PM ABE'S MESSAGE TO EUROPE: WE SHARE YOUR VALUES,

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 000475

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2027
TAGS: PREL PGOV UK FR GM BE KN CH JA
SUBJECT: PM ABE'S MESSAGE TO EUROPE: WE SHARE YOUR VALUES,
SUPPORT US ON NORTH KOREA

REF: A. USNATO 22


B. TOKYO 23

Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reason: 1.4
(b) (d).


1. (C) Summary. During PM Abe's January 9-13 trip to London,
Berlin, Brussels and Paris, Abe underscored his desire to
strengthen Japan's ties with Europe, including NATO, based on
a new values-focused foreign policy. Abe's interlocutors
agreed with him that the DPRK nuclear issue must be addressed
and that UNSCR 1718 must be fully implemented. Responses to
Abe's appeal to maintain the EU arms embargo on China were
mixed. French President Chirac asserted the arms embargo
should be lifted and German Chancellor Merkel forcefully
urged it be kept in place. Abe also reiterated Japan's
desire to work within the G-4 mechanism to pursue a permanent
UNSC seat. End summary.


2. (C) Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's first visit to Europe as
prime minister achieved its primary goal: demonstrating that
Japan values its relations with Europe, according to MOFA
Western Europe Division Director Akira Kono. Embassy Tokyo
obtained separate readouts on Abe's trip from Kono, European
Policy Division Director Hideo Suzuki, National Security
Policy Division Director Jun Shimmi, German Embassy Political
Counselor Martin Ebert and French Embassy Political Counselor
Pauline Carmona.


3. (C) PM Abe traveled to London, Berlin, Brussels and Paris
from January 9-13. In Brussels, he addressed the North
Atlantic Council -- a first for a Japanese leader. In all
four capitals, Abe had addressed three issues: common
values, North Korea and UN Security Council reform. Abe was
"very pleased" with his European experience, Kono reported.

Common Values: NATO and the North Atlantic Council Speech
-------------- --------------


4. (C) PM Abe used his European meetings to convey Japan's
new foreign policy focus on shared values, including the rule
of law and human rights, Kono explained. The message came
across clearly, according to German Embassy Political
Counselor Ebert. Abe plainly wanted to demonstrate that
Japan -- in contrast to China -- was committed to a foreign
policy based on values shared by its European "natural
partners," he related. Japan's interest in closer ties with
NATO, Kono reminded (ref b),is a natural outgrowth of PM
Abe's new values-based foreign policy. Commenting on Abe's
well received January 12 address before the North Atlantic
Council in Brussels, MOFA National Security Policy Division
Director Jun Shimmi explained that Abe's speech reflected his
strong political commitment to having Japan play a greater
global role, including through enhanced ties with NATO.
Shimmi said he had been particularly struck by the "strong
views" Abe had expressed on future contributions by the
Ministry of Defense (MOD) to that effort. At present, he
noted, there has been no substantive coordination within the
government on how Japan would make this MOD contribution.
Putting this commitment into practice will take time, Shimmi
underscored.


5. (C) Japan is ready to develop closer ties with NATO, as PM
Abe explained in his speech, according to MOFA European
Policy Division Director Hideo Suzuki. Suzuki, who drafted
the Prime Minister's speech, observed that joint Japan-NATO
activities have been conducted on an ad-hoc basis. As a
first step toward a more mature and structured relationship,
Japan and NATO will discuss a framework for closer
cooperation at their "high-level consultations" in March,
Suzuki stated. He cautioned that the process of
strengthening ties with NATO would take time. French Embassy
Political Counselor Pauline Carmona acknowledged to Embassy
Tokyo officers that France had earlier opposed Japan's
partnership with NATO and that NATO's November meeting in
Riga marked a change in France's position. In the end, Paris
had decided not to let the NATO issue further affect its
bilateral relations with Tokyo, she observed.

North Korea
--------------


6. (C) PM Abe raised the DPRK nuclear issue and the abduction
issue with each of his interlocutors, MOFA's Kono reported.
He asked them to use their influence to press North Korea to
implement the provisions of UNSCR 1718 and to cooperate in
resolving the abduction issue. All the leaders agreed that
the DPRK must comply with UNSCR 1718. PM Tony Blair seemed
to be particularly seized of both the nuclear and abduction
issues, Kono commented. In Paris, Abe urged that France
adopt unilateral sanctions if the UNSC committee failed to
take timely action, Carmona related. In Berlin, Chancellor
Merkel and Abe shared the hope that China would continue to
play a constructive role in the Six-Party process, according
to Ebert. Kono commented that MOFA had planned to have its
embassies in all four capitals sponsor screenings of the
award-winning movie "Abduction" in conjunction with Abe's
visit, but weren't able to make arrangements quickly enough.
All planned screenings in the near future.

