JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 09/12/06

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E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 09/12/06 Index: 1) Top headlines 2) Editorials 3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 4) ABE holds firm with 70 percent of the party votes secure in his bid for the LDP presidency: Yomiuri poll 5) But internal LDP survey shows ABE has less than half of votes lined up in his presidential bid 6) ABE wants constitutional revision within five years 4 7) Three LDP presidential candidates debate Japan's right of collective self-defense, with each citing need to study the issue 8) While LDP presidential candidates Abe, Aso back Iraq war and policy, Tanigaki draws line, stresses negative results of war 9) ABE stresses that it was not a mistake to have used armed force against Iraq 10) Prime Minister Koizumi, still in Finland, makes statement backing Abe's "second chance" program 11) New Komeito's Fuyushiba to be in the new cabinet following LDP election 12) Ichiro Ozawa, running unopposed, declares candidacy for presidency of Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) 13) Text of Ozawa's policy statement to the press 14) Senior agricultural vice minister visits Taiwan, meets Pres. Chen 15) Japan, ROK agree to start joint surveys next month in waters around disputed Takeshima isles 16) Crooked company Mitsutoyo may have exported illegal goods to the United States, as well 17) Prime minister, foreign minister will both skip the UN General Assembly opening Articles: 1) TOP HEADLINES Asahi: Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry to seek 10 billion yen in fines from bridge builders for rigging bids Mainichi & Sankei: US marks fifth anniversary of 9/11 Yomiuri: Poll: More than 70 percent of eligible LDP lawmakers support ABE in presidential race TOKYO 00005221 002 OF 010 Nihon Keizai: Internet TV broadcasts to set unified standard for Net distribution of digital TV programs Tokyo Shimbun: Abe pledges to revise Constitution in five years Akahata: International Conference of Asian Political Parties winds up after adopting declaration calling for permanent peace, prosperity 2) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1)LDP presidential debate heating up: Tanigaki merits appreciation for enthusiasm (2)Thorough earthquake-resistance measures needed for nuclear power plants Mainichi: (1)Anti-drunk-driving campaign: Introduce tougher measures (2)LDP presidential election: Focus in economic and fiscal policy should be on how to reduce debts Yomiuri: (1)Fully study right to collective self-defense (2)Reelection of Minshuto head Ozawa: Active policy debate needed Nihon Keizai: (1)Discussion on small government still insufficient (2)Further debate needed on labor agreement between Japan, the Philippines Sankei: (1)LDP presidential election: Specific arguments, explanations are not still enough (2)UNGA: Japan should continue to insist on reform Tokyo Shimbun: (1)Substance lacking in debate among candidates for LDP presidential election (2)Specific results should be presented at ASEM Akahata: (1)Drastic cuts in tax on large firms: Take the scalpel to vested interests 3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) Prime Minister's schedule, September 9, 10 & 11 NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) September 12, 2006 Sept. 9 (Local time) Night: Arrived at Scandic Continental Hotel at Helsinki, Finland, and stayed there. Sept. 10 Morning: Attended a summit meeting at Helsinki Fair Center of Asian participants in the ASEM Summit Conference. TOKYO 00005221 003 OF 010 Visited the underground shelter in Helsinki. Afternoon: Attended the opening ceremony of the ASEM Summit Conference held at Helsinki Fair Center. Had the photo-taking occasion. Attended the 1st meeting. Evening: Met with Spanish President Zapatero. Night: Joined a working dinner held at the presidential office. Arrived at Sandic Continental Hotel and stayed there. Sept. 11 Morning: Met with Vietnamese Dung. Attended the 2nd meeting. Noon: Had a working lunch. Afternoon: Attended the 3rd and 4th meetings, and the closing ceremony. Night: Held a press conference with Japanese and foreign reporters at Scandic Continental Hotel. 4) Poll: ABE gets support from over 70 percent in LDP race YOMIURI (Top play) (Abridged) September 12, 2006 Chief Cabinet Secretary ABE is now certain to garner 288 votes or more than 70 percent of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's 403 lawmakers in the party's presidential election slated for Sept. 20, the Yomiuri Shimbun found yesterday from its recent poll. In addition, more than 60 percent of the LDP's nonparliamentary members across the nation support Abe, according to findings from another Yomiuri Shimbun poll conducted over the telephone. Based on this finding, ABE is expected to win more than 75 percent of the party's 300 nonparliamentary votes. Consequently, ABE is sure to take office with an overwhelming victory in the first ballot scheduled for Sept. ¶20. Two other running candidates, Foreign Minister Aso and Finance Minister Tanigaki, are even in the race with parliamentary and nonparliamentary votes expected for them. Their duel for second place is now heating up in an aim to keep up their intraparty clouts after the election. The trends