JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 12/29/08

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E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 12/29/08 Index: Opinion: 1) Aso Cabinet non-support rate rockets 11 points to 73 PERCENT , with support rate dropping 10 points to 21 PERCENT in Nikkei poll; Public now favors DPJ over LDP (Nikkei) 2) Nikkei poll: Public picks DPJ head Ozawa (17 PERCENT ) over Prime Minister Aso (7 PERCENT ) as next prime minister, but 34 PERCENT remain undecided (Nikkei) Defense and security affairs: 3) U.S, Japanese governments to soon sign accord on relocation of Okinawa Marines to Guam, with ban on using funds for other purposes (Yomiuri) 4) Prime Minister Aso orders Defense Minister Hamada to look into MSDF dispatch to Somalia waters for anti-piracy duty (Asahi) 5) DPJ head Ozawa finds no constitutional problem with sending MSDF to waters off Somalia to cope with pirates (Asahi) 6) Government wants to send MSDF to waters off Somalia to deal with pirates next month but may be hung up until spring over criteria for use of weapons (Nikkei) 7) Government to reconsider plan to use F-22 as candidate for next-generation fighter owing to lack of clarity about future U.S. production of the plane (Yomiuri) 8) Defense Ministry report on controversial historical essay by former ASDF chief Tamogami concludes that he lacked "self-awareness" (Mainichi) 9) Speaker of the Lower House Yohei Kono to travel to Pearl Harbor to lay wreathe at memorial for those killed by Japanese attack (Asahi) Political agenda: 10) Aso on winter vacation but staying in a working mode (Nikkei) 11) Chief Cabinet SECRETARY Kawamura: No Diet dissolution until after the budget is passed next spring (Asahi) 12) LDP's Yoshimi Watanabe, a recent Aso critic, defies the party and votes with the opposition camp, but receives only a party reprimand for his "rebellion" (Asahi) 13) Democratic Party of Japan to begin regular talks with U.S. side in preparation for expected win in the next Lower House election (Mainichi) 14) DPJ preparing its own transition papers so that it will be ready to take over power after the next election (Tokyo Shimbun) 15) U.S. Democratic Party's John Kerry in meeting with Environmental Minister Saito calls on Japan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 PERCENT by 2020 (Nikkei) Articles: 1) Poll: Aso cabinet supported by 21 PERCENT , not supported by 73 PERCENT NIKKEI (Page 1) (Abridged) December 29, 2008 The rate of public support for Prime Minister Taro Aso's cabinet fell 10 points from last month to 21 PERCENT , the Nihon Keizai Shimbun found from its joint public opinion survey conducted with TV Tokyo on Dec. 26-28. The Aso cabinet's support rate markedly fell below 30 PERCENT , which is said to be in the danger zone for a TOKYO 00003508 002 OF 011 government. The nonsupport rate rose 11 points to 73 PERCENT . The figures reflect the government's delay in dealing with the nation's worsening economy and employment situation. In the survey, respondents were also asked which political party they would vote for in the next election for the House of Representatives in their proportional representation blocs. In this public choice of political parties, the leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) scored 37 PERCENT , outstripping the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's 24 PERCENT . The nonsupport rate topped 70 PERCENT in only four surveys, which were conducted in June and July 1993 when the Miyazawa cabinet was at its last stage, and which were taken in December 2000 and in February 2001 when the Mori cabinet was at its last stage. Both the Miyazawa cabinet and the Mori cabinet stepped down after their nonsupport rate topped 70 PERCENT in two successive polls. In the breakdown of public support for political parties, the LDP stood at 35 PERCENT and the DPJ was at 33 PERCENT . The gap, however, reduced 7 points. The public choice of the LDP for proportional representation in the next House of Representatives election dropped 12 points from October, and the DPJ rose 6 points. In the public choice of other political parties for proportional representation, the New Komeito was at 4 PERCENT , the Japanese Communist Party at 4 PERCENT , the Social Democratic Party at 2 PERCENT , the New Party Nippon at 1 PERCENT , the People's New Party at 0 PERCENT , and the Reform Club at 0 PERCENT . The survey was taken by Nikkei Research Inc. by telephone on a random digit dialing (RDD) basis. For the survey, samples were chosen from among men and women aged 20 and over across the nation. A total of 1,416 households with one or more eligible voters were sampled, and answers were obtained from 922 persons (65.1 PERCENT ). 