DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 09/19/06

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 TOKYO 005357 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 09/19/06 INDEX: (1) LDP presidential election tomorrow; Mounting bills carried over from previous session await extra Diet session; Social Insurance Agency bill may wait until next year (2) Whether new administration continues Koizumi reform line depends on lineup of economic ministers (3) ABE eyes having five prime ministerial assistants (4) Japan will come up with own proposal for developing countries' CO2 reductions at upcoming UNCCC-Nairobi (5) Underground storage of CO2: Master card for greenhouse gas emission reduction ARTICLES: (1) LDP presidential election tomorrow; Mounting bills carried over from previous session await extra Diet session; Social Insurance Agency bill may wait until next year NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Abridged) September 19, 2006 The Liberal Democratic lawmakers and local rank-and-file LDP members will determine the 21st LDP president tomorrow to replace Junichiro Koizumi, who is also prime minister. With Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe's commanding lead over Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki and Foreign Minister Taro Aso remaining unshakable, the focus is now how far ABE will be able to outdistance the runner-up. Heated debate with Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) is expected in the next extraordinary Diet session, scheduled to open on Sept. 26, to handle many important bills that have been carried over from the previous Diet session. A new lineup of the three top LDP executives is likely to be determined by Sept. 25. Immediately after the extraordinary Diet session opens on Sept. 26 to run for 81 days, chances are that the new LDP president will be designated as new prime minister and that he will launch a new cabinet later the same day. The ruling coalition plans to conduct question-and-answer sessions in both houses of the Diet for three days starting on Oct. 2 following a policy speech by the new prime minister on Sept. 29. Minshuto President Ichiro Ozawa is expected to take the Diet floor to question the new prime minister's views of the state centering on his Asia policy. This will be the first time for Ozawa since February 2003, when he was serving as head of the now-defunct Liberal Party. Ozawa also intends to propose a party-head debate for Oct. 18, days before the Oct. 22 Lower House by-elections, to lock horns with Abe. Extending the Antiterrorism Law a top priority Extending the term of the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, which is to expire on Nov. 1, for one year is a top priority for the ruling coalition. The Minshuto is expected to question the appropriateness of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling activities in the Indian Ocean, which have been underway regardless of declining demand and high oil prices. In tandem with the antiterrorism legislation, the ruling camp plans to begin deliberations on other important bills, including a bill to TOKYO 00005357 002 OF 006 amend the Basic Education Law, Abe's top priority. The Minshuto thinks an education reform bill requires deliberations lasting a year or two. Conspiracy legislation another priority The ruling camp will also aim for the speedy enactment of a bill amending the Organized Crime Punishment Law to create a new charge of conspiracy so as not to allow it to have any adverse effects on the unified local elections and the Upper House election next year. Abe also intends to craft a set of new bills to reform the Social Insurance Agency, which has drawn fire from the general public due to its lenient punishment of its employees over the pension due exemption scandal. But the government and the ruling coalition may not be able to map out bills until next year's regular Diet session because such work is time consuming. (2) Whether new administration continues Koizumi reform line depends on lineup of economic ministers NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) September 18, 2006 Now that Chief Cabinet Secretary SHINZO ABE is viewed as a shoo-in in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, attention is being focused on who will be appointed for such key posts as Policy Research Council chairman and economic ministers. The Koizumi administration paved the way for economic revival by pursuing structural reforms over five years and a half. Will the new administration continue the Koizumi reform line? The new economic team also could affect the life span of the new administration. Weight to be added to LDP Policy Research Council chairmanship "Should Policy Research Council Chairman Hidenao Nakagawa be appointed to be secretary general, who will assume his current post?" This question has been raised not only in government and ruling party circles but also among market players. The government's Council on Economic Fiscal Policy once had the lead in mapping out guidelines for economic management, including the budget for next fiscal year. But Nakagawa took back that leadership from the Koizumi government and demonstrated his own influence as the party's Policy Research Council chairman. The possibility is now surfacing that Nakagawa might be appointed secretary general, but the post of Policy Research Council chairman is likely to retain its importance in the new administration. Both the political administration and the ruling parties are responsible for managing economic affairs in Japan, so some have suggested that the one who holds the post of Policy Research Council chairman should also assume an economic portfolio in the cabinet. The aim is to avoid a struggle between the Kantei and the LDP over policymaking. ABE proposed allowing vice ministers in each government agency take the chairmanships of departments in the LDP Policy Research Council. Under such a situation, attention is being paid to who will become the economic