DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG'S MEETING WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 001263

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/04/2019
TAGS: PREL ETTC PARM OVIP KN JA
SUBJECT: DEPUTY SECRETARY STEINBERG'S MEETING WITH
OPPOSITION DPJ LEADERSHIP

Classified By: CDA James Zumwalt for reasons 1.4 b/d.

Summary
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1. (C) In a June 1 meeting with Deputy Secretary Steinberg,
opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Yukio
Hatoyama said that his key priority, after securing an
electoral victory, is building a cooperative relationship
with the United States to confront the global challenges of
nuclear disarmament, climate change, and the world financial
situation. On recent DPRK provocations, Hatoyama said his
party hopes for a strong message from the UNSC, powerful
sanctions, and cooperation among the United States, Korea,
and Japan to draw China into a response. Secretary General
Katsuya Okada and Vice President Seiji Maehara positively
noted the President's Prague speech, raised the question of
nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and asked about
Ambassador-designate to Japan John Roos. End summary.

DPJ's Hatoyama, Okada Lead Meeting
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2. (SBU) In his June 1 meeting with the opposition Democratic
Party of Japan (DPJ) leadership, Deputy Secretary Steinberg
was greeted by DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada, who
opened the meeting. President Hatoyama, Okada explained, was
concluding the DPJ's once-a-year consultation with the
Japanese Business Federation (Keidanren),Japan's leading
business organization. Exchanging pleasantries, the Deputy
Secretary, Okada and DPJ Vice President Seiji Maehara noted
their previous meetings in Washington and acknowledged the
importance of sharing perspectives on issues of common
concern.

Tell Us About Ambassador-Designate Roos
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3. (C) Okada said he had agreed to leave the DPRK, the most
important topic to be discussed, until President Hatoyama
arrived. He and Maehara then asked about
Ambassador-designate to Japan John Roos. Why was he chosen,
added Maehara, rather than Joseph Nye?


4. (C) The Deputy Secretary said that Mr. Roos would approach
Japan in a manner entirely consonant with the views of the
President and the Secretary. Elaborating, NSC Senior
Director Bader said the President has made it clear in
conversations -- including one with Prime Minister Aso --
that no ambassador will have a closer relationship with him
than Mr. Roos. They have a long-standing personal
relationship, which will give Mr. Roos direct access to the
President and his Chief of Staff and will allow him to bypass
the bureaucracy if necessary. In this way, said Amb. Bader,
Japan is being seen as a country like the UK or Germany,
where U.S. ambassadors are appointed principally based on
their personal relationships with the President. As for
other candidates, the Deputy Secretary noted members of the
press have a tendency to speculate, and while others were
held in high regard for various reasons, the President wanted
someone close to him.

Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Disarmament
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5. (C) Saying that he appreciated the President's Prague
speech, Vice President Maehara asked whether the DPRK's
recent actions had changed the President's position on
nuclear weapons. The short answer is no, said the Deputy
Secretary, because the President was explicit that so long as
nuclear weapons exist, the United States must maintain a
credible nuclear arsenal to guarantee extended deterrence.
At the same time, recent events show the importance of
non-proliferation efforts, and U.S. efforts toward the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, a ban on the production of
fissile material, and follow-on START negotiations with
Russia all show the President's credible commitment to
Article 6 of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.


6. (C) Secretary General Okada, noting his position may
contradict the Japanese government's, stated it would be an
important step toward the abolition of nuclear weapons if the
nuclear states pledged no first use of the weapons, as well
as pledged not to use nuclear weapons on non-nuclear states.
Replying that the doctrinal issues on nuclear weapons are

TOKYO 00001263 002 OF 002


complex, the Deputy Secretary noted the Administration is
conducting a comprehensive policy review. He added, however,
that actions are more important than assertions of doctrine
and suggested a more meaningful contribution might consist of
efforts to reduce the importance and salience of nuclear
weapons to overall strategy.

Cooperating on Global Challenges, Response to DPRK
-------------- --------------

7. (C) Joining the meeting, President Hatoyama outlined his
top priorities. First, he said, is ensuring a DPJ victory in
upcoming general elections. His next task would be working
to forge cooperation between the democracies of Japan and the
United States to address global challenges, including nuclear
disarmament, climate change, and the world financial
situation. He acknowledged the Deputy Secretary's remarks on
the strength and importance of the bilateral relationship,
our shared values, and the security alliance, and quickly
moved to discuss the DPRK's recent actions. Hatoyama
welcomed the President's selection of John Roos as Ambassador
to Japan and said he looked forward to working with a fellow
Stanford graduate.


8. (C) Hatoyama said the most important question is how
Japan, the United States, and Korea can cooperate to respond
to the DPRK's nuclear tests. Noting the DPJ is still in
opposition, he said the party hopes nonetheless the UN
Security Council will send the strongest message possible to
the DPRK and believes powerful sanctions should be imposed.
Moreover, Hatoyama said it is extremely important to
encourage China to cooperate and, in some sense, responding
to the DPRK is a "China issue." Every effort, he concluded,
should be made to draw China into a "cooperative circle."


9. (C) The Deputy Secretary thanked Hatoyama for his
comments, saying it is enormously helpful to know that,
regardless of elections, there will be no change in Japan's
DPRK policy. Referencing the DPRK's recent nuclear test and
missile launches, the Deputy Secretary said the DPRK's
actions suggest a potentially dangerous future and it is more
and more urgent for the other five parties in the Six-Party
Process to develop an effective approach to dissuade the DPRK
from taking that path. The task with the Chinese, he said,
is to persuade them that the dangers posed by the DPRK's
nuclear program outweigh the risks of a destabilized
neighbor. China also needs to consider, he added, that an
increasingly dangerous DPRK would force Japan, the United
States, and others -- individually and collectively -- to
take defensive steps China does not want to see.


10. (C) Noting his personal view that bank sanctions hit the
DPRK hardest, Vice President Maehara asked whether the United
States is ready to reinstate financial sanctions. It should
not escape people's notice, said the Deputy Secretary, that
Treasury Department Under Secretary Stuart Levy is part of
the U.S. government delegation.

Meeting Attendees
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11. (SBU) Besides Hatoyama, Okada, and Maehara, DPJ Diet
members and Directors General Hirofumi Hirano (Executive
Office) and Tetsundo Iwakuni (International Department)
attended the meeting. The Deputy Secretary was joined by the
Charge d'Affaires, NSC Senior Director for Asian Affairs
Jeffrey Bader, Special Assistant Pamela Park, an interpreter,
control officer, and notetaker.

Atmospherics
--------------

12. (C) This meeting's atmosphere was much more warm and
friendly than meetings with former DPJ President Ozawa had
been. Under Hatoyama, at least in private meetings, the DPJ
appears to be stressing areas of commonality rather than
areas of difference.


13. (U) Deputy Secretary Steinberg cleared this message.
ZUMWALT