PRIME MINISTER ABE'S UPCOMING TRIP TO BEIJING AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 005822 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: REUNIFICATION OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA TAGS: PREL PGOV OVIP CH KN KS JA SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTER ABE'S UPCOMING TRIP TO BEIJING AND SEOUL Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Joe Donovan. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) Summary. Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo did not make a second, secret trip to Japan to arrange Prime Minister Abe's trip to Beijing, as reported in the press, MOFA Asian Affairs DG Sasae told Political Minister Counselor Meserve on October 5. Instead, a last-minute breakthrough was brokered by Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wang Yi and Vice Minister Yachi after both sides agreed to shelve the Yasukuni issue. Discussions will be substantive, Sasae said. Abe's top priority in both capitals will be North Korea. Other topics would include East Asia cooperation, restarting Japan-South Korea-China trilateral cooperation, UN reform and Security Council issues, the East China Sea and incursions by research vessels in the Japan Sea. Conceding that one trip will not be enough to resolve outstanding issues, Sasae said Japan is hoping to confirm that there is the positive, political will in both Beijing and Seoul to make forward progress. Sasae's denial of a secret Dai trip notwithstanding, the Embassy continues to hear reports to the contrary. End Summary. ¶2. (C) MOFA Asian and Oceanian Bureau Director General Kenichiro Sasae discussed Prime Minister SHINZO Abe's upcoming trip to Beijing and Seoul with Political Minister Counselor Meserve on October 5. According to Sasae, newspaper articles about Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo making a second, secret trip to Japan to arrange the trip are false and "ridiculous." Instead, a last-minute breakthrough in scheduling had been brokered by Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wang Yi and Vice Minister Shotaro Yachi after both sides agreed to temporarily shelve the Yasukuni issue. Japan's Four Objectives - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (C) With the trip coming on the heels of North Korea's announcement that it will test a nuclear device, Sasae predicted that the leaders will discuss substantive topics and outlined Japan's four objectives. First, Japan would like to open new avenues of communication, and not focus on history. Second, Japan would like to build a relationship of trust between the two leaders and the two governments. Third, Japan hopes to open new dimensions in the relationship and create a mutually beneficial economic and political relationship. Prime Minister ABE will have to confirm his perception of history but Sasae expressed confidence that he would follow through on the commitments made by past Japanese leaders. ¶4. (C) Finally, Japan would like to explore areas of common interest and confirm that the political will exists to move forward. The top priority will be North Korea. In Beijing, Abe will try to impress upon the Chinese that now is the time to use its leverage. Sasae hoped that a UNSC President's Statement would be in place before ABE travels. In addition, Sasae expected that the leaders would discuss East Asia cooperation, restarting Japan-South Korea-China trilateral cooperation, UN reform and Security Council issues, the East China Sea and incursions by research vessels in the Japan Sea. In Seoul, ABE will likely officially announce Japan's support of Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon's candidacy for UN Secretary General. Sasae conceded that that one trip will SIPDIS not be enough to resolve the outstanding issues but Japan is hoping to confirm that there is the positive, political will in both countries to make forward progress. ¶5. (C) Mrs. ABE will accompany the Prime Minister to Beijing and Seoul and, given her interest in Korean culture and her ability to speak some Korean, Sasae predicted she would have an enormously positive impact on the Prime Minister's reception. Sasae noted that Mrs. ABE will have an opportunity to interact with Korean celebrities and may even speak some Korean. Both Ambassador Wang and Sasae plan to attend the meetings in Beijing. TOKYO 00005822 002 OF 002 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Senior LDP Leader and Vice Minister Say ABE Agreed Not to Visit Yasukuni - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (C) Despite Sasae's firm assurances that there had been no second, secret Dai Bingguo trip and no concessions to China on Yasukuni visits, Cabinet Office Senior Vice Minister and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) veteran Diet member Katsuei Hirasawa told Meserve on October 5 (septel) that he was positive Dai had met Yachi a second time and that Yachi had made a commitment that ABE would not visit Yasukuni. Hirasawa, who said he had talked with PRC Ambassador to Japan Wang the day before, claimed that China believed they had an understanding on the basis of the Dai-Yachi meetings that ABE would not visit Yasukuni. Hirasawa claimed ABE deeply mistrusts Foreign Ministry senior officials, with the exception of Yachi, with whom he has had a close relationship. According to Hirasawa, ABE had used Yachi to convey a secret message to the PRC that he would not visit Yasukuni, a message that had purposely not been shared with others in the Foreign Ministry. Hirasawa speculated that if the Yasukuni agreement became public, Yachi would take responsibility for exceeding his authority and ABE would have plausible deniability. DONOVAN