JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 08/16/06

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E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 08/16/06 Index: Yasukuni aftermath: 1) China, ROK constrain criticism of Prime Minister Koizumi's Aug. 15 Yasukuni Shrine visit 2) United States sees Yasukuni visit as a "domestic issue" 3) However, there is concern in Washington about icy state of Japan's relations with China 4) Business leaders fear that buoyant Japan-China economic relations may now turn cold 5) Government took secret opinion poll prior to decision on Koizumi's Yasukuni Shrine visit 6) 258,000 people visited Yasukuni on Aug. 15, biggest crowd in six years 7) Cabinet, ruling parties not all supportive of Koizumi visit to Yasukuni Shrine Foreign policy agenda: 8) Government planning post-Koizumi administration push to repair ties with China, South Korea, starting with summit meetings at APEC or other forums 9) Japan, Russia working out cooperation plan for responding to earthquake, tsunami in northern territories Political issues: 10) Yasukuni issue certain to be main campaign issue in upcoming LDP presidential race 11) Former LDP Secretary General Koichi Kato's parental home destroyed by fire that may have been arson Articles: 1) China, South Korea toning down criticism of prime minister's Yasukuni visit, placing emphasis on Koizumi successor YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpts) August 16, 2006 China Tetsuya Suetsugu, Beijing In its protest against Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the Chinese government singled out Koizumi, while underlining its eagerness to improve relations with Japan under the post-Koizumi administration to be inaugurated in September. China expects that if it tries to minimize the negative impact of the prime minister's Yasukuni visit and not to cast a damper on the current trend toward improving bilateral relations, the next prime minister would refrain from visiting Yasukuni Shrine. Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing called in Ambassador to China Yuji Miyamoto to the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing yesterday and criticized Koizumi's Yasukuni visit, targeting only the prime minister: "Prime Minister Koizumi ignored the people's strong opposition." By singling out Koizumi for its criticism, he tried to minimize the damage to be caused to relations between Japan and China. Emphasizing the stance of placing importance on relations with Japan, Li added: "We urge the Japanese government and leader to make efforts to put Japan-China relations back on a normal development TOKYO 00004637 002 OF 008 course." This remark is intended to tacitly ask the next prime minister to refrain from visiting Yasukuni as the precondition for improvement in bilateral ties. South Korea Kyoji Fukushima, Seoul In a speech at the ceremony for the anniversary of the birth of South Korea on Aug. 15, South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun said: "Japan must reflect on its past conducts with its whole heart." He did not refer to Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine but just reiterated the need for Japan to take measures to settle such issues as Yasukuni Shrine, the Takeshima/Dokdo islets, and school textbooks. The draft speech is composed of about 150 lines, including policy toward North Korea, negotiations on a free trade agreement with the United States, and domestic issues. On relations with Japan, only six lines were devoted to that topic, in contrast to its response when the prime minister visited the shrine in October 2005. According to a South Korean government official, the president gave importance to relations with the post-Koizumi administration with just a month to go before Koizumi steps down. The official said that his reference to Yasukuni and Takeshima/Dokdo issues is in a sense a message to the next prime minister. 2) US says "Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni is domestic Japanese issue" SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) August 16, 2006 Washington, Takashi Arimoto White House Deputy Press Secretary Dina Perino told reporters about Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine: "We understand that there are complicated historical issues in Asia. We hope that the region will resolve them with concerted efforts." Perino then revealed Washington's view, stating, "The prime minister's Yasukuni visit is an internal Japanese matter. The US will not interfere with this issue." In their meetings with US President George W. Bush, Chinese President Hu Jintao and South Korean President Roh Moon Hyun have criticized Koizumi's Yasukuni visits, but the President has never come around to them. Bush has hedged, saying, "Friends getting along with other friends brings benefit to us as well." 3) US concern broadening about Japan's icy ties with China, ROK over Prime Minister Koizumi's paying homage at Yasukuni Shrine; US urges dialogue to resolve issue NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Excerpt) August 16, 2006 In the aftermath of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's paying homage at Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the anniversary of the end of the war, concern is spreading widely in the United States, as well as in parts of Asia, that the icy relations between Japan and China and between Japan and the Republic of Korea will continue. TOKYO 00004637 003 OF 008 President Bush has already expressed his expectation that bilateral dialogues between Japan and China and between Japan and South Korea will go forward. The Bush administration, now pressed by the Middle East situation and by busily occupied with anti-terrorist measures, wants to avoid complicating its Asia diplomacy by a worsening of Japan-China, Japan-ROK relations, in view of the need to respond to such issues as the North Korea missile and nuclear programs. 