of support among the LDP's lawmakers are based on interviews with them in person or with their staffs. In the party, Abe ensured support from 288 lawmakers or 71.5 percent, Aso from 44 lawmakers or 10.9 percent, and Tanigaki from 42 lawmakers or 10.4 percent. There were 29 undecided lawmakers. Abe is an LDP lawmaker from the 86-member Mori faction. Aso is from the 11-member Kono faction, and Tanigaki chairs his own 15-member faction. The three are endorsed by all of their respective factions. Among four other factions, the 15-member Nikai faction will cast all of its votes for Abe. The Niwa-Koga faction has a total of 50 members, and about 10 of them are standing behind Aso or Tanigaki. In addition, some of the 32-member Ibuki faction and the 15-member Komura faction will back either Aso or Tanigaki. The Tsushima faction, which has 75 lawmakers, will independently cast its votes, with more than 40 of them having made up their minds to vote for ABE and with about 10 each supporting either Aso or Tanigaki. However, many of the Tsushima faction, including those TOKYO 00005221 004 OF 010 holding seats in the House of Councillors, remain undecided. Accordingly, there is room for each of the three candidates to gain more support from within the Tsushima faction. The 36-member Yamasaki faction will also independently cast its votes, with more than 20 of them having clarified their support for Abe. In the Yamasaki faction, however, more than 10 lawmakers are backing Tanigaki. The LDP also has 68 unaffiliated lawmakers, and about 50 of them support Abe. However, Aso has ensured support from more than 10 of those unaffiliated lawmakers. In the meantime, the LDP's nonparliamentary members were surveyed over the telephone on Sept. 8-10. Answers were obtained from 717 of the party's local bloc members across the nation. In this survey, 62.8 percent supported Abe, up 6.3 percentage points from a previous survey taken in June. Aso stood at 13.7 percent, up 11.4 points, and Tanigaki at 13.5 percent, up 11.7 points. 5) ABE having unexpected trouble extending support? Fewer than 50 percent of LDP members have clearly expressed support TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) September 12, 2006 The Joint Election Campaign Headquarters (JECH led by Hakuo Yanagisawa),which supports Chief Cabinet Secretary ABE in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential race, has calculated the votes of party members. The tally found that those who have replied that they definitely support ABE stood at less than 50 percent. The dominant view is that ABE will garner more than 70 percent of votes both from lawmakers and party members. However, support for him among party members appears to be flat at the present stage. JECH survey According to several senior JECH members, the ABE camp carried out a telephone survey of approximately 1.07 million LDP members. It solicited support for ABE from about 774,000 members over the phone as of Sept. 10. Of that number, approximately 377,000 clearly expressed their support for Abe, about 49 percent of all members. The JECH intends to continue its efforts to secure further support for Abe, with executive director Toshiaki Amari noting, "We must work harder so that support for ABE will grow more than the expected level." 6) ABE reveals during LDP presidential debate his intention to revise Constitution within five years MAINICHI (Page 1) (Excerpts) September 12, 2006 Chief Cabinet Secretary SHINZO Abe, Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, and Foreign Minister Taro Aso, who have declared their candidacy for the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election, yesterday attended an LDP presidential debate hosted by the Japan National Press Club. ABE revealed his intention of aiming for constitutional revision within five years, noting: "I must consider a time span of five years or so. Frontloading that timeline will also be an option." Regarding a visit to Yasukuni Shrine, ABE TOKYO 00005221 005 OF 010 indicated that he would not characterize any possible future visits as "official ones," saying, "Even if I visit the shrine, I will not do so in an official capacity." 7) 3 LDP candidates suggest need to study collective defense YOMIURI (Page 1) (Excerpt) September 12, 2006 Three candidates running in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election-Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, Finance Minister Tanigaki, and Foreign Minister Aso-held an open debate yesterday at the Japan National Press Club at Uchisaiwaicho, Tokyo. In the debate, the three touched on Japan's self-imposed prohibitions against the right of collective self-defense in conformity with the government's constitutional interpretation. "Japan will have to make efforts to ensure equality in the Japan-US alliance," ABE said. "I wonder if we're not allowed even to make efforts to discuss or study what has been prohibited so far," ABE added. Aso also said, "We should think of making it possible for Japan to exercise the right of collective self-defense under appropriate conditions." Meanwhile, Tanigaki has been taking the position that the Constitution should be amended in order for Japan to be allowed to participate in collective defense. He said, "I won't rule out the necessity of discussing and studying this matter." With these remarks, the three candidates admitted to the necessity of going ahead with case studies for Japan's possible participation in collective defense. 