JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 05/14/09

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 TOKYO 001090

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SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 05/14/09

Index:
1) Top headlines
2) Editorials
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei)

DPJ election:
4) Okada and Hatoyama declare candidacies in the Democratic Party of
Japan (DPJ) presidential race (Asahi)
5) DPJ Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama has the inside lead in the
party race to replace Ichiro Ozawa as president (Nikkei)
6) Nikkei Internet poll places DPJ Vice President Okada far over
Hatoyama in popular support for the party presidency (Nikkei)
7) Okada is far ahead of Hatoyama in a Mainichi poll querying the
public on who would make a better DPJ president (Mainichi)
8) Okada buoyed up by public support, Hatoyama has party backing,
going into the DPJ presidential race (Tokyo Shimbun)

Political agenda:
9) Mainichi poll finds Aso cabinet's public support has inched up to
27 PERCENT (Mainichi)
10) Diet to be extended 45 days; Supplemental budget passes the
Lower House (Yomiuri)
11) Konoike's resignation as deputy chief cabinet secretary when
tryst revealed will hurt Prime Minister Aso's struggle to regain
popularity with public (Yomiuri)
12) Aso on the resignation of Konoike: Not my responsibility
(Mainichi)

Defense and security affairs:
13) Joint Asahi-Okinawa Times poll: Open split in public opinion
over plan to move Futenma relocation sites from the shore of Camp
Schwab into the sea (Asahi)
14) Guam relocation agreement passes the Diet (Yomiuri)
15) Maritime Self-Defense FORCE vessel on antipiracy duty near
Somalia escorts "old enemy" Peace Boat, owned by NGO against SDF
dispatches (Sankei)
16) International security symposium in Tokyo calls for Japan to use
the right of collective self-defense (Yomiuri)
17) During Iran-Iraq war (1980-88),Japanese government split over
sending coast-guard ships to escort Japanese commercial vessels
(Tokyo Shimbun)

18) Judge in China spy case sentences suspect for allegedly giving
"secret information" to the Japanese ambassador for payment of 3
million yen (Asahi)

Articles:

1) TOP HEADLINES

Asahi: Tokyo Shimbun:
Okada, Hatoyama enter DPJ presidential race

Mainichi:
Okada leads Hatoyama in public opinion poll

Yomiuri:
Diet session to be extended for 45 days: Extra budget clears Lower
House

Nikkei:
Overseas flat-screen TV production to be consolidated: Toshima ends

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production in Britain; Hitachi pulls out of Europe

Sankei:
DPJ presidential election: Candidates trying to collect as many
supporters as possible as usual

Akahata:
Pork-barrel extra budget clears Lower House: 14 trillion yen to be
financed with tax hike

2) EDITORIALS

Asahi:
(1) DPJ presidential election: Ozawa-led cloister government
unacceptable
(2) Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary steps down: Prime minister should
be ashamed for appointing him

Mainichi:
(1) Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary steps down: Situation invokes
doubt about Kantei
(2) Extra budget clears Lower House: Rampant generation of funds
cannot be overlooked

Yomiuri:
(1) DPJ presidential election: Demonstrate new party image and
policy
(2) Product safety measures: Consumers must also make self-reliant
efforts

Nikkei:
(1) DPJ should show its administration's image through presidential
election
(2) 50 PERCENT decline in current account surplus questions Japan's
future course

Sankei:
(1) Supplementary budget clears Lower House: Upper House
deliberations should be sped up for early passage
(2) Japanese swimmer sets new world record in backstroke

Tokyo Shimbun:
(1) Deputy chief cabinet secretary quits: Woeful state of
administration incredible
(2) Northern Territories issue: Russia should come up with
settlement measures

Akahata:
(1) Agricultural administration reform: National discussion for
drastic change needed

3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei)

Prime Minister's schedule, May 13

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
May 14, 2009

07:31
Took a walk around his official residence.

