JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 07/14/09

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 001594 SIPDIS DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA; WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 07/14/09 Index: 1) Top headlines 2) Editorials 3) Prime Minister's daily schedule (Nikkei) Election frenzy: 4) Prime Minister Aso declares he will dissolve the House of Representatives on July 21 for an August 30 snap general election; Decision splits party views (Sankei) 5) Prime Minister Aso's statement: "Will not flee; will fight" (Nikkei) 6) Liberal Democratic Party (LDP),New Komeito shocked by the results of the Tokyo Assembly election (Nikkei) 7) Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has lead in all 25 wards in Tokyo going into next Lower House election (Yomiuri) 8) DPJ to win majority: Akamatsu (Mainichi) 9) DPJ welcomes Aso's decision to dissolve the Lower House for an election but still worried that he might be toppled and a fresh face will lead the LDP (Sankei) 10) Yoshimi Watanabe to form new party (Sankei) 11) DPJ sees the Tokyo election paving the way for an easy victory in the national election (Tokyo Shimbun) 12) LDP decides not to run Miyazaki Mayor Higashikokubaru on its election ticket, calculating it may be a negative factor (Tokyo Shimbun) 13) LDP's Nobuteru Ishihara quits post as Tokyo election strategist to take responsibility for party's defeat (Mainichi) 14) One of "hired assassins" of the Koizumi era who won an LDP seat in the 2005 election, lawmaker Nagasaki, quits the party suddenly (Tokyo Shimbun) 15) U.S. concerned about the domestic political situation in Japan having adverse impact on the alliance and U.S. base situation in Japan (Sankei) 16) One of the casualties of the early Diet dissolution will be the scrapping of the bill to allow cargo searches of suspicious North Korean ships (Mainichi) 17) LDP's Kono Taro, chair of the foreign affairs committee in the Lower House, calls for the government to refute its "lies" and admit secret nuclear pact with U.S. (Mainichi) 18) China may have restarted developing Shirakaba gas field in the ¶E. China Sea, a violation of joint cooperation agreement with Japan (Yomiuri) 
Articles: 1) TOP HEADLINES Asahi: Prime Minister Aso announces Lower House dissolution as last-ditch measure Mainichi: Aso makes last-ditch decision Yomiuri: Aso announces Aug. 30 Lower House election Nikkei: Nissan to boost auto output capacity in China by 20 percent TOKYO 00001594 002 OF 013 Sankei: Aso announces July 21 Lower House dissolution, Aug. 30 general election Tokyo Shimbun: Aso: Who will replace me? Akahata: No-confidence motion against Aso cabinet 2) EDITORIALS Asahi: (1) Aug. 30 Lower House election: We have been kept waiting so long (2) Organ Transplant Law: Many problems still need to be solved Mainichi: (1) Aug. 30 general election: Day to choose a party will finally arrive (2) Organ Transplant Revision Law: Hasty decision made on debate about life Yomiuri: Aug. 30 election: Policies, ability to hold power being tested Nikkei: (1) Prime Minister Aso should demonstrate policies for Aug. 30 Lower House race (2) Organ transplant should be carried out based on understanding of families of brain dead patients Sankei: Aug. 30 election: LDP must start afresh; Can Aso overcome headwind? Tokyo Shimbun: (1) Aug. 30 election: Aso's decision downplayed (2) Organ Transplant Revision Law: Much consideration should be given to donors' side Akahata: Japan-U.S. nuclear secret deal should be completely revealed and abolished 3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) Prime Minister's schedule, July 13 NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) July 14, 2009 07:29 Took a walk around the official residence. 09:31 Arrived at the Kantei. 10:50 Met with Special Assistant to Party President Shimamura. 11:04 Met with Secretary General Hosoda and Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Oshima. 12:00 Met with New Komeito head Ota and Secretary General Kitagawa. Hosoda was present. Then met with Hosoda, General Council Chairman Sasagawa, Policy Research Council Chairman Hori, Oshima, Election Committee Chairman Koga, and LDP caucus in the Upper House Chairman Otsuji. 12:50 Government-ruling party liaison council meeting. Koga stayed TOKYO 00001594 003 OF 013 behind. 13:50 Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Asano. 14:04 Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Uruma. 16:18 Met with Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura. 17:52 Monthly economic report-related cabinet meeting 19:35 Arrived at the official residence. 4) Diet dissolution on July 21, general election on August 30: PM Aso makes tough decision, bowing to wishes of the LDP, New Komeito SANKEI (Top play) (Abridged) July 14, 2009 Prime Minister Taro Aso decided on July 13 to dissolve the House of Representatives on July 21, schedule the official declaration of candidacy on August 18, and hold the election on August 30. Both the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and New Komeito leadership have agreed to this timetable. Aso had, at first, wanted to dissolve the Diet on July 14 and hold the election on August 8, but gave up on this plan due to expected opposition from the ruling parties. Deciding on a date for Diet dissolution right after the LDP's crushing defeat in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election is also meant to thwart "oust Aso" movements in the party. Aso summoned LDP Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda and other officials to the Prime Minister's Official Residence on the morning of July 13 for final consultations. This was followed by an ad hoc LDP executive meeting and a meeting with New Komeito leader Akihiro Ota to obtain their