2) Ozawa outstrips Aso in popularity ranking for premiership NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) December 29, 2008 Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) President Ichiro Ozawa scored 17 PERCENT , topping all others in the popularity ranking of politicians for prime minister. Prime Minister Taro Aso was at 7 PERCENT . Ozawa was supported by 30 PERCENT of his party's supporters and also by 5 PERCENT of those who support the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and 13 PERCENT of floating voters with no particular party affiliation. LDP Vice SECRETARY GENERAL Nobuteru Ishihara ranked second at 11 PERCENT , and he was chosen by 19 PERCENT of LDP supporters and 10 PERCENT of floating voters. Among LDP supporters, Aso was on a par with Ishihara at 19 PERCENT . Among those unaffiliated, Aso was at only 1 PERCENT . Former Defense Minister Yuriko Koike ranked fourth, as well as Aso. She was supported by 21 PERCENT of those who support the New Komeito, which is the LDP's coalition partner. Among LDP supporters, however, she was at 9 PERCENT . Popularity ranking for premiership TOKYO 00003508 003 OF 011 Ichiro Ozawa 17 Nobuteru Ishihara 11 Taro Aso 7 Yuriko Koike 7 Kaoru Yosano 5 Hidenao Nakagawa 3 Naoto Kan 8 Katsuya Okada 3 Yukio Hatoyama 3 Seiji Maehara 2 Other answers + can't say + don't know 34 3) Japan, U.S. to ink pact on transfer of Okinawa Marines to Guam, banning use of fund for other expenditures YOMIURI (Full) (Page 2) December 28, 2008 It was learned on Dec. 27 that the Japanese and U.S. governments in connection with the transfer of U.S. Marines stationed on Okinawa to Guam will soon sign a pact that will include such provisions as a ban on use of Japan-provided funds for purposes other than the relocation of the troops. Since the expenditures estimated for the transfer are huge, by strongly binding the amount of disbursement through a bilateral accord, and stipulating the purpose for which the money will be used, the aim of obtaining the understanding of the Japanese people will be achieved. The two governments will ink the pact at an early date after the beginning of next year. Upon signing the treaty, the Japanese government will present the draft to the Diet in its regular session for approval. In the draft treaty, the Japanese government will state that the amount of the money to be directly disbursed will be "no more than $2.8 billion," as agreed on between the Japanese and U.S. governments in 2006. In addition, the requirements of the U.S. government will include: 1) a ban on the use of the funds for other purposes; and 2) equal treatment of Japanese companies and other companies in the bidding process. In the roadmap for the realignment of the U.S. forces in Japan, as agreed on by the two governments in May, 2006, it was stipulated that approximately 8,000 Marines and their families of approximately 9,000 members, would be transferred to Guam by 2014. In order to build the facilities and the social infrastructure, Japan would provide $6.09 billion, including $2.8 billion in direct fiscal support. 4) Prime Minister Aso orders defense minister to study MSDF dispatch as means of countering piracy in waters off Somalia ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) Eve., December 26, 2008 In order to dispatch Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) warships to waters off Somalia as a means of countering pirates operating there, Prime Minister Taro Aso today ordered Defense Minister Hamada to study specific responses, including the issuance of an ordinance for maritime police action based on the Self-Defense Forces Law. The Defense Ministry will delve into the possibility of dispatching MSDF vessels under an ordinance for maritime police action. It will also consider a specific response based on the (general law) TOKYO 00003508 004 OF 011 Anti-Piracy Law that is expected to be presented to the regular Diet session next year. This law would allow the protection of foreign commercial ships, as well. The prime minister at a cabinet meeting today stated: "I have instructed the defense minister to make even swifter efforts so that the Self-Defense Forces can rapidly carry out anti-piracy measures. I would like relevant cabinet ministers to cooperate." However, Defense Minister Hamada stated at a press conference: "Is it all right from the perspective of international cooperation for Japan to only (protect) ships with Japanese registrations?" He took a cautious stance toward the effort. There is no precedent for issuing a maritime police ordinance for anti-piracy measures. The New Komeito also came out with a cautious view. 5) Ozawa: No constitutional doubts about dispatch to Somalia waters to deal with piracy ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) Eve., December 26, 2008 Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro Ozawa today commented on the policy course of Prime Minister Aso to dispatch Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) warships to waters off Somalia as a means of dealing with pirates operating there. He stated: "There are no constitutional doubts about protecting our country's ships." He cited as an example the Japan Coast Guard's sending patrol ships to protect shipments of plutonium being transported to Japan from France during 1992-3. He was speaking to the press in the city of Mito. 6) Government aims at setting guidelines for dispatch of MSDF vessels to waters off Somalia initially under existing legislation, but criteria on weapons use could bog things down NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) December 27, 2008 As a measure to counter pirates operating in waters off Somalia, the