TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEECH IN GHANA

UNCLAS TOKYO 001582 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 - PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEECH IN GHANA AND G8 SUMMIT ¶1. LEAD STORIES: Most Monday morning papers gave top play to the results of Sunday's Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, in which the opposition DPJ became the leading party by winning the largest number of contested seats. ¶2. "President Obama Calls for End to Violence and Corruption" The liberal Mainichi wrote from Johannesburg (7/12): "President Obama praised Ghana as a 'model' of democracy and good governance, and called on other African nations to make changes toward maturity.... His speech was intended to send a message to all of Africa.... In his address to the leaders of African nations, where coups and totalitarian regimes continue, the President expressed his clear position that the U.S. will support democratic nations and good governance." ¶3. "President Obama Advocates Democratization in Africa" The moderate Yomiuri reported from Accra (7/12): "President Obama advocated that African nations promote 'good governance,' including democratization and clean politics, by themselves. However, it is unknown whether the U.S. will be able to display its presence in Africa through 'democratic diplomacy' because of the growing influence of Russia and China, which recklessly provide economic assistance to African nations suffering from poverty in exchange for natural resources." ¶4. "President Obama Visits Ghana" The conservative Sankei wrote from Rome (7/12): "President Obama selected Ghana, which is an 'A student' both in terms of politics and economy, as his stopover and tried to advocate democracy and development by sending a strong message to African nations." ¶5. "Changes in World Displayed Vividly" The liberal Asahi editorialized (7/11): "We no longer live in an age in which the world simply follows decisions made by the U.S., Europe, and Japan. The G8 Summit in L'Aquila vividly displayed the limits of the G8 in this multipolar age.... The transitional period, in which multiple frameworks create worldwide consensus in parallel, may continue." ¶6. "Summit Removes Initial Obstacle to Climate Change Negotiations" The business-oriented Nikkei wrote in an editorial (7/11): "Climate change negotiations showed steady progress despite the absence of key player Chinese President Hu.... President Obama expressed his willingness to draw negotiations to a conclusion by saying 'In the past, the United States has sometimes fallen short of meeting our responsibilities.'" ¶7. "Wide Gap between Developed and Developing Nations" The moderate Yomiuri stated in an editorial (7/11): "Concerning climate change, which was one of the key topics for the summit, no agreement on numerical targets for global reductions of greenhouse gas emissions was reached. This is because the gap between developed and developing nations, which is the underlying issue in negotiations on global warming, was not narrowed during the meeting." ZUMWALT