THE AMBASSADOR'S SEPTEMBER 19 LUNCH WITH VICE

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2026
TAGS: PREL MARR UNSC PGOV APEC EAGR IR JA
SUBJECT: THE AMBASSADOR'S SEPTEMBER 19 LUNCH WITH VICE
FOREIGN MINISTER YACHI

Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reason: 1.4 (b)(d).


1. (C) Summary: During a September 19 lunch, the Ambassador
and Vice Foreign Minister Yachi stated that Shinzo Abe is
likely to establish a council similar to the U.S. National
Security Council and will seek to reinterpret collective
self-defense to better assist the United States in missile
defense and maritime security, Yachi said. UNESCO
Secretary-General Kushiro Matsuura may decide to run for UN

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Secretary General, he confided. Yachi asked that Japan be

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included in future multilateral talks on Iran. On bilateral
issues, the Ambassador asked Japan to extend its
participation in Operation Enduring Freedom and called
Yachi's attention to the looming problem over genetically
modified rice flour in imported U.S. processed foods. End
summary.


2. (C) Over lunch with the Ambassador on September 19, Vice
Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi discussed a range of bilateral
and multilateral topics in light of Chief Cabinet Secretary
Shinzo Abe's elevation to Prime Minister. Prime Minister
Koizumi's cabinet is expected to resign the morning of
September 26; the new prime minister will immediately be
elected by the Diet and announce his cabinet that same day,
so there will be no leadership gap. Some top leadership
positions, including the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan
(LDP) secretary-general post, are likely to be decided on
September 25, according to press reports, Yachi noted.
Foreign Minister Taro Aso might stay in his current post or
be appointed LDP secretary-general, Yachi speculated,
depending in part on his showing in the LDP presidential
election. Yachi had strongly recommended that Aso attend the
UNGA meeting in New York from September 21-24 but Aso will
probably stay in Japan to tend to political obligations as
the new cabinet is formed. However, Yachi said he could not
rule out the possibility that Aso might reconsider a
September 21-23 visit to New York.


3. (C) The new Japanese prime minister hoped to meet the
President at the APEC Summit for lunch on November 18 or 19,
Yachi reported. The Ambassador said we wished for the first
meeting to be very special and to look different from an
ordinary bilateral meeting. Yachi said he had heard from the
National Security Council (NSC) that Mrs. Bush would also be
attending and he emphasized that, if elected, Abe could bring
his wife. In contrast to Koizumi, who is single, Mrs. Abe
will likely play an active role as wife of the prime
minister. (Note: Yachi remarked that Mrs. Abe has been very
involved in the abduction issue and is a big fan of Korean
movies.)

Abe's Vision for Japan
--------------


4. (C) When Abe becomes prime minister, he would like to
form an organization under the Kantei that resembles the U.S.
National Security Council (NSC),Yachi stated. This new
organization would include five assistants, chosen from among
politicians, to advise the prime minister. Yachi said he
would like to learn more about the NSC while in the United
States, and its relationship with the intelligence community.



5. (C) Yachi said that as prime minister, Abe would like to
reinterpret the constitution, but only to allow the right of
collective self-defense in order to better assist the United
States on missile defense and sea-lane security. It will not
be necessary to revise the constitution to do this, he
explained. Under the current interpretation, Japan cannot
legally shoot down a missile targeting the United States, or
assist a U.S. naval vessel that comes under attack, but Abe
wants to change that. North American Bureau Director General
Chikao Kawai, who accompanied Yachi, reiterated Japan's
interest in working closely with the United States to develop
an effective ballistic missile defense system.