government has started to prepare for sending possibly next spring escort vessels of the Maritime Self Defense Force (MSDF). As the first stage, the government envisions a dispatch under existing legislation. Identifying existing feasible provisions, the government plans to ready basic guidelines by the middle of next January. But there is a possibility of coordination stalling over the issue of the use of weapons, such as how far can the MSDF respond to armed pirates. The United Nations Security Council recently passed a resolution that approved of countries attacking pirate strongholds in Somalia. China, too, has dispatched a warship to the area. With these developments in mind, Prime Minister Taro Aso on Dec. 26 ordered Defense Minister Seiichi Hamada to study specific policy measures to respond. Chief Cabinet SECRETARY Tateo Kawamura also asked the ruling parties for cooperation for cooperation, and afterward, he told the press corps, "The government will formulate its basic thinking, and then I would like (the ruling camp) to use that as a sounding board." The government aims at responding in two stages at the time of the dispatches of the MSDF vessels. For the time being, it will issue an TOKYO 00003508 005 OF 011 ordinance for police action on the high seas, and carry out the actual dispatch next spring. After that, the plan is to present a bill for a new law to the Diet around mid-March. The police action ordinance basically is an order to the MSDF to mobilize when there is a crisis that the Japan Coast Guard cannot respond to. Two examples of such ordinances was one issued in 1999 when a suspicious vessel from North Korea entered Japanese waters, and in 2004, when a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine violated Japanese territory. A former senior Defense Ministry official pointed out the limits of responding by police action on the high seas: "This case is unusual in that it is a long-term dispatch. The dispatch to Somalia undeniably is a stretch away from the intent of the law." Defense Minister Hamada, as well, has kept a cautious stance toward use of the ordinance. Under the maritime police action, there are limits to those vessels subject to the order, such as it is impossible to escort foreign vessels that have no connection with Japan. In case a foreign vessel is attacked, there needs to be consideration given as what can be done to help. The biggest problem will be criteria for the use of weapons. During the time when the maritime police action ordinance is in effect, the law government police activities will be applied. Under it, legitimate defense and emergency evacuation are recognized. Originally, under the standards set by the Japan Coast Guard Law, shots can be fired at a vessel after it has been asked to halt, but legally, such would be difficult in waters off Somalia that are far from Japanese territory. There are many pirates in the waters off Somalia who are armed with rocket launchers and heavy weapons. In case a Japanese vessel is attacked, there is need to boil down how far can it go in retaliating, and specifically what weapons can be used and what procedures to take. On the other hand, under a new law that the government has long been considering in order to counter piracy, it will be possible to escort foreign ships, and the provisions would include criminally prosecuting those pirates in custody. Threatening actions would be possible, such as firing at the pirates after they are asked to stop their ship. It will be necessary for the MSDF to carry our prior coordination of the application of the law. The MSDF is dispatching a refueling ship and a destroyer to carry out refueling operations in the Indian Ocean. But according to the Defense Ministry, it will be difficult to carry out in parallel refueling and deal with piracy. The likelihood is that separate ships will have to be sent from Japan. 7) Government plans to start again from scratch in the selection of a next-generation fighter, since production in the U.S. of the superior F-22 is unclear YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) Eve., December 27, 2008 The government in choosing its next generation fighter (FX) has decided on a policy course of reconsidering its preference for the U.S.-manufactured state-of-the-art stealth fighter F-22 Raptor as the most powerful candidate and will start again from scratch. The TOKYO 00003508 006 OF 011 reason is that there is a strong expectation that the new Obama administration will either curb or halt production of F-22s. Current thinking has boiled down candidate aircraft to three models: 1) the Eurofighter Typhoon, being jointly developed by NATO members Britain, Germany, Italy, and Spain; 2) the F-35 Lightning II produced by the United States; and 3) the F-15X manufactured in the U.S. The U.S. Congress has banned exports of the F-22, fearing leakage of its state-of-the-art technology. The Ministry of Defense put off the timing of the introduction of the FX, having originally intended to begin the process with funding in the fiscal 2009 budget. It asked the U.S. government to remove the ban on exports of this aircraft. However, the U.S. government was negative about additional production of