UN Security Council Reform
--------------


7. (C) Japan already has the support of the UK, France,
Belgium and Germany for its permanent UNSC seat bid, Kono
explained. PM Abe reiterated in each capital Japan's
intention to press ahead with its bid, despite the fact that
its most recent "Model D" initiative had not garnered the
hoped for support. In Berlin, Abe and Merkel agreed to
maintain the G-4 format, Ebert related. He insisted that
Germany is not concerned that Japan will split off from the
group (Japan, Germany, India and Brazil),as rumored. French
Embassy's Carmona, in discussing the G-4 initiative, stressed
that France would only move forward on UNSC reform in concert
with Germany. Abe asked the UK and France, which are
permanent members, and Belgium, which took a seat as a
non-permanent member on January 1, to help represent Japanese
interests on the UNSC now that its nonpermanent UNSC
membership has expired. Belgian PM Verhofstadt indicated
that Belgium is willing to cooperate with Japan on a broad
range of UNSC matters, Kono reported.

East Asian Security/EU Arms Embargo on China
--------------


8. (C) In addition to DPRK-related matters, PM Abe raised
broader East Asian security issues in all of his meetings,
Kono related, focusing on China. Abe took advantage of the
fact that his interlocutors were all aware that he had moved
quickly to improve Japan's relations with China soon after
taking office. He stressed to all that he believes China's
development is not a threat, but an opportunity.
Nonetheless, problems remain, including significant IPR
violations and double-digit expansion of defense spending,
coupled with military non-transparency. China's behavior in
Africa, particularly with regard to exploitation of natural
resources, was also troubling. The international community
should encourage China to act more responsibly and help lead
China in a more constructive direction, Abe argued. In his
private meeting with Chancellor Merkel, Abe complained about
China's "Japan bashing," and argued that Beijing was using
the historical issue as an excuse to oppose Japan's bid for a
permanent UNSC seat, according to the German Embassy's Ebert.
Nonetheless, Abe had stressed, he was "determined to
strengthen dialogue" and build a cooperative relationship
with China, according to Ebert.


9. (C) In each meeting, Kono related, Abe pressed for
retention of the EU arms embargo on China. The reactions
were mixed. President Chirac simply replied briefly that
France had not changed its position, i.e., that the ban
should be lifted once a new EU Code of Conduct is in place.
This, Kono observed, was a very different response than the
last time Japan had raised the issue with Chirac. During
Chirac's March 2005 Tokyo visit, he had passionately and at
length explained the rationale behind France's position to
then Prime Minister Koizumi. This time with Abe, Chirac
provided a perfunctory response, simply noting that "Japan
understands France's position," according the French
Embassy's Carmona.


10. (C) At her press conference, Chancellor Merkel was firm
that "now is not the time" to lift the arms embargo, German
Embassy's Ebert observed. This was a change in the German
position; former Chancellor Schroeder, along with Chirac, had
actively promoted its lifting. EC President Jose Barroso had
been more "nuanced" in his response, Suzuki said, noting that
this was "not an eminent issue." Barroso likely took this
position because Germany, which now opposes lifting, holds
the EU Presidency and Portugal, which will assume that role
in July, is unlikely to champion the issue, Suzuki
speculated. (Note: Suzuki noted that Italy and France remain
actively interested in lifting the ban. He opined that China
may use an anticipated "China boom" resulting from the 2008
Beijing Olympics to make a gesture, perhaps in the area of
human rights, in exchange for lifting the ban. Even though
the EU insists that its new code of conduct will eliminate
any need for concern when the ban in lifted, Suzuki said "we
need to be prepared" and urged close U.S.-Japan
consultation.)

Comment
--------------


11. (C) The major "outcome" from Abe's European trip was his
strong message that Japan wants to engage more actively with
the Europeans, including through closer ties with NATO. His
"values-focused" foreign policy message was clear.
Conspicuous in its absence, however, was mention of the "Arc
of Freedom and Prosperity" concept put forward by FM Aso in
his November 2006 speech. While also values-focused, some
have criticized the "Arc" notion as not well thought through
and susceptible to criticism that it aims to encircle Russia
and China. Whether intentional or not, Abe's failure to
mention it has raised questions about Abe's embrace of the
concept.

SCHIEFFER