ministers in the new administration, such as finance minister, state minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy, and the economy, trade and industry minister. Heizo Takenaka, minister of internal affairs, has supported Prime TOKYO 00005357 003 OF 006 Minister Junichiro Koizumi as the control power for economic management. But there is no such person around Abe. State Minister in Charge of Economic, Fiscal and Financial Policy Kaoru Yosano, who was at loggerheads with Takenaka, and LDP's Tax System Research Commission Hakuo Yanagisawa have been named as candidates for such economic posts. Yosano is now in charge of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy in place of Takenaka. He has often clashed head-on with Takenaka, who has criticized Yosano's stance as tilting toward the Finance Ministry. Yanagisawa, who heads the election campaign headquarters for Abe, was also at loggerheads with Takenaka, who insisted on a hard landing for the disposal of financial institutions' non-performing loans. As a result, Yanagisawa, who was serving as financial services minister, left the Koizumi cabinet in 2002. Some persons attribute Takenaka's sudden resignation as a Diet member to the emergence of the possibility that Yosano and Yanagisawa were likely to become economic ministers in the next administration. Vice Foreign Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki, who is close to ABE and used to be a Bank of Japan official, is another candidate for an economic portfolio. In the Diet session in 1998, in which the focus of deliberations was on banking issues, he took part in the process of drafting bills as one of the new breed of lawmakers specialized in making financial policy. He is well versed in both banking regulations and policies. Since he is also an expert on judicial affairs, he will surely be helpful in effectively managing the nation's economy, which has become more and more complicated. Some observers anticipate that Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshihiro Nikai may stay on. He contributed to underscoring the revival of METI, which had been dubbed as a declining government ministry, and also took the lead in drawing up a new strategy to push up the economy. Many ministry officials expect Nikai to retain the current post. LDP Research Commission on Highways Chairman Nobuteru Ishihara, whose name has been cited as a candidate for the post of chief cabinet secretary, and former foreign minister Nobutaka Machimura are also among candidates for economic ministerships. Some observers think that a person who is named as a candidate for the post of chief cabinet secretary but fails to fill the post may be appointed as an economic minister. Besides, some persons recommend Deputy Policy Research Council Chairman Toshiaki Amari, who has clearly expressed support for ABE in the presidential race, for an economic portfolio. Coordination on the lineup of economic ministers is likely to continue until the last moment. (3) ABE eyes having five prime ministerial assistants MAINICHI (Page 5) (Abridged) September 16, 2006 The National Congress on 21st Century Japan composed of experts (chaired by former University of Tokyo President Takeshi Sasaki) held a forum yesterday at a Tokyo hotel to promote a policy-oriented LDP presidential race, with Chief Cabinet Secretary SHINZO Abe, Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, and Foreign Minister Taro Aso attending. TOKYO 00005357 004 OF 006 In the session, ABE proposed having five prime ministerial assistants, the maximum number allowed under the Cabinet Law, with each one responsible for a separate area such as foreign and security affairs, "second chance" programs, and education. He would increase the number of deputy chief cabinet secretaries for parliamentary affairs, which is now set at two. ABE also proposed establishing a Japan-style National Security Council. With strong local opposition in mind, ABE indicated that submitting a decentralization promotion bill to the extraordinary Diet session, scheduled to open on Sept. 26, would be difficult. ABE also expressed eagerness to revise the Public Offices Election Law to meet the needs of the times by allowing candidates running in local elections to distribute policy manifestos and use the Internet as part of their campaigning. He also revealed a plan to let senior vice ministers double as heads of party policy research council departments to realize decision making at the initiative of politicians. (4) Japan will come up with own proposal for developing countries' CO2 reductions at upcoming UNCCC-Nairobi MAINICHI (Page 3) (Full) September 19, 2006 Takeshi Yamamoto The second meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP2) are due to take place in Kenya in November. The meeting is likely to focus on future targets for emission reductions in 2013 and later, an item not covered by the Kyoto Protocol. Ahead of this meeting, the Japanese government decided to propose that the upper limits of carbon dioxide emissions be changed in proportion to the population of a country and the gross domestic product (GDP). By setting a rule that is easy for developing countries to accept, such as China, a country with a growing economy, Japan aims to get as many countries as possible to take part in the framework for greenhouse gas emissions control. The proposal is likely to make a pitch for several countries that are already willing to participate in the framework in 2013 or later to become more positive about it. But negotiations are likely to run into difficulties, given that the United States and many of the developing countries are highly wary of the proposal, arguing, "It will disturb economic growth." There is a prediction that 62 percent of carbon dioxide emitted by countries on the globe by 2050 will be countries other than industrialized ones (or nonmembers of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). But most of the countries obligated to reduce emissions at present are industrialized