F-22s, the procurement cost of which is two to three times that of other aircraft. Although it was pointed out that exports to Japan would boost the chances of the U.S. Air Force continuing production of the plane, the decision will be handed to Defense SECRETARY Gates, who is said to be favoring a halt in production, and the Obama administration. A senior Defense Ministry official said that the Japanese government "gained the strong impression that production would not be continued." Some defense ministry officials favor the F-35, which has the same bombing capabilities as the F-22, being a fifth-generation fighter. But the F-35 is still not combat deployed even in the U.S. The Europeans would like to sell the Eurofighter to Japan, but in order to procure this aircraft from Europe, the understanding of the Americans would have to be obtained first. For that reason, the FX selection will be put off until the F-35 is combat ready. The plan has been floated of either coping with a remodeled F-15, which is now in stock, or purchasing F-15FX planes as a bridging model until the F-35 is ready for combat. 8) Defense Ministry's report attributes the cause of Tamogami issue to weak sense of awareness of his position as ASDF chief of staff MAINICHI (Page 2) (Excerpts) December 26, 2008 The Defense Ministry yesterday submitted to the government's council of reform of the Defense Ministry a report on the issue of Gen. Toshio Tamogami, who was dismissed as Air Self-Defense Force (ASDF) chief of staff over a controversial essay contradicting the government's history view. The report features measures to prevent a recurrence of issues similar to the Tamogami case, including a step to prepare well-defined internal procedures for publicizing essays outside the ministry. Regarding the cause of the issue, the report just notes: "He had a weak sense of awareness of his position as ASDF chief of staff." The report thus gave priority to putting an end to the issue, without including measures to review a system to appoint senior Self-Defense Force members or to reform history education. Gist of report on dismissal of Tamogami ? There was no problem in the report applied by the ASDF ? The former ASDF chief of staff's involvement in the organization's essay was not confirmed. ? Hardly any problems were found in the teaching of history to senior members. ? The course "Views of history and the state" at the Joint Staff TOKYO 00003508 007 OF 011 Council's school lacked balance, and it should be reviewed. ? Well-defined procedures for publicizing essays outside the ministry should be prepared. ? A notification system should be introduced for essays to be applied to prize competition contests, as well as for publications to be announced outside the ministry. 9) Kono to visit Pearl Harbor ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) December 27, 2008 House of Representatives Speaker Yohei Kono will visit Honolulu, Hawaii, on Dec. 28-30 to pay his respects to the souls of those who died in the Japanese military attack on Pearl Harbor. Kono has made it his lifework to seek peace and disarmament, and he has strongly desired to visit the Hawaii site. He will visit the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor and the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific to lay wreathes. In September this year, Kono hosted a meeting of parliamentary speakers from the Group of Eight (G-8) member nations in Hiroshima. On that occasion, Kono met with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Pelosi and promised to visit Pearl Harbor, telling her: "You came to Hiroshima with courage. I also would like to visit Pearl Harbor as the speaker of Japan's House of Representatives." Kono will also visit the monument to the Ehime Maru, a training ship of Ehime Prefectural Uwajima Fishery High School that sank in a collision with a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine. The accident took place when Kono was foreign minister, so he wanted to lay a wreathe at the monument. 10) Winter vacation for Prime Minister Aso finds him in working mode, holding discussions with senior officials of foreign and finance ministries, purchasing seven books NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) December 28, 2008 Prime Minister Taro Aso met yesterday with senior officials of the foreign and finance ministries in succession at a Tokyo hotel to have preliminary discussions about the next ordinary Diet session to be convened on Jan. 5. Aso also exchanged views on a strategy of public relations with Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Public Relations Headquarters Chairman Keiji Furuya. Although Dec. 27 was the first day of his 'winter vacation," Aso appeared to be intent on preparing for the ordinary session, in which the ruling and opposition camps will confront each other with an eye on dissolution of the House of Representatives and a snap election. At a bookstore, Aso purchased seven political, economic and history books, such as Masayoshi Ohira, Mediterranean World after Rome Disappears, Give up on Freedom and Democracy, and Beleaguered America. 