DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR NORTH AMERICAN AFFAIRS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 TOKYO 006740 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO DEPARMTENT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2016 TAGS: PREL MARR ABLD ETRD EAGR EFIS JA SUBJECT: DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR NORTH AMERICAN AFFAIRS DISCUSSES BILATERAL ISSUES Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4(b),(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: MOFA Director General for North American Affairs Chikao Kawai met with DCM November 27 to discuss a range of bilateral issues: -- Kawai reported that Prime Minister Abe had been very pleased by his meeting with President Bush at the APEC summit in Hanoi and is hoping to travel to the United States in early May, following a trip to Europe in January. -- With regard to force realignment, Kawai stressed the need to have at least a notional plan for what will be constructed at Guam in order for the Diet to begin debating the budget and said that Japan also plans to set aside approximately 10 billion yen a year to fund projects in communities affected by or helping with the base realignment process. He was noncommittal to a suggestion by the Embassy to host a bipartisan Diet visit to Guam in January, but agreed that such a visit would probably be useful. -- Kawai stated that Japanese expectation for next weeks sub-cabinet meeting will be to focus on how to strengthen our bilateral economic relations as well as discussing a possible regional approach. He indicated serious discussions regarding a possible Free Trade Agreement would be premature, but ventured that this possibility should be at least studied. -- On U.S. beef imports to Japan, Kawai urged patience, saying that it is too early to commence discussion as to whether international standards should be applied to this trade. -- He predicted the Japanese Defense Agency will be elevated to a full ministry on January 9, 2007 and expressed yet again Tokyo's eagerness to hold Two plus Two meetings as soon as possible. -- Speaking of negotiations between the U.S. and Japan set to take place this week concerning the status of the land occupied by the Chancery, Kawai indicated the Japanese side is not yet ready to discuss the valuation of the land. According to him, before the land can be valued the exact nature of the relationship (landlord-tenant) must be established, and the U.S. must express a willingness to pay some back rent and also a desire to purchase the land. It is the Japanese intention to cover these two steps at the upcoming meeting. Only when this has been done can an independent expert be brought in to appraise the value of the land. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Director General Kawai met with DCM November 27 at the DCM's residence to discuss bilateral issues. He was joined by Deputy Director General Kazuyoshi Umemoto, Director of Japan-U.S. Security Treaty Division Junji Shimada, and First North American Principal Deputy Director Yusuke Arai. DCM was joined by Political Minister Counselor and notetaker. -------------- PRIME MINISTER'S VISITS -------------- ¶3. (C) Kawai reported that Prime Minister Abe was very pleased by his 90 minute visit with President Bush during the APEC summit in Hanoi, and that the Japanese side appreciated very much the arrangements made by the U.S. side. He said that Abe is still in the process of making his first round of visits with important world leaders. Now that he has met with the leaders of the U.S., Russia, China, and Korea, he will receive in Tokyo this month the leaders of Indonesia, India, and Australia. Although it has yet to be officially announced, in January Abe plans to visit Europe to call on his British, French, German, and Belgian counterparts, as well as to meet with high-level EU and NATO officials. This will conclude what Kawai calls Abe's "first round" of visits. The "second round" will commence with a trip to the United States hopefully in early May. The Prime Minister has expressed an interest in visiting several other regions in TOKYO 00006740 002 OF 003 the United States besides Washington, although Kawai was unable to say which ones at this early stage. -------------- DPRI -------------- ¶4. (C) Now that the election for governor of Okinawa is over, it is important to move forward with the base realignment plan, Kawai said. He believed there is value to having Embassy representatives meet directly with governors and mayors of areas affected by the realignment plan, but urged that such contacts be kept to a low level and that negotiations concerning the details of any plans be handled between Tokyo and the local governments. The government is in the midst of the budgetary drafting process and wants to set aside approximately 10 billion yen to spend on public works and community service projects in communities most affected by the realignment process, although none of the money will actually be expended until the realignment process is underway. In order to budget for these projects, and for the funds needed to begin construction for new bases on Guam, it is critical that Diet members be given some idea of what the plans for Guam are. ¶5. (C) DCM raised the possibility of a bipartisan group of Diet members visiting Guam in late January where they would be briefed by PACOM on