MOFA WARNS OF POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ALLIANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002190 SIPDIS NSC FOR WILDER/KATZ; DOD FOR OSD/APSA SHINN/SEDNEY/HILL/BASALLA; PACOM FOR J5; USFJ FOR J00/J01/J5 E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR JA SUBJECT: MOFA WARNS OF POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ALLIANCE OVER GEOGRAPHIC NAMING DECISIONS Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer; Reasons: 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) The U.S.-Japan Alliance would suffer lasting damage if the U.S. Board of Geographic Names were to relist the Senkaku (Diaoyutai) Islands as undesignated territory, according MOFA North American Affairs Director General Shunichi Nishimiya. Nishimiya told the DCM on August 8 that changes related to the Northern Territories and Liancourt Rocks are also highly sensitive, but that a redesignation on the Senkakus would provoke a particularly strong reaction among the Japanese people given widespread concerns over China. "Remember, China is not Australia," he added. Nishimiya stated that any change in the current designation would be bad for Japan. ¶2. (C) Nishimiya said that the earlier U.S. decision to confirm that the Senkakus fall within the Mutual Security Treaty was extremely significant for Japan. A move now to change the Senkakus designation would raise questions in the public over the U.S. commitment to assist Tokyo in the event of an attack on the islands. In terms of Alliance management, Nishimiya warned that a change in U.S. position would be "worse than the (2004 Okinawa CH-53) helicopter crash." Nishimiya said that a redesignation would also negatively impact on ongoing efforts between Japan and China to settle their EEZ dispute in the East China Sea. ¶3. (C) Nishimiya noted that MOFA's North American Affairs Bureau has been recently tasked with the lead on all three territorial issues in the wake of the controversy over the change in designation on the Liancourt Rocks. He added that Ambassador Fujisaki would be raising similar concerns with Deputy Secretary Negroponte in the near future. ¶4. (C) The DCM responded that there had been no change to U.S. policy on the Liancourt Rocks. He added that the U.S. is now reviewing any proposed changes to geographic designations in the region. SCHIEFFER