11) Chief Cabinet SECRETARY Kawamura: "Government will not consider Diet dissolution before budget bill is enacted" ASAHI (Page 2) (Excerpts) December 29, 2008 TOKYO 00003508 008 OF 011 Asked about the possibility of the government dissolving the House of Representatives in exchange for enactment of the fiscal 2009 budget bill, Chief Cabinet SECRETARY Kawamura told a press conference in Yamaguchi City yesterday: "Prime Minister Aso has clearly said that he is not considering such a possibility. The government's primary goal is to enact the budget bill. The government will make utmost efforts to have the bill clear the Diet without considering Diet dissolution." 12) Former Administrative Reform Minister Watanabe votes for DPJ-resolution calling for Lower House dissolution, defying LDP's policy ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) December 25, 2008 Yoshimi Watanabe, a former state minister for administrative reform and member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, voted for a resolution calling for dissolving the House of Representatives, on Dec. 24 in a Lower House plenary session, defying the LDP leadership's policy. The resolution was submitted by the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Watanabe stated at a press conference that he had no intention to leave the LDP. Meanwhile, the party's executive decided the same day to punish him by giving him a warning. Watanabe's rebellious act may provide a source of trouble to intensify anti-Aso moves in the next regular Diet session, which will be convened on Jan. 5. At the press meeting after the Lower House plenary session, Watanabe, who has been critical of Prime Minister Taro Aso, explained the reason why he had voted for the resolution: "(Lower House dissolution) is my personal proposal. In an attempt to break the present political stagnancy, I have said that there is no other way but Lower House dissolution." The LDP leadership decided on Dec. 24 to give him a warning. Of the eight stages of punishments in the LDP's regulations, a warning is the second lightest one. The LDP leadership, however, reportedly says that it made the decision based on the past examples. At a press conference the same day, DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa praised Watanabe's defiant act, saying: "I think he made that decision based on his belief." The DPJ submitted the resolution to the Lower House after its four employment measures bills were voted down at the Lower House plenary session, although they were approved by the House of Councillors. The resolution criticized the Lower House for voting down the bills that were approved by the Upper House as a "violent act". The resolution calling for early Lower House dissolution and a snap election was killed by the majority of the ruling coalition members. The DPJ presented to the Upper House plenary session the same day a resolution calling on the Upper House's right to respect deliberations and the resolution was adopted by a majority of the opposition parties. The resolution criticized the government and ruling coalition, which had voted down the four employment bills, for making light of the Upper House and it called on them to respect the Upper House's decisions. However, the resolution is not legally binding. It was the first time that such a resolution has been adopted under the present Constitution. TOKYO 00003508 009 OF 011 The current extraordinary Diet session then ended in effect. 13) U.S. approaching DPJ; Regular talks to start early next year, with eye on change of government MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) December 29, 2008 With an eye on a change of government, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) will start regular talks with the U.S. government through diplomatic channels early next year. This arrangement was agreed on in a meeting between International Bureau Director GENERAL Tetsundo Iwakuni and Deputy Chief of Mission in U.S. Embassy Tokyo James Zumwalt in Tokyo on Dec. 16. Since last month, both sides have held an increasing number of unofficial meetings, reflecting their desire to build up a network of connections in preparation for a possible establishment of a DPJ government. Participating in the meeting on the 16th were International Bureau Deputy Director GENERAL Ikuko Tanioka and Kenzo Fujisue, vice economic and industrial minister in the shadow cabinet, besides Iwakuni. In exchanging views on the Afghani situation, the U.S. side emphasized that it (offering aid for Afghanistan) is not assistance to the U.S. but an international contribution and then asked the DPJ side to reveal what the party can do. The DPJ side spelled out its bill to eradicate terrorism, which gives priority to irrigation works and infrastructure construction by dispatching Self-Defense Force troops to Afghanistan after a ceasefire agreement is reached. DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa has proposed establishing an equal and firmer Japan-U.S. relationship. He has also called for revising the Status of Forces Agreement and relocating the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station to a location outside Okinawa Prefecture, but no specific arrangement has been made for talks on these issues yet. Under this situation, Ozawa increased one