10:15

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Met at Kantei with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsumoto.

12:38
Met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura.

12:57
Attended meeting of LDP Lower House members in Diet building.

13:02
Attended Lower House plenary session.

13:15
Met at Kantei with Upper House member Katsuhito Asano joined by
Kawamura.

15:27
Stood and chatted with former Prime Minister Abe.

15:32
Attended Lower House plenary session.

15:37
Stood and chatted with State Minister of Consumer Affairs Noda. Met
later with Agriculture Minister Ishiba and Defense Minister Hamada.


15:42
Attended Lower House Budget Committee session.

18:43
Attended LDP Lower House members' meeting.

18:52
Attended Lower House plenary session.

20:24
Made informal report to the Emperor at Imperial Palace and attended
Imperial Attestation Ceremony for Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
Asano.

21:54
Took picture with Asano. Met afterwards with Kawamura and Asano.

22:21
Returned to his official residence.

4) Hatoyama, Okada declare candidacies for DPJ presidency

ASAHI (Top Play) (Full)
May 14, 2009

Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Vice President Katsuya Okada
yesterday revealed to reporters in the Diet building his intention
to run in the DPJ presidential election on May 16. Secretary General
Yukio Hatoyama also last night announced his candidacy. Both will
today formally declare their candidacies at press conferences. The
DPJ presidential race to pick the replacement of Ichiro Ozawa will
likely be on one-on-one battle between Okada and Hatoyama.

Okada expressed his determination for the new DPJ president,
saying:


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"In order for the DPJ to move ahead toward a change of government, I
have renewed my determination to become president of the DPJ and the
leader of Japan. I have the experience of serving as DPJ head. A
change in administration is urgent for Japan. Achieving a change in
government is my political mission."

He met yesterday noon with President Ichiro Ozawa to convey his
intention to run in the election of the new DPJ president.

He also stated:

"(If I win the presidency),I basically will not drastically change
the present DPJ policies, which are the improved version of the
campaign pledges for the 2004 House of Councillors election and the
2005 House of Representatives race made while I was party president.
I want to make them better and more specific."

Meanwhile, Hatoyama told the press corps last night:

"If I could serve (the country),I would like to devote myself to do
so. The DPJ must continue the Ozawa-ism that the party will win the
election, playing up our policy to the public. It is also necessary
to heighten the openness and transparency of the party."

He intends to take over Ozawa's policy of placing priority on the
daily lives of the people.

5) Survey of DPJ lawmakers shows Hatoyama ahead in presidential race
with Okada trying to catch up

NIKKEI (Page 1) (Full)
May 14, 2009

Vigorous efforts to secure support for Democratic Party of Japan
(DPJ) Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama and Vice President Katsuya
Okada in the party's presidential election began on May 13.
According to a survey of DPJ Diet members by Nihon Keizai Shimbun
through interviews, Hatoyama has the support of the Diet members'
group close to Ichiro Ozawa and members of the House of Councillors
and is close to gaining the support of a majority. Okada, on the
other hand, announced his candidacy on May 13 and is doing
everything to catch up. The two will announce their candidacy
formally at a news conference on May 14.

Only the 221 DPJ Diet members (112 from the House of Representatives
and 109 from the House of Councillors) have the right to vote in the
presidential election on May 16. Following is an analysis of the
position of 184 lawmakers, or 83 PERCENT of the total, based on
Nihon Keizai Shimbun's interviews, as of May 13.

In addition to his own group, Hatoyama has broad support from the
Ozawa group, which has supported President Ichiro Ozawa, and
lawmakers who were formerly Japan Socialist Party and Democratic
Socialist Party members. Specifically, he has secured over 50
PERCENT support among Upper House members. This shows that he has
the strong support of forces hoping for the continuation of the
policy line of the Ozawa leadership.

