could again change. In that sense, until a settlement is reached on the draft resolution, there are still many fluid elements we should be aware of. In order to issue as quickly as possible a unified message from the international community, we ask that each country respond flexibly and constructively. (2) World Click column by Yoichi Kato: America's "values" diplomacy now stumbles, putting Japan in awkward situation for its statement that it shares values with America ASAHI (Page 13) (Abridged) July 13, 2006 By Yoichi Kato Superman Returns, a US film recently released, has become a topic of conversation due to a slight change in the film made from the version shown to the domestic audience to the version shown to an international audience. Superman or the Man of Steel stands for "justice, truth, and the American way." Of these three ideas, the American way is replaced by "all that stuff" in the film released abroad. This change was made in consideration of box-office profits in other countries, because "America" is no longer popular these days due to the Iraq war and its immigration policy. In terms of business calculations, making such a change is understandable, and doing so may be only natural. But the change also gives the impression that TOKYO 00003955 003 OF 007 SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 07/14/06 Part-1 INDEX: (1) Editorial: Time to aim at a unified UNSC resolution on North Korea the United States has somewhat lost confidence in its sense of values. The US media have briskly reported recently that America's "values diplomacy" -- focusing on such themes as freedom, democracy, and human rights, as advocated by the Bush administration as its slogan, has not been doing well. The major flaw in promoting values diplomacy is the slow progress in democratizing Iraq. In addition, the overwhelming victory in the Palestinian parliamentary election in January by the radical Islamic group Hamas, which the US regards as a terrorist organization, came as a great shock to Washington. The US is also being criticized severely for a double standard in its foreign policy, for it tends to be lenient with oil producing countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan when it comes to democratization and human rights in those countries. The fact that the US tortured war prisoners during its war on terror is rocking the very foundation of its values diplomacy, bringing up the question of whether the US is really qualified to speak about human rights. The non-profit organization Freedom House's Executive Director Windsor writes in a recent essay, "This values policy the US president planned to leave the future generation as a legacy could retreat or lose credibility," pointing out the need for measures to deal with such possible cases. As if to respond to this call, Michael Green, who had served as senior director for Asia on the National Security Council until the end of last year, has come out with a set of proposals to promote values diplomacy in Asia. The proposals will come out in an essay he has written for the September issue of a journal. Green points out an emergence of a "balance of thought" emerging in Asia as a new framework for competition in addition to the usual balance of power. He stresses the need to have America's agenda that centers on spreading democracy take root in the region as its own agenda. But, doing so will not be an easy. Southeast Asian nations view America's values diplomacy as somewhat annoying. One Asian diplomat complained: "We receive a lot of requests (from the US). This is a big problem between the US and our country." The Bush administration greatly welcomed Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to the US in June. This is in part because the prime minister declared that Japan shares with the US basic values and common interests. His declaration lent a helping hand to the Bush administration's well-battered values diplomacy. In dealing with North Korea's recent missile launches, however, the White House has stated, "They are no direct threat to the US," which made Japan aware of the differing interests between Japan and the US. Japan has stated it shares values with the US, but this position could lead to such questions as: What can Japan do to protect democracy in Taiwan in the event that a crisis occurs there? TOKYO 00003955 004 OF 007 SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 07/14/06 Part-1 INDEX: (1) Editorial: Time to aim at a unified UNSC resolution on North Korea Is it all right to so easily declare that Japan shares values and interests (with the US)? I wondered about that when I watched TV news showing the prime minister imitating Presley. As time goes by, skepticism and concerns have been growing in my mind. (3) US deputy assistant trade representative urges Japan to compromise in Doha Round YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) Evening, July 14, 2006 By Eiji Hirose in Washington Deputy Assistant Trade Representative Jason Hafemeister, who is responsible for agricultural trade negotiations at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR),met on July 13 with a segment of the Japanese press corps in Washington. Referring to the stalemated agricultural talks under the World Trade Organization's multilateral trade negotiations (Doha Round),he stated: "The US cannot reach agreement as long as there is insufficient market opening in other countries. We are asking other countries to negotiate seriously." He expressed his view that it was indispensable for Japan and other food importing countries to reach a compromise with food exporting countries by making large cuts in tariffs and the like. (4) Prime Minister Koizumi meets secretly with Yasuo Fukuda at Japanese restaurant SENTAKU (Page 44) (Full) July 2006 A rumor got around the capital district of Nagatacho that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met secretly with former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda on the night of June 21. The name of a SIPDIS Japanese restaurant at which Koizumi and Fukuda were believed to have met is "Fukuda-ya." It's well known that Koizumi dined that day with the chairman of Mitsui Fudosan Co. At that time Fukuda met with business leaders in a different room in the restaurant Fukuda-ya, according to persons close to Koizumi and Fukuda. Nobody believes such an explanation that the two came together by accident. Since Koizumi is not on friendly terms with the chairman of Mitsui Fudosan, it's hardly possible that the two had a conversation more than two hours at the restaurant, according to a senior Mori faction member. It is a classical method for politicians to hold a secret meeting under cover of a meeting with a business leader. Opinion is widely divided on the question of what was discussed between Koizumi and Fukuda: one is that Koizumi met with Fukuda to confirm a rumor that Fukuda had told his