countries. Given this situation, the Japanese government pointed out in a written statement submitted late last month to the secretariat of the COP/MOP2: "It is necessary for developing countries to address emission reductions." In the statement, Japan also asserted that in addition to the current framework that sets the country-by-country upper limit of the total carbon dioxide emissions, such steps as controlling the efficiency of energy use as well as restricting the per capita emission of carbon dioxide or emissions based on GDP TOKYO 00005357 005 OF 006 should be taken in order to reduce emissions. A senior official at the Environment Ministry said: "If those measures were taken, even though the total emissions of carbon dioxide may increase, making efforts to reduce emissions by improving the energy efficiency would become possible. Countries whose population or GDP tends to rise would find it easy to join the protocol." The statement also calls for extending the first commitment period (2008-2012) requiring each member country to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide from the current five years to a longer period so that measures should be implemented from a longer point of view. The statement also pointed out the need for punishments if the obligation for emission cuts was not observed. (5) Underground storage of CO2: Master card for greenhouse gas emission reduction MAINICHI (Page 3) (Excerpts) September 19, 2006 Two trillion tons of CO2 can be stored across the world; Hopes pinned on arresting global warming The Environment Ministry has begun looking into the possibility of introducing a carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) system, meaning containing carbon dioxide (CO2),a greenhouse gas, underground, including the sub-seafloor structure. Hopes are being pinned on this system as the master card for extensively reducing CO2. This technology is drawing attention, because locations used for this purpose are abundant in the world. According to a special report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),submitted to the first meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol late last year, it is possible to store at least 2 trillion tons of CO2 in the world under this system. This is the amount of emissions equivalent 70 to 80 years worth of emissions in terms of the current emission level (approximately 24 billion tons a year). Some NGO-related sources even said, "It will not be possible to prevent global warming without applying this method." The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) projected that Japan has the capability of storing 5.2 to 150 billion tons of CO2. CO2 emissions in Japan in fiscal 2004 were about 1.355 billion tons. The Kyoto Protocol designed to prevent global warming mandates parties to the pact to cut CO2 emissions, but it does not give much consideration to how to store it. With calls for acknowledging the CCS as a portion of CO2 emissions reduced by the international community gaining grounds, authorizing the CCS is beginning to become a trend. Impact on environment unclear; concern about leakage The concern about the CCS system is whether there is the possibility of contained CO2 leaking. The IPCC report does not assure that there is no possibility of leakage, noting that the probability of the CO2 stored and controlled underground at properly selected locations not leaking in TOKYO 00005357 006 OF 006 100 years' time is 90-99 percent. Even if a leakage probability were 1 percent, if 2 trillion tons of CO2 are stored, leakage from there would reach 20 billion tons. Atsushi Ishii, an associate professor of science, technology and sociology, noted, "Nobody knows how much contained CO2 will leak." Environment Minister Yuriko Koike inquired the Central Environment Council of the propriety of dumping CO2 in the sub-seafloor structure. Ishii pointed out the difficulty of assessing such a risk: "We do not know the eco-system of the deep sea-floor itself. There is concern that if CO2 contained there should leak, acidified seawater containing melted CO2, acid substance, or an increased level of CO2 in seawater might have a grave impact on the environment." There is also concern about possible earthquakes in Japan. The authentication test being carried out in Niigata Prefecture showed no problem about leakage even after the Chuetsu Earthquake in October 2004. However, the full-fledged introduction of the system will require caution. Enormous costs: Energy conservation is royal road to reduce CO2. Another issue is the cost. Realizing the CCS requires the costs of constructing related facilities and transporting the material. METI has estimated that such a cost would be 5,000 to more than 10,000 yen per ton, if those costs are taken into account. It could be nearly seven times higher than the cost needed by foreign countries. METI said that in order to disseminate the CCS system, it is necessary to lower the cost to around 3,000 yen per ton. There is also concern that if a large amount of funds is injected in the CCS, funds to cover energy-conserving measures might be slashed. The advantage of the CCS is that in oil fields, where oil and natural gas reserves are decreasing, more oil could be obtained, by injecting CO2. The development of this technology is now under way. The US is one of the countries that are most enthusiastic about developing this technology. It has vast stretches of strata that can store CO2, such as oil fields, gas fields and coal seams. It also has networks of pipelines to transport CO2, allowing the realization of the CCS system at low costs. Some sources involved in the process of mapping out measures to arrest global warming said: "If the Kyoto Protocol acknowledges the portion of CO2 stored underground as amounts reduced and grants the carbon emissions trading right to the countries that have contained CO2 in such a way so that they can buy and gain or trade emission rights to offset reduction costs, the US might join the pact." SCHIEFFER