On the other hand, Okada has secured the support of about 30 PERCENT
of the Diet members, most of whom belonging to the group close to
Vice President Seiji Maehara and Public Relations Committee Chairman
Yoshihiko Noda. Both have kept their distance from Ozawa. He has

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support comparable to Hatoyama among Lower House members. In
addition to broadening his support among the mid-ranking and junior
lawmakers, the Okada camp will attempt to enlist support in the
group led by Acting President Naoto Kan that is divided on which
candidate to support, and recruit defectors from the forces
supporting the Ozawa leadership.

Okada met Ozawa on May 13 to convey his intention to run in the
presidential race. He later told reporters in the Diet that he is
now "even more strongly motivated to run in the presidential
election." He will announce his main policies when he formally
announces his candidacy on May 14. Hatoyama also told reporters in
Tokyo on the same evening that, "I will announce my candidacy
formally on May 14."

6) Poll: 61 PERCENT support Okada, 18 PERCENT back Hatoyama

NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full)
May 14, 2009

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun conducted an online poll yesterday about
the upcoming presidential election of the Democratic Party of Japan
(Minshuto). In the poll, 61.4 PERCENT of the respondents answered
that they would like DPJ Vice President Katsuya Okada to become DPJ
president, with 18.9 PERCENT preferring DPJ Secretary General Yukio
Hatoyama. "Neither Okada nor Hatoyama" accounted for 16.1 PERCENT ,
and "don't know" for 3.6 PERCENT .

The poll was carried out as a questionnaire survey of Nikkei Net
Plus member readers starting at around 4 p.m. yesterday. Answers
were obtained from 7,102 persons.

7) Poll: 25 PERCENT back Okada for DPJ leader, Hatoyama at 13
PERCENT

MAINICHI (Top play) (Abridged)
May 14, 2009

In the wake of Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) President Ichiro
Ozawa's resignation, the Mainichi Shimbun conducted a spot
nationwide public opinion survey on May 12-13. In the survey,
respondents were asked who they thought would be appropriate to head
the DPJ after Ozawa, with the names of seven DPJ lawmakers given. In
this popularity ranking, DPJ Vice President Katsuya Okada topped all
others at 25 PERCENT and outstripped 13 PERCENT for DPJ Secretary
General Yukio Hatoyama. Respondents were also asked if they thought
Ozawa has fulfilled his accountability on his state-funded
secretary's violation of the Political Funds Control Law. To this
question, a total of 83 PERCENT answered "no." The figure shows
that the public's severe view of Ozawa continues even after he has
stepped down. The Aso cabinet's support rate rose 3 points from last
month to 27 PERCENT .

Ranking next to Okada and Hatoyama, DPJ Deputy President Naoto Kan
was at 12 PERCENT , followed by DPJ Vice President Seiji Maehara at
8 PERCENT , and DPJ Policy Research Committee Chairman Akira
Nagatsuma at 5 PERCENT . "None" accounted for 29 PERCENT , but the
party race seems to be a straight fight between Hatoyama and Okada.
In the survey, Okada was nearly two times higher than Hatoyama.

8) DPJ presidential race: Hatoyama's party footing stronger than
Okada's, Okada leads Hatoyama in public opinion polls

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TOKYO SHIMBUN (Top Play) (Excerpts)
May 14, 2009

Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Vice President Katsuya Okada and
Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama yesterday afternoon respectively
announced their candidacies for the election of the new DPJ
president on May16. Since there is no other party member to run for
the election, the DPJ presidential race will be a contest between
Okada and Hatoyama. Hatoyama's party footing is stronger than
Okada's, but Okada leads Hatoyama in public opinion polls.
Therefore, DPJ lawmakers still remain undecided for which candidate
they support.

They will hold today a press conference separately to clarify their
political visions.

Okada told reporters in the Diet building: "I have renewed my
determination to become DPJ president and the leader of Japan." He
then stressed: "A change of government is urgently needed. Bringing
about that is my political mission."