4) Prime Minister Koizumi visits Yasukuni Shrine: Business leaders concerned Japan-China relations will become cold both politically and economically; Next administration urged to improve situation YOMIURI (Page 9) (Excerpts) August 16, 2006 Following Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine yesterday, business circles are increasingly concerned that the visit will negatively affect the increasingly close economic relations between Japan and China. According to informed sources, many business leaders want the next administration to improve relations with China and South Korea. For Japan, China is now its second-largest trade partner, following the US. The Finance Ministry's statistics show substantial growth in bilateral trade, with exports to China in the first half of fiscal 2006 reaching 4.9552 trillion yen, up 26.1% over the same period in the previous year and imports at 6.5219 trillion yen, up 16.2% over the same period. JFE Steel and Toyota Motor have recently started joint venture companies in China. Oji Paper has obtained approval to build a large paper plant in Jiangsu Province. Retailers, such as Isetan Department Store and Ito-Yokado, are steadily expanding their outlets. However, there is a strong concern about the possibility of worsening political relations with China affecting major projects involving the government, such as bilateral talks over the development of gas fields in the East China Sea and the high-speed railway system Japan is now trying to sell to China, as a spokesman for a Japanese trading company put it. Nobuo Yamaguchi, president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted, "Building good relations with neighboring countries is a major task for the next administration." Many business leaders thus hope the post-Koizumi administration will make efforts to repair relations with China. The next administration is also urged to rebuild trade strategy toward Asia. 5) Government carried out secret opinion polls prior to Prime Minister's paying homage at Yasukuni Shrine; Careful preparations aiming at avoiding strong reactions YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) August 16, 2006 It was learned yesterday that the government prior to Prime Minister Koizumi's paying homage at Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, secretly carried out two opinion polls as part of the careful preparations TOKYO 00004637 004 OF 008 for the event. The aim seemed to have been to avoid as best as possible negative reactions from the public. A commercial pollster was entrusted with carrying out the polls, with only one question: "What do you think of the Prime Minister paying homage at Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15?" The result of the first poll showed that the approval rate was just slightly above the disapproval rate. When the Prime Minister saw the report of the first poll in late July, he ordered that another poll be taken. Just prior to that, the memo of late former Grand Steward Tomohiko Tomita of the Imperial Household Agency had revealed that the Showa Emperor was displeased that Class-A war criminals were enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine. There thus was a possibility of a growing mood of caution about the Prime Minister making a shrine visit, and a possible backlash against him. The Prime Minister seemed to have made the judgment that by commissioning another poll, he could tell the level of impact of the Tomita memo on public views. In the second poll, compiled in early August, those opposed greatly exceeded those who supported the visit. Upon hearing the results, the Prime Minister set a policy course of positively explaining his real intentions for visiting Yasukuni by the 15th. 6) 258,000 visit Yasukuni Shrine to pay homage on Aug. 15, most since 2000 MAINICHI (Page 25) (Full) August 16, 2006 Approximately 258,000 people visited Yasukuni Shrine (shrine's estimate) on Aug. 15, the day that Prime Minister Koizumi came to pay homage to the war dead. This was the highest number of daily visitors that the shrine has recorded since 2000, when such record keeping started. The public affairs division of the shrine explained, "We can't deny the influence of the Prime Minister's paying homage that drove up public interest." On Aug. 15, 2001, two days after the Prime Minister visited the shrine, the visitors that day reached 125,000, a rise of approximately 40,000 persons from the previous year. Visitors coming on that day in 2002, 2003 and 2004 ranged from 50,000 to 85,000. There was a large-scale event in 2005 (60th anniversary of the end of the war) attended by many related groups, so the number of visitors jumped to 205,000. This year, the numbers were even higher than last year even though a light rain fell in the morning. 