Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TOKYO808
2006-02-15 05:27:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:  

MEDIA REACTION US NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY/AVIAN

Tags:  OIIP KMDR KPAO JA 
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PP RUEHFK
DE RUEHKO #0808 0460527
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 150527Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8656
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N541// PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA// PRIORITY
RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 4620
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 7694
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0602
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0867
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 6791
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8866
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS TOKYO 000808 

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 US NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY/AVIAN
FLU - TOKYO


LEAD STORIES: Wednesday morning's Nihon Keizai front-
paged a report concerning a GOJ decision that Japan's
resumption of US beef imports will be conditional on
prior inspections of US slaughterhouses by Japanese
inspectors.

UNCLAS TOKYO 000808

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 US NUCLEAR ENERGY POLICY/AVIAN
FLU - TOKYO


LEAD STORIES: Wednesday morning's Nihon Keizai front-
paged a report concerning a GOJ decision that Japan's
resumption of US beef imports will be conditional on
prior inspections of US slaughterhouses by Japanese
inspectors.


1. "US Nuclear Energy Policy: Global Policy Needed on
Recycling Nuclear Fuel" The top-circulation, moderate
Yomiuri editorialized (2/15): "The US Department of
Energy (DOE) has recently announced its Global Nuclear
Energy Partnership (GNEP),reversing a decades-long
policy against reprocessing nuclear fuel. This decision
will affect the plans of Japan and many other countries
regarding the peaceful use of nuclear energy. In order to
respond to the imbalance between oil supply and demand,
the GNEP will promote nuclear power generation both
inside and outside the US. To this end, the USG will
reverse its past position and begin reprocessing spent
nuclear fuel....


2. "Nuclear power is an extremely effective means of
alleviating the energy crisis, as well as combating
global warming. We basically support the new US policy,
and Japan should cooperate in such areas as technological
development.... Japan holds a special position in that it
is the only non-nuclear weapons state that has
international approval to reprocess nuclear fuel and is
promoting the nuclear fuel cycle as a national policy....
If the US initiative comes to pass, Japan's special
position may attract global attention and complaints from
other nations that do not possess nuclear weapons. Japan
must quickly realize its nuclear fuel cycle and
demonstrate to the world the reliability of its
technology and the nation's strong commitment to the
peaceful use of nuclear energy."


3. "Greater Vigilance Needed Regarding Avian Flu" An
editorial in the conservative Sankei commented (2/15):
"The H5N1 strain of avian flu is raging in Nigeria,
infecting one chicken after another at poultry farms. The
World Health Organization (WTO) is calling for caution,
and we need to increase vigilance here in Japan....
Virologists have noted the high possibility of H5N1
mutating, and human deaths from the disease have been
reported in Thailand, Vietnam, and China....


4. "Japanese cannot dismiss the outbreak of avian flu in
Africa simply because of how far away it is, as the
distance has shrunk due to air travel.... Should a new
strain of influenza strike Japan, the Ministry of Health,
Labor, and Welfare estimates that one in four people
would become infected, with deaths ranging from 170,000
to 640,000. We must be vigilant against avian flu."

SCHIEFFER