MEDIA REACTION Q APEC SUMMIT - TOKYO

UNCLAS TOKYO 006607 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION Q APEC SUMMIT - TOKYO LEAD STORIES: All six Monday morning papers gave top play to the victory of LDP-backed former Gov. Nakaima in Sunday's Okinawa gubernatorial election. ¶1. "Japan's Called on To Lead Asia Economic Cooperation" The top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri editorialized (11/20): "The APEC summit in Hanoi has come to a close. The declaration issued at the forum specified plans to study a US proposal for a Free Trade Area of the Asia- Pacific (FTAAP) and report the results at next year's APEC summit in Australia. Early realization of an FTAAP, however, will be difficult given the different political systems and economic circumstances of APEC members and the sense of wariness in the region toward the US. The region represents a huge market, though, accounting for about 60 percent of global GDP and 40 percent of the world's population. From the perspective of creating open regional cooperation, it would be meaningful for Japan to explore the possibility of an FTAAP. The US made the proposal out of concern over moves by Japan and China to create frameworks for free trade that exclude the US.... The APEC summit declaration also stressed the importance of the Doha Round of WTO multilateral trade negotiations, which collapsed this summer. Japan should play a leading role in restarting the stalemated Doha Round at an early date." ¶2. "Creating an Effective Policy of Dialogue and Pressure" An editorial in the business-oriented Nihon Keizai commented (11/20): "Leaders from the US, Japan, and China met each other on the sidelines of the APEC summit held November 18-19 in Hanoi.... The US and Japan, which want to see specific results leading to North Korea's denuclearization, remain at odds with China, which is prioritizing a resumption of the six-party talks. PM Abe's meeting with Chinese President Hu underscored the fact that Japan-China relations have taken a turn for the better since his visit to Beijing last month. President Bush, meanwhile, pronounced US- China relations 'very good' after meeting with President Hu. For the first time, there is now an environment in which the three countries can work together closely to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear programs. We hope the US, Japan, and China will take this opportunity to adopt an effective approach combining dialogue and pressure to this end." SCHIEFFER