TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION, BURMA, AND

UNCLAS TOKYO 001166 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 - NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION, BURMA, AND MIDDLE EAST PEACE ¶1. LEAD STORIES: Friday morning's Nikkei led with a speech by Prime Minister Aso on Thursday, during which he expressed Japan's commitment to provide aid of $67 billion in total to help Asian economies 'double' their respective GDPs by 2020. ¶2. "Time Has Come to Seal Accord on Nuclear Test Ban" The liberal Tokyo Shimbun editorialized (5/22): "Now is a good time to reinforce the foundation of the NPT system in view of a change in U.S. policy.... A nuclear test ban agreement is necessary to prevent nuclear proliferation and enhance the NPT system. The U.S. and China are positive about ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. Their ratification would lead to pressure on such non-ratifying countries as Iran and Israel." ¶3. "Indictment of Suu Kyi Perplexing" The conservative Sankei argued in an editorial (5/22): "Burma has recently been enhancing economic ties with China. This is largely attributed to China's interest in natural gas and oilfield development off the coast of Burma. Is it possible for Burma to continue to depend solely on China, which has not criticized the junta's treatment of Aung San Suu Kyi?" ¶4. "Breakthrough for Peace Possible?" The top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri's editorial stated (5/22): "President Obama asked Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept the principle of the 'coexistence' of Israeli and Palestinian states.... It is very significant that the President made this straightforward request regarding a principle that Netanhyahu has refused to accept. The former Bush administration's qualifications as a peace broker were questioned because of its pro-Israel stance. However, President Obama has continued to show that the U.S. takes the position of an impartial arbitrator.... How long will the Netanhyahu administration be able to rebuff this request from its closest friend? Israel needs to be prepared for international isolation in the event of cooled relations with Washington." ZUMWALT