9) Cabinet support slightly up to 27 PERCENT

MAINICHI (Page 1) (Abridged)
May 14, 2009

The Aso cabinet's support rate, which dropped to 11 PERCENT in this
February's survey, rebounded after Democratic Party of Japan
(Minshuto) President Ichiro Ozawa's state-funded secretary was
arrested in connection with Nishimatsu Construction Co.'s illicit
political donations. This time around, the support rate went up to
27 PERCENT . However, the nonsupport rate was 52 PERCENT , still
topping a half.

In the breakdown of public support for political parties, the ruling
Liberal Democratic Party stood at 27 PERCENT , with the DPJ at 24
PERCENT . The LDP outstripped the DPJ for the first time since the
September 2008 survey taken shortly after the Aso cabinet came into
office.

10) Government plans to extend Diet session for 45 days; Extra
budget clears Lower House

YOMIURI (Top play) (Excerpts)
May 14, 2009

The House of Representatives at a plenary session last night
approved by a majority vote consisting of the ruling bloc the fiscal
2009 supplementary budget and a tax system-related bill featuring a
measure allowing a limited gift-tax cut. The bills were immediately
sent to the House of Councillors. After the Lower House's approval,
the government and ruling parties began moves to extend the ordinary
Diet session, which is scheduled to end on June 3, for 45 days or
until July 18 to ensure the passage of the tax bill and other
budget-related bills.

Members of the Democratic Party of Japan, the Social Democratic
Party and the People's New Party boycotted the Lower House vote,
insisting deliberations were insufficient. The Japanese Communist
Party voted against the bills. Under the Constitution, a
supplementary budget automatically clears the Diet 30 days after

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Lower House approval, even if the Upper House does not vote on the
bill. Therefore, the fiscal 2009 extra budget will clear the Diet by
June 12.

As for the tax system-related bill, the Lower House will be able to
adopt it for a second time on July 12 or later under the so-called
60-day rule stipulated in the Constitution, even if the DPJ and
other opposition parties adopt tactics to delay deliberations in the
Diet.

Prime Minister Taro Aso is eager to enact other key bills as well,
including antipiracy legislation, which had been sent to the Upper
House in April. The ruling bloc intends to extend the Diet session
to ensure the passage of these bills.

According to observers, Aso is believed to be planning to dissolve
the Lower House after achieving certain results, passing the extra
budget-related bills and attending the summit of the Group of Eight
major countries set for July 8-10. The observers say the planned
Diet extension is intended to make it easier for Aso to dissolve the
Lower House. Some in the ruling bloc think chances have grown for
dissolution in mid- July.

Nevertheless, the Emperor and the Empress are scheduled to visit
Canada and Hawaii on July 3-17, so dissolving the chamber during
that period seems difficult. This may be the reason why the ruling
bloc intends to extend the Diet session until July 18.

11) Konoike's resignation a damper on Aso administration's effort to
restore public support

YOMIURI (Page 4) (Excerpts)
May 14, 2009

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshitada Konoike resigned from his
post yesterday due to a weekly magazine article on his extramarital
affair with a woman, dealing a serious blow to the Aso cabinet,
which has seen improved popularity recently. Konoike's alleged
affair has been reported on continuously, and Prime Minister Taro
Aso is drawing criticism for his failure to address the matter.
Nevertheless, as seen in his refusal to accept responsibility for
putting Konoike in the post, Aso has a weak sense of crisis.
Criticism of Aso might grow stronger.

Earlier this month, Aso was informed of the prospect that the weekly
magazine would carry an article on a trip Konoike took with the
woman in late April. But Aso indicated to his aides that Konoike
would not have to resign as long as he carried out his duties
properly. When Konoike's extramarital affair emerged in January, Aso
did not regard it as a problem either, saying it was a private
matter.