8) LDP presidential debate: "Iraq war has left major source of trouble in future," Tanigaki says; Abe, Aso stress their position of supporting US TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) September 12, 2006 An open Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential debate held yesterday, the fifth anniversary of 9/11, took up the Iraq war. Abe supported the US strike on Iraq, noting: "The US made a mistake in terms of intelligence. However, its use of force was right. Iraq was given an opportunity to prove that it had no weapons of mass destruction (WMD),but it did not." Abe maintained that the Japanese government's decision to support the US was also correct, saying, "Japan supported the US with the UN resolution seeking the abolition of WMD and cooperation for inspections from Iraq and the Japan-US alliance in mind. There was a rational reason for the decision." Foreign Minister Aso aligned himself with Abe, saying, "We must not forget that Iraq had ignored UN resolutions for 12 years." He also pointed out, "If the Bush administration made any mistake, it would be in falling short of thoroughly working out a postwar occupation policy." Finance Minister Tanigaki drew a distinction with ABE and Aso, saying, "With the benefit of hindsight, the US has left open a major source of trouble in the future in terms of its failure to prove the presence of WMD." TOKYO 00005221 006 OF 010 9) Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe: Was not a mistake to use force against Iraq YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) September 12, 2006 At a panel discussion yesterday at the Japan National Press Club, Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe, Finance Minister Tanigaki, and Foreign Minister Aso made clear their evaluations of the Iraq war. On the question of the United States' inability to come up with the evidence that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and had links to Al Qaeda, ABE stated: "The United States might have made some mistake in gathering and analyzing information, but it was not a mistake to use force against (Iraq). It was rational to suspect Iraq (might have possessed weapons of mass destruction)." Following Abe, Aso stated, "When it comes to US policies to control and occupy Iraq after the war, the finale was weak." He added, however: "The country held an open election and properly elected representatives." In contrast, Tanigaki stated: "The failure to come up with evidence showing the existence of weapons of mass destruction became a source of trouble in the future." 10) Prime Minister Koizumi voices support for ensuring that people get a second chance SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) September 12, 2006 Ruhi Ahiru, Helsinki At a press briefing on the night of Sept. 11 (early Sept. 12, Japan time),Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi implied that he would give strong backing to Chief Cabinet Secretary SHINZO Abe's idea of helping those who have failed to try again, saying: "Japan has among the lowest social disparities in the world. Japan needs to create a system that will give those who fail a chance to try again." Asked about the selection of cabinet members and the Liberal Democratic Party executives by the new prime minister, Koizumi reiterated: "After listening to views from a number of people, the new prime minister must choose them himself." On the question of the nation's strained relations with China and South Korea, Koizumi said, "In dealing with North Korean issues, we have worked together, and we will continue to do so," but he added: "It's not me who has insisted that no summit meeting be held because both sides are in disagreement on one subject. Which side do you think is wrong?" He thus again criticized China and South Korea, both of which have refused to meet with Koizumi because of his visits to Yasukuni Shrine. 11) Fuyushiba to join new cabinet; ABE to accept New Komeito's recommendation MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) September 12, 2006 The New Komeito has decided to recommend Secretary General Tetsuzo Fuyushiba as a successor to outgoing Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kazuo Kitagawa in a new cabinet to be launched TOKYO 00005221 007 OF 010 after the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential race. Kitagawa has informally been appointed to take office as secretary general. Chief Cabinet Secretary SHINZO Abe, who is certain to be elected as the next prime minister, will likely accept the recommendation. Fuyushiba has spearheaded coordination within the ruling camp along with party head Takenori Kanzaki, who is to step down at the party convention on Sept. 30. Since a new lineup led by Acting Secretary General Akihiro Ota will start after the convention, the New Komeito has made this decision in hopes of Fuyushiba, who has a solid channel with the LDP, acting as a coordinator in the coalition. The New Komeito is assuming Fuyushiba will be given a key portfolio, such as minister of internal affairs and communications or minister or land, infrastructure and transport. 