NAKAGAWA GETS WARM BEIJING RECEPTION, PUSHES "NEW"

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 001472 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2027 TAGS: PREL ECON CH JA SUBJECT: NAKAGAWA GETS WARM BEIJING RECEPTION, PUSHES "NEW" UNSC REFORM PROPOSAL REF: A. (A) SECSTATE 42932 ¶B. (B) SECSTATE 43280 Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reasons: 1.4 (b)(d). ¶1. (C) Summary: China and Japan will do all they can to reach an agreement on oil and gas exploration in the East China Sea before Premier Wen's April 11 visit to Japan, according to LDP Diet-member Kuniko Inoguchi. On March 22 Inoguchi briefed on her March 16-19 Beijing visit with a Diet delegation. During meetings with President Hu Jintao and State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan, the Japanese called for Chinese support on resolving abduction issues with North Korea. They also sought China's support on a proposal, floated by Inoguchi, to secure a permanent UNSC seat for Japan. China did not raise the comfort women controversy or Yasukuni Shrine, a sign that 2007 will be a year of reconciliation, Inoguchi suggested. Inoguchi described the Diet meeting with Hu Jintao as extremely cordial, adding that Hu had gone out of his way to speak to her in Japanese. End summary. ¶2. (C) LDP House of Representatives member Kuniko Inoguchi briefed Embassy Tokyo political officers on March 22 on the March 16-19 Beijing visit by the ruling coalition delegation led by LDP Secretary General Nakagawa and Komeito head Kazuo Kitagawa. Beijing is seeking to reach an agreement on joint gas exploration in the East China Sea before Premier Wen visits Tokyo on April 11-13, Inoguchi noted. Because Tokyo cannot compromise on Japan's exclusive economic zone, and China will not budge, reaching a compromise has been slow going. China has nothing to lose, however, by pursuing joint development, she explained. Japan is committed to resolving the dispute and technical experts are scheduled to finally meet for the first time on April 6 in Beijing to work on the problem. (After the Diet delegation's return, Japan and China held a one-day, directors-level meeting in Tokyo on March 29, the seventh meeting of its kind, but did not reach a breakthrough.) ¶3. (C) Inoguchi briefed Nakagawa prior to the visit on raising with the Chinese Japan's bid for a permanent UNSC seat. She reported that raising the matter could "dampen the spirit" of the meeting and possibly lead China to shorten the meeting time. Rather than moving forward with the G-4 option, Japan should focus on obtaining a seat for solely itself in order to increase chances of success, Inoguchi asserted. Instead of using a regional approach, an additional seat should be added based on a functional capacity. All of the permanent UNSC members are nuclear powers, and a seat to represent NPT countries should be added. Since Japan is a resource-poor country that is reliant on nuclear energy to meet its energy needs, while still maintaining a commitment to nonproliferation and IAEA compliance, it would be the best candidate, explained Inoguchi. Of course, it would be awkward for Japan to raise this idea with the international community, but it would be helpful if a third party such as China or the United States would broach this idea first, Inoguchi explained. ¶4. (C) Nakagawa, according to Inoguchi, decided to take the chance, and during a March 16 meeting at the Great Hall of the People, told President Hu Jintao that Japan is continuing to seek a permanent UNSC seat, and explained the new strategy. Hu was noncommittal but did not immediately oppose this idea, which was a pleasant surprise, Inoguchi added. In addition, President Hu reminded Nakagawa that because 2007 the 35th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan, it has been designated the year of cultural and athletic exchange, and so presents an opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties. ¶5. (C) The delegation's meeting with Hu was scheduled to last only 20 minutes, but stretched out to an hour and twenty minutes, Inoguchi noted. The Japanese were pleased that Hu was so generous with his time, taking it as a signal that he took their visit seriously. Hu took his own notes, and at the end of the meeting, as he thanked each member for coming, thanked Inoguchi alone in Japanese, which prompted her Chinese counterparts to remark that it was the first time they heard Hu speak Japanese. Inoguchi noted that one of the most significant things about the meeting was what was not raised. President Hu, contrary to Japanese press reporting, did not pressure Japan on the Yasukuni Shrine issue, and did not raise the controversy over comfort women, Inoguchi said. ¶6. (C) Nakagawa assured Chinese officials that Japan will not back down from the Kono Statement and the Murayama Statement on comfort women. Inoguchi said their counterparts expressed an understanding of the sensitivity of the history issue in Japan, and added that it was the sovereign right of a country to draw its own conclusions on historical events. ¶7. (C) Japan hopes China will go as far as the United States in showing support on the abduction issue, Nakagawa told State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan during a March 19 meeting. Tang said he would convey this request to the Chinese government. Beijing will try to help Japan at some point in the future, he explained, but timing is very sensitive due to Six-Party Talks negotiations. Nakagawa understood that timing is important and was pleased that rather than give its standard superficial response, China said it would try to help when the time was right. Tang also met with the delegation for longer than expected. The two-hour meeting was followed by a leisurely dinner. Tang noted that he and Nakagawa have developed a sound working relationship and that he is looking forward to strengthening bilateral relations. ¶8. (C) Tokyo is working hard to lay the groundwork for a successful Wen visit and increased working-level visits are deepening bilateral ties, Inoguchi emphasized. Tokyo and Beijing will need to work hard to control anti-Japanese sentiment in China, particularly so the 2008 Beijing Olympics will not be affected. The latter part of 2007 could be difficult for Sino-Japan relations as marking the 70th anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident and Nanjing Incident could fan anti-Japanese sentiment in the PRC. Nonetheless, the recent "accumulation of small successes" in bilateral relations is significant, Inoguchi concluded. ¶9. (C) Comment. The ruling LDP/Komeito coalition delegation's visit to Beijing, led by Diet members known for their friendly attitudes toward China, was intended to further smooth the path for Wen's April 11-13 visit. In Inoguchi's telling, the warm reception they received suggests that China, too, is ready to pursue closer relations. The unveiling of a new UNSC reform initiative in which Japan would seek a permanent seat on its own based on "functional" criteria is surprising. Embassy Tokyo, after checking, has no confirmation of this new approach from MOFA. When we asked MOFA UN Policy Division Director Takizaki to comment on rumors of a new Japanese initiative (without sourcing Inoguchi),Takizaki insisted that Japan's "basic position" is to continue to work within the G-4 framework and in close consultation with the United States. He reiterated appeals made recently by Ambassador Kato and Political Minister Counselor Ishii (Reftels A and B) for a clearer statement of U.S. views on the issue and stressed that PM Abe will definitely raise the UNSC seat bid with the President when they meet. Most likely Nakagawa and Inoguchi were simply freelancing with their proposal. However, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that they had received a "wink" from MOFA or the Kantei to float a trial balloon. SCHIEFFER