consent. A formal announcement was made at the liaison meeting between the government and the ruling parties. Meanwhile, the opposition parties, the DPJ, the Japanese Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the People's New Party submitted a motion of no confidence against the cabinet in the Lower House and a motion of censure against the prime minister in the Upper House. The motion of no confidence is expected to be rejected by a majority vote of the ruling parties in the Lower House, but the censure motion will be passed by an opposition majority in the Upper House on July 14. The opposition parties have decided to boycott Diet business after the censure motion is passed, so there is no hope for the enactment of the special measures law enabling cargo inspection on North Korea-related ships and the bill on civil service reform. On July 12, the day the Tokyo election was held, Aso was holed up in his official residential quarters watching TV in the living room. "Galileo Galilei once said: 'Still, the earth moves on.' I would like to ask the people whether postal privatization is really necessary..." The TV screen was showing (then) Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announcing the dissolution of the Diet at a news conference on the night of August 8, 2005. Aso had been fully aware of how tough the situation was. Yet, even if he stepped down and held the presidential election ahead of schedule, would the LDP find a way out of its current predicament? The collapse of the party needed to be avoided by all means, even at the expense of falling from power. He wanted to at least set the course for Diet dissolution and the general election... TOKYO 00001594 004 OF 013 Having made up his mind, Aso called Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura and other senior officials on the evening of July 12 and told them: "I have decided to hold the Lower House election in early August. Find out what the party members think." The prime minister had remained determined on the next day, July 13. Just after 11:00 a.m. Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda and Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Tadamori Oshima rushed into the prime minister's office. "The aftereffects of the Tokyo election linger. What are you going to do about the position of New Komeito, to which we owe much?" They asked for putting off Diet dissolution, but Aso was stubborn. He said: "The DPJ is going to submit motions of no confidence and censure. Diet business will stop anyway, so I will dissolve the Diet on July 14." Oshima and others persisted and finally suggested dissolving the Diet on July 21, when the Emperor will be back from his overseas trip. This date would also be acceptable to New Komeito, which had been demanding that the election be held after the Bon festival (August 13-15). After much agonizing, Aso said: "Very well, I will make the announcement today." At the beginning of the government-ruling parties liaison meeting, which was delayed for 30 minutes, the prime minister stated: "I have said that the Tokyo election is unrelated to national politics, but there is no denying that the trouble in the LDP had an adverse effect. I am very sorry. I would like to dissolve the Diet early next week to seek the people's verdict. The election will be held on August 30. It will indeed be an uphill battle, but I ask you to fight hard in order to protect the people's livelihood from the economic crisis." 5) Gist of prime minister's statement: "We will fight without backing off" NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) July 14, 2009 The gist of a statement Prime Minister made during a press conference on July 13 is as follows: I will dissolve the Lower House early in the week starting on the 21st and hold a general election on August 30. I have conveyed this to senior members of the ruling parties. I would like to seek the people's mandate through this election. The point of contention is which party will protect your livelihoods and defend Japan. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) is calling for a change in government. However, it has not yet come up with realistic policies and fiscal resources to finance them. Economic stimulus measures must continue to be carried out under the initiative of a responsible party. (Have you decided to dissolve the Diet to contain a move to remove Prime Minister Aso?) Not at all. You won't know the outcome of the election until you try. You cannot hold an election at your convenience. Various criticisms were expressed through the Tokyo election. If they are criticisms of me, I must humbly reflect on them. I should TOKYO 00001594 005 OF 013 not resort to an irresponsible attitude of throwing away my duty and resigning. This is the crucial point at which I must clench my teeth and work hard. I must continue to fight without backing off. 6) Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election result deals blow to LDP, New Komeito: DPJ secures 40 percent of vote, while LDP gains 25 percent: LDP wins in one single-seat constituency, while losing in six NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) July 14, 2009 The result of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election on July 12 has dealt a blow both to the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the New Komeito. The LDP's share in the vote largely fell below that of the DPJ. Seven of 42 constituencies are single-seat constituencies, of which the LDP won in only one constituency. The LDP lagged behind the DPJ in many multiple-seat constituencies as well. The DPJ gained 40.79 percent PERCENT of the vote, extensively topping the LDP's 25.88 PERCENT . If this ratio is likened to the proportional representation in the Lower House election (180 seats), 73 seats go to the DPJ and 46 to the LDP. The LDP won in five single-seat constituencies in the previous Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election in 2005. However, this time DPJ-backed candidates won in those LDP-dominated constituencies one after another, as can be seen by a fresh candidate running on the LDP ticket stopping a veteran LDP candidate from being elected for the seventh term. A certain incumbent minister lamented, "If the situation is likened to the single-seat constituencies in the Lower House election, the DPJ secures 300 seats. In the previous Lower House election, the LDP and the New Komeito won in 24 out of 25 single-seat constituencies, overwhelming the DPJ. A person who once served as LDP secretary general expressed a sense of crisis, "Single-seat constituencies in a Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election work, based on the same mechanism as that of a Lower House election." DPJ candidates elected secured the largest share of the vote in 38 of 42 constituencies. The party proactively fielded candidates in multiple-seat constituencies and succeeded in having more than two candidates elected in each of many such constituencies. DPJ candidates occupied the top three seats in the Setagaya constituency with eight seats. A senior DPJ Tokyo Chapter member said, "We may need candidates running only for proportional representation in case we win too many seats in single-seat constituencies (in the upcoming Lower House election)." A senior New Komeito member said with a sigh, "We must fully analyze the result of the Tokyo election and make most of the analysis for the upcoming Lower House election. Even so, we are not sure whether we can win, as a boost for the DPJ is so strong." 7) Prediction of Lower House election based on Tokyo election results: DPJ has advantage in all 25 Tokyo districts YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) July 14, 2009 The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, which was regarded as a TOKYO 00001594 006 OF 013 prelude to the House of Representatives election, ended in a landslide victory for the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). The results of this election are widely seen as a "leading indicator" of the Lower House election taking place on August 30, but the fact that there is a period of seven weeks before the Lower House election may have an impact. Completely different from last time We applied the number of votes won by the official candidates of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the DPJ in the Tokyo election (a total of 58) to the 25 single-seat districts in Tokyo in the Lower House election. In cases where one administrative unit straddles more than one constituency, votes were divided according to the ratio of voters. The results show that except for the 21st district in the western part (consisting of Tachikawa City, etc.),votes for the DPJ exceeded those for the LDP in all constituencies. However, the independent candidate endorsed by the DPJ won in the Tokyo election in Akishima City in the 21st district. If votes for him are also counted, the DPJ enjoys an advantage in all districts. Although cooperation between political parties and such other factors need to be taken into account for the Lower House election, the balance of power between the two parties has changed completely from the 2005 Lower House election, where the LDP won 23 seats and lost only one seat. Even if votes for New Komeito candidates in the Tokyo election are added to the LDP votes, the ruling parties are leading only in 10 districts. The DPJ is leading even in the 10th district (consisting of Toshima Ward, etc.),where former Defense Minister Yuriko Koike won a decisive victory over the DPJ candidate last time. The reason why the LDP was able to win about 30 percent of the seats with about 26 percent of the votes in the Tokyo election is because it was helped by the mid-sized election district system, where more than one candidate is elected in some districts. The LDP lost to the DPJ official candidates or candidates it endorsed in six of the seven single-seat districts. Under the present situation, the same thing may happen in many districts in the Lower House election, where all constituencies elect only one candidate. Voter turnout In the mayoral and gubernatorial elections held this year where there was a head-on clash between the ruling and opposition parties, the voter turnout mostly exceeded the previous election. Voter turnout in the Nagoya mayor election in April was 50.54 percent, which is 23.04 percentage points higher than the previous one. The same is true for the Shizuoka gubernatorial race in July, with a turnout of 61.06 percent, representing a 16.57 point increase. After the Nagoya election in particular, higher voter turnout led to victory for DPJ-affiliated candidates. This was also true in the Tokyo election, where the turnout was 54.49 percent, more than 10 points higher than the previous election. It would be interesting to see if the same trend continues into the Lower House election. Impact of seven weeks In most past cases where the Tokyo election became the "leading indicator" of a national election, there was a time lag of around one month between the two elections. TOKYO 00001594 007 OF 013 The time lag was three weeks in 1989, when the defunct Japan Socialist Party made big gains, and in 1993, which saw the LDP driven from power. The time lag for the 2001 House of Councillors election held amid the "Koizumi boom" was five weeks. It is believed that Prime Minister Taro Aso, who had been contemplating the dissolution of the Lower House right after the Tokyo election, decided to hold the election on August 30 in deference to the wishes of the ruling parties to "put off Diet dissolution in order to get back on their feet. The question now is whether the situation can be turned around in seven weeks. 