plans for the new facilities there. Kawai replied that such a trip would have little value unless the briefing given were to provide some plans for what the project will ultimately resemble. He cautioned that party politics are at play in this process and the DPJ is not being helpful. ¶6. (C) With regard to the passage of new laws pertaining to the realignment process, Kawai pointed out that there will only be five or six weeks from February through mid-March for the Diet to seriously address this issue. The first few weeks of the session which begins in early January will be dominated by budget talks. Once March arrives, attention will shift to upcoming local elections in April. That will be followed by the Golden Week break. It is therefore critical that the realignment agenda be carefully managed. MOFA wants to signal to the U.S. that Japan is taking serious action to advance the plans, but Kawai again said this will be difficult unless concrete information about what is intended for Guam is provided. ¶7. (C) Kawai predicted that the Japanese Defense Agency will be upgraded by the Diet to full ministry status, and that the new ministry will officially come to life on January 9. He does not think that this transformation will have any substantive effect on the bilateral relationship and reiterated Tokyo's eagerness to hold Two Plus Two talks as soon as possible. -------------- SUB-CABINET LEVEL MEETINGS -------------- ¶8. (C) In response to DCM's question concerning Japan's expectations for the upcoming Sub-Cabinet Level Meetings, Kawai replied that the Japanese have two agendas to advance. The first involves enhancing and strengthening our existing bilateral economic relationship. He said this does not necessarily include serious discussions about entering into a Free Trade Agreement, observing that such an agreement between the number one and number two economies in the world, coupled with a continued lack of progress in the Doha process, would send the wrong signals. Nevertheless, the possibility of an FTA should at least be studied. Second, the Japanese hope to explore pursuing regional and global initiatives, including an approach to China on such issues as Intellectual Property Rights. -------------- BEEF IMPORTS, OTHER FOOD ISSUES -------------- TOKYO 00006740 003 OF 003 ¶9. (C) Kawai said it is too early to discuss applying international standards to U.S. beef exports to Japan. He said time is needed to reintroduce the Japanese consumer to the notion that U.S. beef is safe, although he recognized that when the Yoshinoyo fast food chain reintroduces its popular beef bowl menu item on December 1, it will only have enough U.S. beef available to offer the dish a few days a month. Kawai believes it is better to let the whole issue settle down a bit more before raising what types of U.S. beef should or should not be allowed into Japan. When asked by DCM how long this period should last, Kawai said he would have to consult with colleagues but imagined they would agree at least until the upper house elections are over in June. ¶10. (C) DCM reminded Kawai there are several other food related items on the bilateral agenda that need to be addressed. These include the importation of rice and rice flour, as well as the prohibition of irradiated foods, including spices used in processed foods. -------------- WHALING -------------- ¶11. (C) The DCM pointed out that disagreements over whaling threaten to become an irritant in the relationship unless they are addressed soon. Kawai agreed that this issue may be problematic, given the Japanese view that not all species of whale are endangered. He also said that the U.S. does not fully understand the Japanese market for whale products and, on the political side, also pointed out that the whaling industry has a presence in Prime Minister Abe's home prefecture. -------------- CHANCERY LAND ISSUES -------------- ¶12. (C) Kawai also discussed Japan's expectations for meetings later this week to address the issue of ownership over the land currently occupied by the Chancery. Tokyo hopes that by the end of this round of meetings two issues will be resolved: (1) the nature of the relationship (i.e., landlord-tenant),and (2) whether the U.S. expresses both an interest in paying arrearages and in making an offer to purchase. Only when these two steps have been achieved will it be possible to retain the services of an outside expert to appraise the value of the land. Kawai explained further that under Japanese law, if it is determined that a landlord-tenant relationship does not exist, if the government were to offer the land for sale it would have to be open to all bidders. Only if a landlord-tenant relationship exists can the U.S. have a right of first refusal. In addition, the Japanese will expect that if such a relationship is agreed to exist, the U.S. will express at least a willingness to pay some sum to constitute back rents that are owed. ¶13. (C) DCM replied that it is our expectation that the value of the land can be agreed upon at these meetings. Kawai said he understood, but highlighted the importance that these negotiations be conducted transparently. At the end of the day, the Ministry of Finance will have to go to the public and the Diet to explain, under great scrutiny, any agreement. Kawai said he did not expect that the land issue will be resolved during this round of talks. SCHIEFFER