TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT,

UNCLAS TOKYO 000316 SIPDIS 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 - AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT, GLOBAL ECONOMY, AND AFGHAN RECONSTRUCTION ¶1. LEAD STORIES: Wednesday morning's Sankei gave top coverage to Russian President Putin's letter to Prime Minister Fukuda, in which Putin allegedly agreed to Fukuda's earlier proposal to move bilateral ties to a higher level. ¶2. "AU Must Demonstrate Will to Resolve Conflicts" The business-oriented Nikkei editorialized (2/6): "While the African Union held a summit over the weekend to discuss measures for enhancing its industrial base, the meeting was overwhelmed by the situations in Kenya and Chad. Strife also exists in other parts of Africa, including Darfur and Somalia. In order to make better use of Western aid, the AU will need to play an active role in resolving these conflicts.... Some within the AU believe the organization should aim for unification along the lines of the EU, including the creation of a united government. However, discussions about a central government without demonstrating a commitment to resolving conflicts on the continent would be meaningless." ¶3. "G-7 Must Respond to Crisis" The liberal Tokyo Shimbun asserted (2/6): "Participants in the upcoming G-7 meeting of financial ministers and central bank governors in Tokyo need to share a sense of urgency and issue a strong message that they will act together to deal with the financial crisis. While the Fed and central banks in Europe coordinated closely to increase market liquidity at the end of last year, the Bank of Japan did not join them. This was because the financial losses incurred by Japanese financial institutions were not as bad as those of U.S. and European banks. However, Japanese banks have since then reported greater losses. Japan should join with the other G-7 members at the coming meeting to put forward a coordinated approach to the crisis." ¶4. "Time to Review Support for Afghan Reconstruction" The liberal Asahi stated (2/6): "It would be a stretch to say that the war on terrorism in Afghanistan and reconstruction efforts there are going smoothly. Against this backdrop comes an international conference in Tokyo, with Afghan Foreign Minister Spanta and 12 other Afghan ministers participating. The meeting provides an opportunity to review progress on reconstruction and international aid.... Who is the real enemy in Afghanistan? How can military operations be combined with civilian support? Which country will play what role? The international community needs to coordinate anew. There should be a new, UN-centered framework." DONOVAN