8) DPJ to win majority: Akamatsu MAINICHI (Page 5) (Abridged) July 14, 2009 Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto) Election Campaign Committee Chairman Hirotaka Akamatsu, appearing on a BS-11 digital news program aired yesterday, indicated that the DPJ would secure a single-party majority in the next election for the House of Representatives. "Modestly speaking," Akamatsu said, "I'm expecting our party to garner 249 seats." He also said, "The momentum shown in the local elections (such as the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election) is strong." However, Akamatsu stressed that even the DPJ, even if gains a single-party majority, will form a coalition with the Social Democratic Party and the People's New Party in an aim to stabilize its government. 9) Welcoming mood in DPJ for Aso's dissolution statement; Party remains on alert for LDP moves to oust Aso SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) July 14, 2009 There is a growing mood in the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) to welcome Prime Minister Taro Aso's announcement yesterday that he will dissolve the House of Representatives (on July 21) to hold a general election on Aug. 30. The reason is because the DPJ has judged that it would be advantageous for the party to complete the Lower House election with the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) led by Prime Minister Taro Aso, who has been suffering from critically low support rates. A junior DPJ lawmaker commented on Aso's dissolution statement: "The Prime Minister has now stepped into the ring we have prepared," showing his willingness to fight. The largest opposition party has strengthened confrontation with the LDP by submitting yesterday a no-confidence motion and censure motion against the Aso cabinet. However, the DPJ is concerned about a possibility that moves to remove Aso from office will regain momentum, since there are 30 days from dissolution to the start of the official campaigning for the general election, and that the LDP will go into the election under the leadership of a new president. A senior party member expressed a skeptical view about the LDP fighting in the snap election under the Aso administration, noting: "I wonder if political maneuvering will start now in the LDP." Yesterday in the city of Niiza, Saitama Prefecture, DPJ President TOKYO 00001594 008 OF 013 Yukio Hatoyama made an ironical comment on Aso's decision this time: "I still cannot see whether the (Prime Minister) really can dissolve the lower chamber on his own initiative and call a general election. I don't want him to make a flip-flop again in his remark." 10) Yoshimi Watanabe to form new party SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) July 14, 2009 Former Administrative Reform Minister Yoshimi Watanabe delivered a speech yesterday in Osaka City, in which he said: "If the House of Representatives is dissolved on July 21, I will form a new party on around that day." With regard to the number of members joining the new party, he said: "There are more than ten members, including incumbent and former Diet members and new-face candidates." Watanabe underscored: "I intend to have the new party become a springboard for political realignment. The new party will not become a supplementary force for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The Democratic Party of Japan will win a majority of the Lower House. However, if we can build a force in some way in the Lower House election, moves (for political realignment) will occur before next year's House of Councillors election. The meaning of the new party's existence lies there." 11) Prediction about outcome of Lower House election, based on Tokyo assembly election results: DPJ may win landslide victory TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Slightly abridged) July 14, 2009 In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election on July 12, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) won an overwhelming victory. The voting behavior evokes predictions that the DPJ will also win a victory in the House of Representatives election set for Aug. 30. LDP unlikely to turn the tables In the Tokyo Assembly election, the DPJ captured 40.7 PERCENT of the vote, while the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) gained 25.8 PERCENT , with the DPJ securing about 15 percentage points more than the LDP. This result is in contrast to that in the previous Lower House election in 2005, in which the LDP enjoyed an overwhelming victory, with the privatization of postal services as the top issue. In the previous Lower House election, the LDP put up candidates on the party ticket in all 24 constituencies in Tokyo except for the No. 12 constituency, in which New Komeito President Akihiro Ota ran. The party finished with a 23-1 record in the election. In the Tokyo Assembly election, however, the DPJ garnered more votes than the LDP in 25 constituencies that include the No. 11 and No. 12 constituencies, in which the DPJ did not field any candidates. If the votes cast for the New Komeito are added, the LDP is expected to be able to rally to some extent, but various data show that at the present point of time it would be difficult for the LDP to turn the tables. TOKYO 00001594 009 OF 013 In forecasting the outcome of the next Lower House election, we should pay attention to the results in the seven single-seat constituencies, because in the Lower House election, candidates fight in single-seat constituencies. In the Tokyo election, the LDP recorded only one win in the seven districts. According to an exit poll