THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH DEFENSE

S E C R E T TOKYO 003618 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR D, AND EAP E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2027 TAGS: PREL JA PREL SUBJECT: THE DEPUTY SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH DEFENSE MINISTER KOIKE Classified By: Deputy Secretary John Negroponte, for reasons 1.4(b)/(d) ¶1. (S) Summary: Defense Minister Koike reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance to the Deputy Secretary on August 3 and asked for the return of additional land from Camp Foster. She also reiterated the Japanese government's interest in purchasing F-22s, given continued security risks posed by North Korea's actions, as well as the lack of transparency in China's military build-up. The Deputy Secretary stressed that U.S. laws precluded the sale of F-22s SIPDIS to all foreign governments and that any choice of future fighters in Japan had to be compatible with alliance needs and capabilities. The United States and Japan should cooperate on persuading China to be a responsible stakeholder in regional and world affairs. The Deputy Secretary and Koike welcomed the agreement on the Bilateral Information Security Task Force Terms of Reference by both governments and looked forward to raising information-sharing to a higher level. End Summary. USFJ REALIGNMENT -------------- ¶2. (C) Koike assured the Deputy Secretary in an August 3 meeting that the Government of Japan (GOJ) would cooperate fully on the realignment of U.S. bases in Japan. Noting that she was fully versed in the issue from her past assignment as Minister for Okinawan and Northern Territory Issues, Koike resolved to settle all outstanding issues for the successful relocation of U.S. marines to Guam. She said she was focused on maximum land returns from areas south of Kadena Air Base, particularly from Camp Foster (Zukeran). ¶3. (C) The Deputy Secretary agreed that the alliance was an important cornerstone of security in East Asia. He stressed that the U.S.-Japan relationship was an alliance, and that both governments needed to be cognizant that all bilateral discussions should be in the context of the alliance. The United States understood Japan's position on the issue of Camp Foster and would work with Japan toward satisfactory results. However, both sides needed to work out many details. F-22 -------------- ¶4. (C) Koike, pointing out that she had spoken earlier with the Ambassador on the issue, reiterated the GOJ's desire to acquire F-22s and asked for understanding of its importance to Japan. She asserted that it was important to consider the F-22 issue from a strategic standpoint, in light of recent deliberations in the U.S. Congress on Japan's future fighter capability (F-X) needs and the upcoming capabilities assessment group (CAG) meeting. ¶5. (C) The Deputy Secretary responded that foreign sales of F-22s were a matter of U.S. law. The Obey Amendment precluded the sales of F-22s to all foreign governments. This was not a legal provision aimed at Japan. The United States would, however, cooperaQith Japan on the selection of the next generation of fighters, particularly the replacement for the F-4. Moreover, assessing Japan's needs was critical as the choice of next generation fighters must be compatible with U.S. assets and capabilities. REGIONAL STABILITY, CHINA -------------- ¶6. (C) Turning to regional issues, Koike expressed concern about the various sources of potential instability in Northeast Asia, particularly North Korea and China. North Korea, with its ballistic missile and nuclear tests last year and its lack of progress in resolving the issue of abducted Japanese citizens, continued to be a serious security problem for Japan. The GOJ also remained vigilant about China's military capabilities and spending, which had doubled in the past 19 years. The lack of transparency in China's defense spending was particularly troubling for Japan. Japan would, therefore, engage China to build trust. Koike added that Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan planned to visit Japan in August. ¶7. (C) The Deputy Secretary welcomed Japan's realistic approach toward China. With China's economy growing rapidly, it was important for countries like the United States and Japan to induce Beijing to become a responsible stakeholder in the region and the world. On North Korea, it was important to stay focused on succeeding in the Six-Party Talks, the Deputy Secretary said. Even though the DPRK had shut down its 5-megawatt reactor in Yongbyon and allowed IAEA inspectors to return to North Korea, it remained unclear whether Pyongyang would comply seriously with its obligations under the Six-Party framework. BMD, INFORMATION SECURITY -------------- ¶8. (S) Koike stated that Japan's approach toward China had to go in tandem with pursuing missile defense cooperation with the United States. As such, she urged the United States to move forward early on ballistic missile defense (BMD). The GOJ considered information security paramount for national security, and undertook to: 1) investigate fully the AEGIS leak and 2) introduce measures for improved information security. She praised the August 1 kick-off meeting of the Bilateral Information Security Task Force (BISTF),as well as the agreement on the BISTF Terms of Reference (TOR) and milestones. Koike also welcomed the fact that both governments were close to completing the General Agreement on the Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA). The biggest challenge for information security in Japan was preventing leaks, as Diet members were prone to leaking information for POLITICAL gains, Koike said. ¶9. (S) The Deputy Secretary, drawing from his experience as Director of National Intelligence, stressed the importance of information security, adding that constructive dialogue was proceeding at the working level and that it would set the stage for greater cooperation between the two allies. The Deputy Secretary stated that the United States had also had its share of leaks, but had very effective systems in place for protecting classified information. The greatest challenge was not so much collection and analysis, but rather intelligence management, for which Japan had taken a "big step" forward with the BISTF TOR. ¶10. (U) August 3, 2007; 15:30; Tokyo, Japan. ¶11. (U) Meeting Participants: U.S. Deputy Secretary Negroponte Ambassador Schieffer Deputy Assistant Secretary David Sedney, Dept of Defense James Zumwalt, Director of Japan Affairs, Dept of State Kaye Lee, Special Assistant Ted Wittenstein, Special Assistant Sangmin Lee, POL-MIL Deputy, Embassy Tokyo (Notetaker) Japan Yuriko Koike, Minister of Defense Kazuo Ofuru, Director-General, Defense Policy Bureau Hironori Kanazawa, Deputy Director-General, Defense Policy Bureau Ro Manabe, Director, Defense Policy Division Masami Oka, Senior Coordinator for Defense Policy, Defense Policy Division Taro Yamato, Principal Deputy Director, Defense Intelligence Division SCHIEFFER