7) Objections to Prime Minister's Yasukuni visit also erupting from cabinet, ruling parties; Historical views spotlighted as political challenge ASAHI (Page 3) (Full) August 16, 2006 Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15 has brought into the forefront again the weighty issue of "history" to politicians in both the ruling and opposition parties, including members of the Koizumi cabinet, not to mention the prime minister TOKYO 00004637 005 OF 008 and the chief cabinet secretary. How should Japan improve its strained ties with other Asian countries over this issue, and how should it address the issue of historical views? In response to the visit, objections have been erupting from opposition party members, as well as from cabinet ministers and senior ruling party members, highlighting that no consensus has yet to be built on historical views even 61 years after the end of World War II. In order to maintain favorable relations with Asian countries, how should Japan resolve the thorny historical issue? Finance Minister Tanigaki has taken the typical position of postwar mainstream conservatism, for when he announced his candidacy for the Liberal Democratic Party election, he ruled out the possibility of visiting the shrine if elected prime minister. In a cabinet meeting yesterday, Tanigaki said: (1) There is the question that Japan must improve its strained relations with neighboring countries; and (2) No settlement has been reached on the issue of Yasukuni enshrining Class-A war criminals and ways of honoring the war dead. Later, Tanigaki said: "The issue of enshrinement of Class-A war criminals is tantamount to a boned stuck in the throat. There might have been some legal problem with the judgments handed down at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, but Japan accepted them as a political settlement measure." Minister for Economic and Fiscal Policy Yosano, who calls for separately enshrining Class-A war criminals, has a historical view similar to Tanigaki's. He said: "The Tokyo War Crimes Trials was indisputably an abnormal situation, but it was an important arena in order for Japan to show internationally that the issue of Japan's culpability for the war has been settled. Since Japan totally accepted the judgments at the Tokyo Trial under the Treaty of San Francisco, it is quite natural for the government to legally interpret them as being war criminals." In contrast, Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe takes the view that "judgment should be entrusted to historians." In a NHK TV program last night, Foreign Minister Aso stated: "It is impossible to change the fact that Japan was allowed to return to the international community because it accepted the rulings at the Tokyo Trial. ... It is apparent that Class-A war criminals did not violate Japanese law." The New Komeito has underlined the stance of expecting the post-Koizumi administration to alter the current policy line. In reference to the prime minister's Yasukuni visit, Party head Kanzaki said: "It is quite regrettable," but adding: "I think that in China and South Korea, there is a feeling of resignation on the Koizumi administration, but these countries expect the post-Koizumi administration to make efforts to improve Japan's Asia diplomacy." The opposition camp lashes out at the prime minister's historical view itself. Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama commented: TOKYO 00004637 006 OF 008 "Should a person who has the same views as Prime Minister Koizumi on Yasukuni Shrine and history become prime minister, Japan's relations with China and South Korea will unavoidably become more strained." Japanese Communist Party Chairman Shii said: "The prime minister picked the day of reflection on the nation's past military aggression and colonial rule as the day for his last visit to Yasukuni Shrine as prime minister. This fact has made the problem more serious." Social Democratic Party President Fukushima remarked: "He might be trying to change August 15 from the day of vowing for peace into the day of vowing for death of the country." 8) MOFA aims for summits with China, South Korea before year's end, following inauguration of post-Koizumi administration: Such settings as APEC eyed YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) August 16, 2006 Following Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) began coordination to hold summits with China and South Korea. The aim is for the next administration to normalize ties with both countries shortly after its inauguration. With Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, who is most likely to succeed Koizumi, in mind, MOFA is eyeing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APECS) forum summit to be held in Hanoi in November and the ASEAN+3 summit scheduled for December as venues for such talks. During a symposium on exchange between Japan and China on Aug. 3, Abe indicated a desire to resume summits with those countries, saying, "It is necessary to pursue constructive discussions through direct dialogue so that individual issues will not affect the development of overall relations between Japan and China." He has visited Yasukuni Shrine every year on Aug. 15, but he did not go this year. The dominant view is that it is a message giving consideration to China and South Korea in view of his becoming prime minister, as a close aide to him put it. The same source also said that since Abe already visited the shrine in April, he has "made his trip for the year." Some, therefore, took the view that Abe wants to pave the way for resuming summits with China and South Korea by forgoing another Yasukuni visit before the end of the year. A senior MOFA official yesterday indicated his ministry's intention to make a change of administration an occasion to normalize bilateral ties with both countries. Judging that it would be difficult for top leaders to mutually visit each other's country in view of public opinion in China and South Korea, MOFA wants to use international conferences as the setting for summit meetings. The Chinese side has also indicated a desire to resume summits with