On May 12, the article's details became clear, including the fact
that Konoike had used his JR railway free pass. This changed the
situation altogether. Konoike then asked Aso to let him step down
from the post due to "health problems." Chief Cabinet Secretary
Takeo Kawamura advised Aso to steel himself and accept Konoike's
resignation. After a moment of hesitation, Aso decided to let
Konoike go.

Konoike, who joined the faction headed by Aso when it was launched
in 2006, devoted himself to Aso's bid for the LDP presidency. This

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explains why Aso hesitated to accept Konoike's resignation and has
continued to claim that he resigned for "health problems."

12) Aso denies responsibility for appointing Konoike as deputy chief
cabinet secretary

MAINICHI (Page 2) (Abridged slightly)
May 14, 2009

Joichi Sato, Ai Yokota

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshitada Konoike, 68, stepped down
from the post yesterday due to an alleged extramarital affair.
Touching on this matter, Prime Minister Taro Aso indicated yesterday
that he has no responsibility for appointing Konoike to the post,
saying, "I do not know if I should be held responsible for the
health (of a person who resigned for health reasons) for appointing
him." A view has emerged not only in the opposition bloc but also
from within the government and the ruling camp that Aso should be
held responsible for appointing Konoike to the post. Aso's
inaccurate understanding of his responsibility is likely to draw
more criticism.

Konoike made a trip to a spa with a female acquaintance in late
April when the government was stepping up measures against the new
influenza. Aso defended Konoike, saying: "Deputy Chief Cabinet
Secretary Konoike was not in charge. There was no problem as long as
he was reachable."

Meanwhile, Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Yukio
Hatoyama harshly criticized (Aso and Konoike) yesterday, saying:
"(Konoike) made the trip for pleasure when the taskforce against the
new influenza was just launched and when the prime minister was out
of the country. Such was not permissible. The prime minister's
responsibility is extremely weighty for appointing (Konoike) to the
post."

13) Poll: Okinawa's public opinion split over Futenma offshore
relocation

ASAHI (Page 29) (Abridged)
May 14, 2009

The Japanese and U.S. governments have agreed to relocate the U.S.
military's Futenma airfield in Okinawa Prefecture's Ginowan City to
the prefecture's northern coastal city of Nago, and Okinawa Gov.
Hirokazu Nakaima has been calling for the airfield's relocation site
to be moved to an offshore area. The Asahi Shimbun conducted a
telephone-based public opinion survey in the prefecture, asking
respondents if they supported the governor's proposal of offshore
relocation. In response to this question, public opinion was split,
with 39 PERCENT saying "yes" and 44 PERCENT saying "no." The
survey was conducted with the Okinawa Times on May 9-10.

Respondents were also asked if they supported the planned relocation
of Futenma airfield within Okinawa Prefecture. To this question,
negative responses substantially outnumbered affirmative ones, with
"no" accounting for 68 PERCENT and "yes" for 18 PERCENT . Even
among those who support the governor, "no" accounted for 60 PERCENT
, and "yes" for only 28 PERCENT .

Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry is now going through procedures to

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assess the Futenma alternative facility's potential impact on its
environs. The ministry says the planned construction of a new base
in Nago City to replace Futenma airfield will have little impact on
the environment. In the survey, 80 PERCENT were negative and 7
PERCENT affirmative when respondents were asked if this account
from the ministry was convincing.

The Japanese and U.S. governments finalized their agreement in 2006
to realign the U.S. military presence in Japan, including Futenma
relocation and Okinawa-based U.S. Marines' transfer to Guam. The
construction of an alternative base in Nago City is to be completed
in 2014. Asked whether to support this agreement itself, 43 PERCENT
gave negative answers, with 28 PERCENT affirmative.