US-Japan-Australia Strategic Dialogue
--------------


6. (C) Turning to the U.S.-Japan-Australia Strategic
Dialogue meeting, scheduled for October 20 in New York, Yachi

said that Japan would like to discuss North Korea,
intelligence sharing, humanitarian and natural disaster
concerns, the fight against terrorism, Afghanistan and
Central Asia. Yachi raised the possibility of holding a
separate four-country strategic dialogue to include India.
He said he knew it was not possible to add India to the
trilateral dialogue but said he would like to find an
alternative format. Another possibility would be to hold a
meeting at the foreign-minister level during the Asian
Regional Forum meeting. That said, India was apparently
skeptical about how to hold a four-country strategic dialogue
without appearing to be "encircling" China, Yachi said.

United Nations Issues
--------------


7. (C) Japan was still waiting for a response from the USG
on UNSC reform, Yachi observed. Turning to the upcoming
election of a new UN Secretary General, Yachi said UNESCO
Secretary-General Kushiro Matsuura may decide to run for the

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spot at the last minute, if no promising candidates emerge.
Matsuura, however, does not want his name coming up early, so
will put his name forward just two weeks before the election.
Japan would appreciate it if the United States supports his
candidacy, Yachi said. Yachi also asked the United States to
consider Japanese candidate Nobuo Tanaka for the Executive
Director position at the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Tanaka is the current director for science, technology, and
industry at the OECD, he reminded. Yachi also urged U.S.
support for Dr. Shigeru Omi as the new WHO Director-General.

Bilateral Issue
--------------


8. (C) Yachi noted that Japanese working-level officials
were moving forward on implementing USFJ transformation, but
that Okinawa's November gubernatorial election could
complicate things. On economic issues, Japan would be
willing to hold a low-key sub-cabinet meeting before APEC, if
needed to coordinate our approaches to this year's meeting,
particularly with regard to regional architecture. However,
energy issues and more general meetings should be addressed
after APEC so the new cabinet members can participate. If
two meetings must be held, the meeting after APEC should be
highlighted, he suggested.


9. (C) The law enabling Japan to participate in Operation
Enduring Freedom (OEF) is set to expire in November and the
Democratic Party of Japan will oppose its extension, Yachi
said. The government faces time constraints in trying to
renew it. The Ambassador emphasized that it is very
important for Japan to continue to participate in the war on
terror. Since Japan is no longer involved in humanitarian
activities in Iraq, Japan's new prime minister could face
criticism if Japan does not renew the law. Yachi replied
that Japan would like the United States to provide
information on how valuable Japan's contribution has been to
OEF in order to counter domestic criticism that the Japan
Maritime Self-Defense Force is merely a floating gas station
in the Indian Ocean. The Ambassador emphasized how difficult
it is to quantify the specific results of Japan's
contribution and highlighted the critical role that Japan has
played thus far. He said he would underscore Japan's
important role in OEF in his speech at the National Press
Club on October 19.

Iran
--------------


10. (C) Japan would like to be included in multilateral
talks on Iran, Yachi stressed, noting that Japan had not been
invited to the September 19 meeting in New York. Japan does
not want to be put in a position where multilateral forums on
Iran arrive at decisions without Japan's participation and
then "send the bill to Japan," he stated. Nonetheless, Japan
will continue to consult with the United States and the EU-3
on Iran issues. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation
(JBIC) will not provide government guarantees, insurance, or
credit to Japanese companies exploring in the Azadegan field.
This means the project will likely not go forward, Yachi
said. Iran is growing frustrated because even though Iran

has made concessions, Japanese companies will not sign
contracts with it because of the lack of GOJ guarantees.
Iran is prepared to negotiate until September 27 and
threatens to abandon the contracts if agreement is not
reached by then.

Rice Flour
--------------


11. (C) The Ambassador explained that the Ministry of Health
and Welfare is holding up hundreds of millions of dollars of
U.S. processed food shipments because they may contain trace
amounts of genetically modified rice flour. He noted that
USTR is very concerned that this could become a serious
problem, adding that Washington is nervous about requirements
to test processed food for rice flour because there is no
quick test to check for it and such a test would be very
expensive. Yachi and Director General Kawai said they were
not aware of this issue and promised to look into the matter.
SCHIEFFER