more post and installed two bureau directors GENERAL in charge of U.S. affairs under the date of Dec. 11, saying: "Let us increase the number of responsible personnel ahead of the inauguration of the Obama administration. Ozawa himself designated Tanioka as deputy director general. Since Barack Obama was elected U.S. president in November, the number of contacts between the U.S. and the DPJ has sharply increased. There are more cases of U.S. officials calling on DPJ members, and both sides have discussed wide-ranging topics covering security, the environment, agriculture, and economics. The DPJ side has explained its specific pledges, such as subsidies to farmers. A senior member of the DPJ International Bureau commented: "The U.S. is supposedly eager to establish a network of personnel with our party in every area run-up to the next House of Representatives, but its major interest would be in the Afghan issue." 14) DPJ's vision of running government TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) December 28, 2008 The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ),the largest opposition force, has launched PREPARATIONS for running the government with an eye on a change in government after the next House of Representatives election. In order to realize politically-led decision-making, the TOKYO 00003508 010 OF 011 DPJ is looking into the possibility of amending laws that would make the ministers, senior vice ministers and parliamentary secretaries as a team function. In order to smoothly run the government, the party's vision indicates that a certain period should be secured between the prime minister's nomination and the inauguration of a cabinet. DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa aims to create a new political system led by politicians. Based on this political system, if a DPJ-led government comes to fruition, the government will set up a "council of three state affairs ministers" made up of the ministers, senor vice ministers and parliamentary secretaries. The DPJ believes that a politically-led decision-making system will be realized if the council controls and supervises the entire ministries and agencies. The party also insists that the new system will be able to prevent policy that places a disproportionate emphasis on interests of each ministry. In order to realize Ozawa's idea of installing about 100 DPJ lawmakers in the ministries and agencies, the DPJ will work on revising the National Government Organization Law. Meanwhile, in an effort to prevent the bureaucratic control of a government, the DPJ believes that a well-prepared government is needed by securing a certain period of time between the prime minister's nomination and the formation of a cabinet. Usually a cabinet is formed within one day after the prime minister's nomination. The DPJ, however, thinks more then three days are needed. 15) U.S. Senator Kerry to environment minister: "Japan, U.S. should slash greenhouse gas emissions 25 PERCENT from 1990 levels by 2020 NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) December 29, 2008 U.S. Senator John Kerry of the Democratic Party called on Japan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 PERCENT from 1990 levels by 2020 when he met with Environment Minister Tetsuo Saito in mid-December, according to informed sources. Kerry reportedly has influence over environment policy by President-elect Barack Obama. Kerry's remarks are likely to affect discussions in Japan on its mid-term target due out in 2009. The Environment Ministry has not revealed the details of the Kerry-Saito meeting. Kerry and Saito held the meeting on Dec. 11 on the sidelines of the 14th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP14) in Poland. Kerry was the Democratic Party's candidate in the U.S. presidential election in 2004 and took part in the COP14 as representative of the Democratic Party delegation. He is scheduled to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee starting in January 2009. In order to have China, one of the world's largest gas emitters, join a new international framework following the 2012 expiration of the Kyoto Protocol, Kerry insisted that Japan and the U.S. must set a specific numerical target. He stated: "At least, a 25 PERCENT cut from 1990 levels (by 2020) is necessary," adding that if the economy is negatively affected, a 20 PERCENT cut will also be acceptable." Obama has proposed slashing emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. On this target, Kerry said: "In my personal view, this target is at a TOKYO 00003508 011 OF 011 low level," indicating he would call on Obama to set a higher target. The COP 15 in Copenhagen in late 2009 will become an arena for last negotiations on a post-Kyoto framework. For an agreement to be reached on specifics, Kerry said: "Mr. Obama will have to be involved in the issue starting in February or March." He further said that involving China and India in a new mechanism is indispensable although China, India and poor countries will not necessarily have to bear the same obligation as industrialized countries, saying: "Unless a new mechanism involves all countries, it will be impossible to obtain agreement from the Senate." ZUMWALT