14) Guam relocation agreement secures diet approval

YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full)
May 14, 2009

The agreement to relocate U.S. Marines from Okinawa Prefecture to
Guam, which incorporates expenditures for the consolidation of
facilities following the relocation of U.S. Marines based in Okinawa
to Guam, passed the Diet on May 13. The accord was voted down by
opposition parties at an Upper House plenary session held on the
morning of the same day. The Lower and Upper Houses failed to share
common view at a joint session of both chambers of the Diet held
later. For this reason, the accord was eventually approved in line
with the constitutional superiority of the Lower House, which had
already given its approval. This is the second time that an
agreement was voted down in the Upper House and passed the Diet in
line with the constitutional superiority of the Lower House,
following the special agreement on Japan's shouldering of
host-nation financial support for U.S. military stationed in Japan
or the so-called sympathy budget last year. The agreement will
likely take effect before the end of May.

The agreement states that the Japanese government will disburse up
to 2.8 billion dollars to finance the consolidation of facilities
needed for the transfer of U.S. Marines and their family members to
Guam. It also states that the Guam relocation is to be implemented
as a package deal with the construction in Nago City of a heliport
to be relocated from the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma AIR Station.

However, the government and Okinawa Prefecture remain at odds over
the relocation site for Futenma functions, the primary concern in
U.S. forces in Japan realignment. The government intends to reach an
agreement before year's end with a possibility of moving the
relocation site slightly further seaward from the originally
proposed in mind. However, senior prefectural government officials
want to seek a major concession from the government. Foreign
Minister Nakaone at a meeting of the Upper House Foreign Relations
and Defense Committee on the 12th stressed his view that if some
projects suffer a setback, it would affect the entire plan. Whether
the Guam relocation plan will go smoothly remains to be seen.

15) MSDF escorts Peace Boat off Somalia: "We are against you, but
protect us"

SANKEI (Page 3) (Full)
May 14, 2009

It was learned on May 13 that Maritime Self-Defense FORCE (MSDF)

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escort ships deployed in waters off Somalia on an anti-piracy
mission had escorted a passenger ship of the civilian international
exchange group "Peace Boat." The "Peace Boat" is opposed to the
MSDF's dispatch for the anti-piracy mission, so the inconsistency of
this with its position is likely to raise eyebrows.

The two MSDF escort ships guarded seven Japan-related vessels in the
Gulf of Aden off Somalia from May 11-13. One of them was a Peace
Boat passenger ship on a tour. The "Peace Boat" is a group founded
by Social Democratic Party member of the House of Representatives
Kiyomi Tsujimoto in 1983 when she was a student at Waseda
University. The purpose of the boat tour is to engage in activities
such as exchanges with NGOs and students at its ports of call.

According to the Peace Boat office, the company planning and
executing the sea voyage consulted with the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Liaison Office for
Anti-Piracy Measures, which is in charge of coordination for MSDF
escort operations, and it was decided that the ship join the convoy
of vessels to be escorted by the MSDF.

The Peace Boat had signed the joint statement of citizens' groups
opposed to the MSDF dispatch. An official at its office said that,
"It is unfortunate that the MSDF was sent instead of the Japan Coast
Guard, but regardless of our position, the safety of the
participants comes first. We respect the decision (of the company)
to request escort."

16) Ex-Defense Secretary Cohen hopes for exercise of right to
collective self-defense at security symposium

YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full)
May 14, 2009

The "Second Security Symposium" on Japan's security policy
(sponsored by the Net Journalist Association in cooperation with
Yomiuri Shimbun and others) was held at the Keidanren Hall in
Otemachi, Tokyo on May 13.

In his keynote speech, former secretary of defense William Cohen
discussed the security policy of the Obama administration and said
that, "More than the past administration, it will welcome Japan's
becoming able to participate in collective defense activities in
order for Japan and the U.S. to deal with common problems as equal
partners," expressing his expectations on Japan's exercise of the
right to collective self-defense.

Meanwhile, Keiichiro Asao, Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) official
in charge of defense, explained the party's foreign and security
policy. He stressed that the DPJ's policy is "basically the same as
the security policy of the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito.
We have no intention of introducing fundamental changes to the
Japan-US security arrangements."