12) Ozawa announces candidacy for Minshuto presidential race; reelection certain YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) September 12, 2006 Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) President Ichiro Ozawa, holding a press conference yesterday, officially announced his candidacy for the party presidential election (to be officially announced today) and unveiled his basic visions and policies. Ozawa's reelection will become certain this afternoon, as no other candidates are expected to join the race. Criticizing the LDP for what he called "the politics of demagoguery," Ozawa declared that he would pursue "the politics of common sense" based on the ideals of coexistence and fairness. Ozawa played up his adversarial stance against Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, who is certain to become the next prime minister. Elimination of disparity was set as top priority. Ozawa also explained that the consumption tax rate could be kept at 5 percent for the time being by turning the consumption tax into a welfare tax and implementing drastic administrative reforms, such as abolishing subsidies. 13) Ozawa's basic principles and policies ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) September 12, 2006 The following are the main points of Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) President Ichiro Ozawa's basic principles and policies Basic principles Transform Japan into a fair country that is based on logic. Correcting social disparities will be the top priority for Minshuto politics. Japan is at heightened risk due to a rise of extreme and biased "demagogic politics." Turn Japan into a normal country by conducting "common-sense politics." Educational reform Establish a Japan basic education law. The state will be held responsible for compulsory education. Expand the period of compulsory education to begin at age 5 and continue through middle and high school and provide preschool education free of charge. TOKYO 00005221 008 OF 010 Correcting disparities Provide childrearing allowances to families with children and parental allowances to families with elderly parents living with them. Promote a shift from nonpermanent employment to permanent employment and establish a basic rule of providing equal wages to permanent and nonpermanent workers. Apply the rule of free competition to the management and lifelong employment to non-supervisory workers. Integrate pension programs into one composed of a consumption tax-financed part (60,000 yen a month) and an income-based portion. Maintain the current level of the burden for insurance premiums. Convert the consumption tax into a welfare tax. Put a cap on pension benefits to high-income earners. Food safety and ensuring peace of mind Establish a food self-sufficiency system to produce comestibles that can meet the necessary minimum calories. Establish an individual income compensation system to pay to growers the differences between the production costs and the market prices of key farm products. Decentralization Abolish separate subsidies and provide local governments with subsidies in a lump sum. Integrate municipalities into about 300 basic local governments. Diplomacy and national security Conclude a free trade agreement with the United States at an early date to establish a true Japan-US alliance. Make every effort to build relations of trust with Asian countries, including China and South Korea. Japan is allowed to exercise its individual or collective self-defense right only when it is faced with imminent and unjust aggression. The country will not use force in other cases. Actively participate in UN-centered peace operations in compliance with UN requests. Political reform Bureaucrats are not allowed to join Diet deliberations. Abolish the council of administrative vice-ministers and let the council of senior vice-ministers to undertake coordination in the government. Speedily correct flaws in the legal system to prevent extralegal measures. 14) Senior vice agricultural minister visited Taiwan in August and held talks with President Chen and others YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) September 12, 2006 Toshinao Ishii, Taipei Senior Vice Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi visited Taiwan in August and held talks with President Chen Shui-bian, Minister of the Council of Agriculture Su Jia-chyuan chuan, and others, sources familiar with Japan-Taiwan relations revealed yesterday. The Miyakoshi side explained that it was a private visit. The Japanese government has voluntarily restricted visits to Taiwan by senior government officials since Tokyo severed TOKYO 00005221 009 OF 010 diplomatic ties to Taipei in 1972. It was unprecedented for an incumbent senior vice minister to visit Taiwan to hold talks with Taiwanese leaders. Miyakoshi made a three-day visit to Taiwan in mid-August. "He visited Taiwan not as senior vice minister but as a private citizen to see his friends and others in Taiwan," an official with the Miyakoshi office explained. Japan and Taiwan have been at odds over marine interests in waters around the Senkaku Islands, known as Tiaoyutai in Taiwan, in the East China Sea. Miyakoshi exchanged views with Su and others in his private capacity, according to a Taiwan source. In the past, a senior vice minister for economy and trade made a personal visit to Taiwan to attend the funeral of a Taipei Economy and Cultural Office representative. But no senior Japanese official has held talks with Taiwan leaders. 