U/S BURNS MEETING WITH SPECIAL ADVISOR FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 006633 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2011 TAGS: PREL MARR UNSC JA SUBJECT: U/S BURNS MEETING WITH SPECIAL ADVISOR FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS KOIKE Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer, reasons 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Japan welcomes the resumption of the Six-Party Talks, National Security Advisor Koike told U/S Burns November 6. The implementation of UNSC Resolution 1718, Japanese economic sanctions, and pressure from China led North Korea to return to the talks, Koike suggested. Burns and Koike agreed that it is critical to speak with a unified voice and that concrete results must emerge from next round of talks. President Bush's meeting with Prime Minister Abe and Secretary Rice's meeting with Foreign Minister Aso and Australian Foreign Minister Downer in Hanoi the following week would provide two opportunities for the United States and Japan to coordinate on the talks' agenda. Turning to the November 10 Okinawa gubernatorial election, Koike said she was flying to Okinawa later in the date to rally support for ruling coalition candidate Hirokazu Nakaima and noted it will be a tight race. END SUMMARY. North Korea -------------- ¶2. (C) National Security Advisor Yuriko Koike told Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns during a SIPDIS November 6 meeting that Japan is grateful to the United States for close coordination on North Korea and said Japan welcomes the resumption of the Six-Party Talks. The unanimous adoption of UNSC Resolution 1718, Japan's economic sanctions on North Korea, and increased pressure form China helped persuade North Korea to return to the talks, Koike suggested. Resumption of the talks are not an end in itself; North Korea must cease nuclear testing and WMD development, she stated. ¶3. (C) Japan is our strongest Asian ally, U/S Burns told Koike, relaying admiration for Prime Minister Abe's leadership on the North Korean issue. The international community must speak on the DPRK issue with a unified voice. Japan and the United States must stand along side each other with a unified policy, Burns emphasized. Burns shared that during separate meetings earlier in the day with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Deputy Foreign Minister Tsuneo Nishida and Vice Foreign Minister Yachi, he had SIPDIS explained that the United States will be attentive to the abductions issue and will state that support publicly. It is important to pursue a diplomatic way forward with North Korea and to make concrete progress in the next round of Six-Party Talks, but defining progress might be very difficult, Burns cautioned. The United States will ask China to convey to North Korea that concrete progress must result from the talks, Burns said. ¶4. (C) President Bush's meeting with Prime Minister Abe and Secretary Rice's meeting with Foreign Minister Aso at the SIPDIS upcoming APEC Summit in Hanoi will provide two opportunities for the United States and Japan to coordinate on the talks' agenda, Burns noted. Burns dismissed demands from North Korea that Japan be left out of the talks, stressing that the talks cannot move forward without Japan. Coordinating with Australia at APEC is critical, Koike responded, adding that it is not necessary to hold the talks immediately. Burns agreed, noting that rushing to the talks could damage the credibility of the Six-Party process if substantial progress is not made. The next round of talks will be held in late November after APEC or in December at the earliest, Burns said. China -------------- ¶5. (C) China changed its attitude toward North Korea following the nuclear test, U/S Burns observed. Beijing's support for UNSC Resolution 1718 and its use of unilateral pressure to sway North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks signal a foreign policy shift. China understood that North Korea crossed the line and now realized that a firm response is necessary. Whether this foreign policy shift will be sustained and whether it will be closely linked with the U.S. position are questions we hope to answer during our upcoming visit to Beijing, U/S Burns said. In addition, Burns and Koike agreed it is important to strengthen coordination on China's intellectual property rights (IPR) violations. TOKYO 00006633 002 OF 002 Okinawa -------------- ¶6. (C) Turning to the November 19 Okinawa gubernatorial election, Koike said she was flying to Okinawa later in the day to support former Okinawa Electric Power Company Chairman Hirokazu Nakaima, who is backed by the ruling coalition. The election will be a close call. The outcome is very important for the United States and Japan because of its impact on Okinawa base-related issues, Koike said. Ambassador Schieffer asked Koike whether press polls indicating Nakaima was leading by only six percent were accurate and commented that it seems foolish for the opposition to nominate a candidate who opposes the alliance when the US-Japan alliance is going so well. Koike responded that a new poll would be coming out following day. Japanese officials and politicians must be very careful when discussing sensitive Okinawa base issues in the press, she remarked. ¶7. (U) Delegations: United States -------------- ¶R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary for Political Affairs ¶J. Thomas Schieffer, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy Dr. Victor Cha, NSC Director for NE Asia Sung Kim, Director, EAP/K Steven Fagin, Special Assistant to U/S Burns Mary Wilson, U.S. Embassy (notetaker) Yoko Yamamoto, Interpreter Japan -------------- Yuriko Koike, National Security Advisor Chikao Kawai, Director General for North American Affairs Kazuo Umeda, Deputy Director General for Asian Affairs Interpreter ¶8. (U) This message has been cleared by U/S Burns. SCHIEFFER