17) Japan Coast Guard planned to dispatch destroyer during Iran-Iraq
War

TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Slightly abridged)
May 14, 2009

In the closing days of the Iran-Iraq War, the Japan Coast Guard
decided to dispatch a destroyer to the Persian Gulf (1980-1988) to

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guard Japanese vessels, according to Diet records. But then Chief
Cabinet Secretary Masaharu Gotoda, at the risk of losing his post,
raised an objection, so the plan was not carried out.

Gotoda disapproved Transport Minister Hashimoto's decision

According to the book of proceedings of the House of
Representatives' Finance Committee in April 1991, then Finance
Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said when asked for his view about the
Gulf War: "I assumed the current post when the Iran-Iraq War was
being fought intensely. At that time, I decided to send destroyers
if Japan Coast Guard (JCG) officials approved it." He further
replied: "I also promised to be on board the first ship, but
fortunately, the war was soon over."

In an interview with the Tokyo Shimbun, Masakazu Henmi, 76, who was
serving as JCG Policing and Rescue Department head at that time,
admitted for the first time that the JCG had decided to dispatch a
destroyer to the Persian Gulf in 1987 and had been studying details
of the plan.

Only the destroyer "Mizuho" was available, but the JCG judged it
possible for the escort ship to carry out long-term operations if
fuel and food were supplied from countries along the Persian Gulf
and other friendly countries. Since it was difficult for only one
vessel to engage in the escort mission, the JCG planned to send
information on safe navigation in the gulf to Japanese and foreign
vessels.

The reason why the plan was not implemented was not the end of the
war. According to Atsuyuki Sassa, then Cabinet Security Office head,
Gotoda opposed the dispatch of Japan Maritime Self-Defense FORCE
ships or JCG destroyers at the risk of losing his post, citing as
the reason that Japan might become involved in the war.

18) China concludes Japanese ambassador paid 3 million yen in return
for secret information in espionage case

ASAHI (Page 1) (Excerpts)
May 14, 2009

(Kenji Minemura, Beijing)

A district court in Beijing concluded in a ruling on May 5 that
Ambassador to China Yuji Miyamoto had given 207,000 yuan
(approximately 3 million yen) to former Xinhua News Agency' foreign
affairs bureau chief Lei Jiafu in return for secret information. Lei
was given a 18-year jail sentence on charges of leaking national
secrets,. Miyamoto commented: "Although I cannot make any comment on
individual exchanges in diplomatic activities, I have acted
according to the local law, so I think there was no problem."

The written indictment entered the name of Miyamoto, but the
judgment document noted "embassy member." In China, the details of a
trial involving national secrets are not made public, but the fact
was unveiled through informed sources.

Xinhua News Agency is under the control of the Chinese government
and provides internal information to its leadership. Chinese
authorities are tightening control to prevent information leakage,
but information activities by a diplomat have unusually come to
light. It is quite unprecedented that an espionage charge was

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applied in a case involving an ambassador.

According the judgment, Lei provided information (to Miyamoto) on
Chinese foreign policies from September 2006, just after Miyamoto
assumed his post, to July 2007 and received money. On Nov. 8 2006,
Lei informed the Japanese ambassador of Chinese sanction measures
against North Korea for its nuclear test in October, including
suspension of remittances.

During a period between July 2003 and August 2005, Lei also leaked
information to then South Korean envoy in China about the schedule
for President Hu Jiantao's visit to North Korea, secret contact
between the U.S. and North Korea in the framework of the six-party
talks, and other matters. In return, he received 3,000 dollars
(about 295,000 yen),3,000 yuan (about 43,000 yen),and a golf set.

In China, a senior member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
was detained this January on suspicion of leaking information of
North Korea, and a Chinese ambassador for the North Korean nuclear
issue was detained in late 2006 on suspicion of leaking information
of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's visit to China to a foreign
news company.

ZUMWALT