Japan at an early date, with President Hu Jintao stating during his meeting with Japanese Ambassador to China Yuji Miyamoto, "I hope I can visit your country at an appropriate time if conditions are met." South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Ban Ki Moon on Aug. 9 visited Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe and told him, "It is abnormal that Japan and South Korea are unable to hold a summit." TOKYO 00004637 007 OF 008 9) Northern Territories: Japan, Russia to cooperate on earthquake, tsunami observation; Expert meeting likely to be as early as autumn SIPDIS NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) August 16, 2006 The governments of Japan and Russia will cooperate on earthquake and tsunami observation in the Northern Territories. They will hold an SIPDIS expert meeting as early as this fall to work out specific measures for the realization of an observation system by the end of next year. Both countries want to minimize damage from such disasters by improving the accuracy of forecasts based on latest data on the ground in the region. The aim is also to find a breakthrough in the stalemated talks on the Northern Territories, by piling up cooperative activities. There are no observation bases on the four northern islands where Japan can obtain data on geological conditions. Since facilities there are also insufficient compared with Japan's, it is of urgent necessity to improve disaster-prevention measures. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and President Putin during the G-8 Summit (St. Petersburg Summit) in July agreed that the two countries would cooperate on quake and tsunami measures in the area centered on the Northern Territories. In addition to jointly collecting and sharing quake data, Tokyo and Moscow will consider the possibility of improving local observation equipment and experts holding regular meetings and mutually visiting related facilities. They thus want to minimize damage from quakes and tsunami by swiftly determining the epicenter and magnitude of a quake and the possibility of tsunami. Tokyo views that improving observation data will make it easier to forecast the impact of an earthquake in the region on Hokkaido and Tohoku. The advantage for Russia is that it will be able to use Japan's observation technology introduced on the Northern Territories in other parts of the country. Behind the background of the two countries' cooperation on earthquake measures is the shared awareness that international cooperation is important in dealing with natural disasters and has deepened following the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004. 10) LDP presidential race: Yasukuni unavoidably becoming campaign issue; Urgently need to close rifts with China, South Korea over prime minister's shrine visits TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Excerpts) August 16, 2006 The Chinese and South Korean ambassadors called at the Foreign Ministry yesterday afternoon to each register a strong protest against Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine yesterday morning, the 61st anniversary of the end of World War II. The two ambassadors had repeatedly called on the prime minister to refrain from visiting the Shinto shrine for the reason that the shrine honors Class-A war criminals. With Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni on Aug. 15, repairing diplomatic ties with Beijing and Seoul has now become a task of pressing urgency. It is now certain the Yasukuni issue will become a major campaign issue in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election in September. TOKYO 00004637 008 OF 008 "For better or worse, should debate on the Yasukuni issue not be conducted during the presidential election campaign, the public will not be fully satisfied, " said former LDP Secretary General Koichi Kato. This view is widespread in the LDP. How should Japan console the souls of the war dead, whether the Class-A war criminals should be removed from Yasukuni, whether a new war memorial should be built, and how to perceive the history of World War II will all likely become issues for debate in the LDP presidential election. 11) Koichi Kato's home in Tsuruoka City burned down; Man believed to have set fire to the house TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Excerpts) August 16, 2006 At around 5:55 p.m. yesterday, a fire broke out at the two-story wooden house of former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Koichi Kato's mother in Daito Town, Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture. The house and Kato's local office burned down. A man believed to have stabbed himself was found collapsed in front of the house. Police are now investigating to find out if the man stabbed himself after setting fire to the house. The man incurred burns on his face and the inside of his mouth, and he is unconscious. Police will question him after he becomes conscious. Kato had repeatedly criticized Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, making such remarks, "The prime minister should not visit the shrine, " and "It is a big mistake to think that paying homage at the shrine is a matter of the heart. This is a diplomatic issue." Yesterday when Koizumi visited Yasukuni, Kato was appearing on some TV programs. The prefectural police are carefully investigating links to his remarks on Koizumi's Yasukuni visits. According to police, smoke went up from the inside of the house when the fire started. The man is believed to be in his 50s and 60s. A firefighter found him on the premises. He was taken to a hospital. SCHIEFFER