close friend that he would not run in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election; and another is Koizumi urged Fukuda to run in the race in order to boost the LDP presidential election campaign. The truth remains hidden from sight, however. (5) Takeo Hiranuma starts consultations with Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe to rejoin LDP TOKYO 00003955 005 OF 007 SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 07/14/06 Part-1 INDEX: (1) Editorial: Time to aim at a unified UNSC resolution on North Korea SENTAKU (Page 44) (Full) July 2006 Chief Cabinet Secretary SHINZO ABE held a secret meeting with Takeo Hiranuma, former trade minister, in early June in Tokyo. The two appear to have begun negotiations on the possibility of Hiranuma's return to the Liberal Democratic Party. The meeting reportedly was held at the request of Hiranuma. If Hiranuma successfully rejoins the LDP, such would help junior and mid-level lawmakers supporting ABE win veteran lawmakers over to their side. That is just the boost those supporters need. Reportedly, however, ABE has avoided referring to the question of Hiranuma's return to the LDP, and Hiranuma sought to check ABE by bringing up a plan to form a new party. (6) Vice Minister Takemasa Moriya to be retained in post: Unusual case Bungei Shunju August, 2006 Transfers of senior Defense Agency (JDA) officials have been finalized. Public attention had been riveted to which post Administrative Vice Minister Takemasa Moriya (entered the JDA in 1971) will be transferred to. However, it turns out that he will remain in his present office and serve his fourth term. This is an unusual case. He accompanied Prime Minister Koizumi on his visit to the US for the late June bilateral summit, indicating that the prime minister has deep trust in him. The incident made audiences both in Japan and abroad realize that the prime minister distrusts Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi (entered in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1969) and North American Affairs Bureau Director General Chikao Kawai. Moriya will continue to spearhead efforts to upgrade the JDA to ministry status and deal with the USFJ realignment issue. Who will succeed Moriya is not clear at all. Iwao Kitahara, director general of the Defense Facilities Administration Agency (DFAA), (entered DFAA in 1947) will most likely resign due to the recent bid-rigging scandal involving the agency. Chief of Secretariat Tetsuo Nishikawa (entered the National Police Agency in 1972) is expected to be picked to succeed Kitahara. As a result, Kazuo Oko (entered the JDA in 1973),director general of the Defense Policy Bureau, will top the list of potential successors for administrative vice minister. However, he has a reputation for lacking leadership and the ability to make Diet replies, as a cabinet minister put it. His success would be far from certain. A plan has been floated for Kohei Masuda (entered in the DFAA in 1975),DFAA technical councilor, to succeed Moriya in two years. From the beginning, Masuda had been regarded as a potential candidate for that position. However, he has been deprived of this post because he is close to Kyoji Yanagisawa, assistant deputy chief cabinet secretary, and critical of Moriya. He worked hard to settle the recent bid-rigging scandal. There is now a possibility of his being picked as administrative vice minister, because he has corrected his previous anti-Moriya stance. Rumor has it that this summer he might be appointed secretary general of the Secretariat of TOKYO 00003955 006 OF 007 SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 07/14/06 Part-1 INDEX: (1) Editorial: Time to aim at a unified UNSC resolution on North Korea the Minister of State for Defense, director general of the Defense Operations Bureau, or director general of the Bureau of Finance and Equipment. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masahiro Futahashi (entered the former Home Affairs Ministry in 1964),who overtly expresses his dislike of Moriya, is said to be one of those who have complicated the USFJ realignment issue by siding with Okinawa along with MOFA. Following the retention of Moriya in office, those close to Koizumi have secretly started considering when to replace Futahashi with Cabinet Office Administrative Vice Minister Tsuyoshi Erikawa (entered the former Ministry of Health and Welfare in 1970). (7) Successors are also blindly following US Bungei Shunju, August 2006 Prime Minister Koizumi had fun at the Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee with President Bush. An inclination to emulate US values is seen not only in Koizumi but also among the children of Japanese politicians. The second son of Koizumi joined the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) this spring as a researcher, after graduating from Columbia University. Michael Green, former senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, heads the Japan program at CSIS. The second son of Koizumi is expected to inherit his father's constituency in Yokosuka when Koizumi retires. Green, who is a friend of Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, the favorite to be the next prime minister, has apparently let the Japanese political world be indebted to him again. A son of Hirofumi Nakasone and a grand son of Yasuhiro Nakasone, who has now retired from politics, having been told to give up running in the previous Lower House election by Koizumi, will also enter Columbia University. Yasuhiro Nakasone has three courses that carry his name at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington DC, but his grandson entered one of the Ivy League universities. There is a reason why both Koizumi's second son and Nakasone's grandson chose Columbia University. Gerald Curtis, who is a well-known Japan expert, is a professor there. The eldest son of Yasuo Fukuda, who is also a potential candidate to be the next prime minister along with Abe, also graduated from SAIS. He traveled with his father when he visited the US shortly after the Golden Week Holiday in May. He is expected to succeed to his father's constituency. Kent Calder, a Japan expert, is now a professor at SAIS. In the US, barriers among the academic, political and bureaucratic worlds are low due in part to political appointee system. Struggles of competing interests are fierce in the small academic circle of Japan specialists. Competition by academic institutions to capture children of influential politicians is part of such struggles. Grandsons and great-grandsons of influential politicians will continue to study at prominent universities or think-tanks and contribute to strengthening the Japan-US alliance in the future. TOKYO 00003955 007 OF 007 SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 07/14/06 Part-1 INDEX: (1) Editorial: Time to aim at a unified UNSC resolution on North Korea SCHIEFFER