TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR

UNCLAS TOKYO 001727 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: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND EMERGENCY ENERGY SUMMIT IN SAUDI ARABIA ¶1. LEAD STORIES: Several Tuesday morning papers gave front-page coverage to the finding that North Korea will submit a nuclear declaration on June 26. ¶2. "Fukuda Needs to Hold Talks with U.S. President" On the apparent accelerated move by the Bush administration to remove North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism in return for its anticipated submission of a nuclear declaration, the conservative Sankei asserted (6/24): "Concerns that the abduction issue might be forgotten are becoming a reality. Prime Minister Fukuda should once again send a strong message to the U.S. that Japan is opposed to delisting without progress on the abduction front. Speaking directly with President Bush by phone is one approach. U.S.-Japan relations are very important, and delisting could damage the bilateral alliance. It is important for Fukuda to remind President Bush again of this point." ¶3. "U.S. Prioritizes Denuclearization" The liberal Asahi wrote (6/23): "North Korea will submit a nuclear declaration on June 26. It has invited journalists from the six-party member states to visit the country in order to have them broadcast the destruction of a cooling tower, which will take place after the U.S. initiates steps toward delisting. The expected declaration is likely to be imperfect given that it will not include data concerning the number of North Korea's nuclear weapons. Still, the U.S. appears to be giving foremost priority to advancing the denuclearization process." ¶4. "Don't Rely Too Much on Saudi Arabia" The liberal Tokyo Shimbun editorialized (6/23): "Saudi Arabia expressed its readiness to increase oil production in order to address anxiety about supply shortages and to stabilize petroleum prices. However, depending solely on the actions of oil producers is unwise. Consumer nations, for their part, should play a role in cooling down the market by reining in speculative money." ¶5. "Enhanced Coordination Needed with Producers" The conservative Sankei argued in an editorial (6/23): "The surge in oil prices cannot be addressed with a single approach. It needs to be dealt with by issuing various messages and by steadily implementing available countermeasures. Continued discord between producers and consumers would only allow 'hot money' to cash in on such disarray." SCHIEFFER