conducted by the Tokyo Shimbun, the number of respondents who said they would vote for the DPJ in the proportional representation segment in the next Lower House election surpassed those who said they voted for the party in the Tokyo election. This means that a more favorable wind might blow for the DPJ in the Lower House election. Meiji University Professor Masamichi Ida, an expert on relations between public opinion and politics, commented: "A series of public opinion polls show that 40 PERCENT of the public support the DPJ while 25 PERCENT back the LDP. I think it is inconceivable that public support for the DPJ will significantly drop.... Many LDP members in the Lower House are well-known, and the party has powerful organizational strength, but the Tokyo election results found that the DPJ has overcome such negative factors (as a lack of publicity and organizational strength). The outcome of the Tokyo Assembly election will affect voting patterns across the nation, so it is fully conceivable that the outcome of the upcoming election will be the exact opposite to that of the previous election." 12) LDP to give up on fielding Higashikokubaru TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) July 14, 2009 The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) had asked Miyazaki Governor Hideo Higashikokubaru to run for the upcoming House of Representatives election as a candidate endorsed by the party in the proportional representation segment. But the party began coordinating to abandon the plan yesterday. Prime Minister Aso and Election Strategy Council Chairman Makoto Koga discussed a strategy for the Lower House election at the Prime Minister's Official Residence and agreed on the view that it would work negatively for the party to focus too heavily on the popularity of its candidates. After meeting with Aso, Koga told reporters: "We must conduct an election in a stately manner and in a way that does not tarnish our party's history, according to the prime minister's wishes" indicating a cautious view about the idea of putting up the Miyazaki governor in an about-face from his previous stance. Many are critical of fielding Higashikokubaru for the Lower House election. Some persons even attribute the LDP's defeat in the Tokyo Assembly election in part to the party's approach to him. The ruling parties agreed to fight the upcoming election under Prime Minister Aso, so it has also become difficult to allow Higashikokubaru to run for the election as the "candidate as the next prime minister." Meanwhile, Higashikokubaru told reporters at the Miyazaki TOKYO 00001594 010 OF 013 Prefectural Government Office yesterday that Beat Takeshi had told him to give up on running for the election, adding that "I would like to take it seriously." Regarding a final decision, though, he just said: "I cannot give a reply now." 13) Five LDP Tokyo chapter officers, including Ishihara, leave their fate to supreme advisors in wake of party's defeat in Tokyo election MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) July 14, 2009 Takuji Tanaka In the wake of the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) crushing defeat in the (July 12) Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, the LDP Tokyo chapter's five officers, including Senior Deputy Secretary General Nobuteru Ishihara, informed in writing their intent to leave a decision on whether to resign from their posts to the chapter's supreme advisors, including former Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshinobu Shimamura. The letter said, "It is truly regrettable that we failed to meet the expectations of party members and fraternity members." With the next House of Representatives election near at hand, they might be dissuaded from resigning. 14) Nagasaki leaves LDP TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Excerpt) July 14, 2009 House of Representatives member Kotaro Nagasaki of the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) (Minami Kanto in the proportional representation segment) yesterday submitted a letter of secession from the party to Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda, and the letter was accepted. In the next Lower House election, he will run in the Yamanashi No. 2 constituency as an independent. 15) U.S. paying close attention to Aug. 30 election, concerned about security, bases SANKEI (Page 8) (Full) July 14, 2009 Takashi Arimoto, Washington After the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's crushing defeat in the recent Tokyo metropolitan assembly election, Prime Minister Taro Aso has now made up his mind to dissolve the House of Representatives for a general election. U.S. experts are voicing concerns about its possible impact on bilateral security and other areas. One of them said, "The political situation in Japan has become unclear." The New York Times, in an online report dated July 13, noted the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election's linkage with the outcome of the forthcoming election for the House of Representatives, saying it traditionally has been a barometer that foretells Japan's national politics. A Japan hand at a U.S. think tank, which is close to the Obama administration, presumes that security issues could be exploited TOKYO 00001594 011 OF 013 politically, saying that Japan-U.S. relations will face difficult times. Japan and the United States will discuss North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile development, U.S. force realignment, and other issues when U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Campbell and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Gregson visit Japan this weekend. The foregoing Japan hand says: "Japan will remain unable to make decisions for a while due to domestic turmoil, so