15) Japan, ROK agree to conduct joint radiation survey in six spots around Takeshima/Dokdo next month TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Full) September 12, 2006 The Japanese and South Korean governments yesterday announced that they agreed to conduct sometime in October a joint radiation survey in six spots, including the waters around Takeshima, a group of islets claimed by both countries. The joint survey will be carried out in three points of the water area where the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) claimed by both countries overlap, as well as in three points within Japan's EEZ. Japan has conducted the survey of the three points of the overlapped EEZs since 1994. As for the three spots within Japan's EEZ, South Korea insisted, "They need to be surveyed now." Responding to this request, those three locations have now been added to the joint survey. Japanese and South Korean research ships will jointly survey each location and exchange data obtained in the survey. Both countries' researchers will get aboard each research ship. Japan's Administrative Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi told the press yesterday: "We're not saying we will continue the joint survey next year or after. We'd like to speed up the process of negotiations on the demarcation of the EEZs, as well as on a temporary framework that includes a prior notification system." The two countries jointly conducted a radiation survey in 1994 and 1995, and since 1996, Japan has conducted the survey independently. This year, too, Japan had a plan to conduct a similar survey independently, but the plan met with objections from South Korea because the waters around Takeshima were included in the planned survey. So both sides continued negotiations. 16) Mitutoyo also suspected of nuclear trafficking to US; US to exchange information with Japan on missing instruments SANKEI (Page 31) (Excerpts) September 12, 2006 TOKYO 00005221 010 OF 010 In connection with Mitutoyo's illegal exports (to China and Thailand discovered this February),the company is now suspected of also illegally exporting to its subsidiary in the US under a package export-permission system over the last decade more than 40 percent of the about 4,000 three-dimensional instruments that could be used in producing nuclear weapons. According to the Metropolitan Police Board's Public Safety Department, many of the instruments are missing. Fearing that the equipment might have made its way to countries suspected of developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the US has asked Japan for the state of progress in its investigation into the case. Japanese police intend to exchange information with US authorities. Under the package permission system, case-by-case screening is exempted with the aim of lightening the burden on corporations. The system is applied on the conditions that the instruments are not precision instruments and that their export destinations are not countries suspected of developing WMD. Exporters are required to renew the permission once every three years. Mitutoyo started exporting the three-dimentional instruments in full swing in 1995 and received package permission from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) in February 1996. According to the Public Safety Department, over the past decade, Mitutoyo exported about 10,000 instruments, and about 4,000 units, about 40 percent of the total, were found to have been illegally exported. Of the about 10,000 units, the company shipped approximately 4,000 units to its subsidiary in the US. The department suspects that though at least 40 percent of them, or more than 1,600 units were high-precision equipment, the company exported them under the package-permission system. According to a senior police officer, some of the instruments brought into the US have been found missing, so US investigation authorities fear that the equipment might have been sent to countries suspected of developing WMD via third countries. 17) Prime Minister, Foreign Minister to skip UN general assembly MAINICHI (Page 2) (Excerpt) September 12, 2006 It is now likely that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Foreign Minister Taro Aso will both skip delivering a speech at the 61st United Nations General Assembly in New York starting on Sept. 19. The reason is that the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election and party executive and cabinet appointments are scheduled for Sept. 20. It is only three times since Japan joined the UN in 1956 that neither a Japanese prime minister nor a foreign minister gave a speech at an annual UN assembly, including a case in which the Showa Emperor fell sick in 1988 and another case in which the assembly was delayed to November due to the terrorist attacks on the US on Sept. 11, coinciding with the extraordinary Diet session. In the case of Aso, if he leaves Japan on the morning of the 21st, he would be able to make it. But he is reluctant to do so, citing his candidacy. Even if he is defeated in the election, there is the possibility of his being appointed for a key party executive or cabinet post, so attending the UN assembly seems difficult. SCHIEFFER