the U.S. force realignment and other issues cannot be expected to make progress, either." Late last month, former Assistant Secretary of Defense Joseph Nye, who is an expert on Japan, testified before the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee's Asian and Pacific affairs subcommittee, stating: "The uncertainty of Japanese politics will continue for the next several years and this is likely to cause friction in the alliance." In addition, Michael Green, former senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council (NSC),also testifying before the House subcommittee, showed a severe view of the leading opposition Democratic Party of Japan (Minshuto),stating: "They support the Japan-U.S. alliance. However, they are making noise by saying (the alliance) should be more equal and Japan should be more independent. They have no plans for the transition of power and there are confrontations within their party over security policy, so even if they take office, it is unclear how long they will be in office." 16) Cargo inspection bill to be scrapped MAINICHI (Page 5) (Abridged) July 14, 2009 The House of Representatives Special Committee on Antipiracy and Antiterrorism Measures decided yesterday to take a vote today on a government-introduced cargo inspection bill for inspections of ships heading to and from North Korea, and pass the legislation through the House of Representatives. In the House of Councillors, however, the opposition parties will refuse to deliberate on the bill. The bill is therefore expected to be abandoned due to the dissolution of the House of Representatives. 17) LDP's Kono charges government's replies denying a secret nuclear pact as false; Motion to be submitted seeking correction of past replies MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) July 14, 2009 Takashi Sudo House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Taro Kono of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held a press conference in the Diet building yesterday in which he acknowledged the existence of a secret pact allowing port calls by warships carrying nuclear weapons that was concluded when the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty was revised in 1960. At the same time, Kono criticized the government's past response denying the pact as false. He also indicated that as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, he will not allow the government to repeat its past answers denying the TOKYO 00001594 012 OF 013 secret deal, while revealing a committee plan to submit a resolution seeking the correction of the government's replies. Kono indicated that he had listened in person to several persons concerned, including Former Vice-Foreign Minister Ryohei Murata who has acknowledged the existence of the secret pact. Kono said as a result: "I heard that there was a concrete secret agreement. That coincides with the official documents made public in the United States as well as with the statement by former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Edwin Reischauer (who revealed the existence of the secret accord to the Mainichi Shimbun in 1981)." As the reason seeking the correction of the government's replies, Kono said: "Given North Korea's nuclear tests, Japan's nuclear deterrent must be considered. We must also discuss the effectiveness of the nuclear umbrella (under the Japan-U.S. alliance) against China' nuclear weapons. We cannot conduct discussions based on the government's current reply." Kono also revealed that he has obtained Murata's consent to testify before the committee, adding that due to Murata's difficulty to come to Tokyo from his home in Kyoto because of his family circumstances, the committee will consider procedures for questioning him in Kyoto. But because the opposition camp submitted yesterday a no-confidence motion against the cabinet, the committee may not be able to meet before the dissolution of the Lower House. The ruling camp is showing a cautious stance, with an executive saying, "We must not do anything causing us to lose points before the Lower House election." Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura made the following statement about Kono's intent at yesterday's Lower House antipiracy and antiterrorism special committee meeting: "Past prime ministers and foreign ministers replied that there was no secret agreement, and I, too, believe there is no such pact." Kawamura was responding to a question from Tomoko Abe of the Social Democratic Party. 18) China has resumed Shirakaba gas field development? YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) July 14, 2009 It has been learned that China is making a move that can be taken as preparations for the resumption of the development of the Shirakaba (Chunxiao in Chinese) gas field, whose joint development the governments of Japan and China have agreed on. China was seen delivering materials to the site. More than one government source revealed this on July 13. If it actually resumes the development work, such as drilling, the case will be a clear violation of the agreement reached in June between Tokyo and Beijing. The Japanese government is determined to monitor the development of the situation. If it confirmed the resumption of the development, it will strictly lodge a protest through a diplomatic channel. The Self-Defense Forces' plane has confirmed that several Chinese vessels have been gathering around the site since last week. In response to an inquiry made the Japanese government, the Chinese government replied that the work is to check and maintain the facilities there. However, a later investigation by the Japanese government has reportedly found that the Chinese vessels were delivering materials that have nothing to do with the maintenance of TOKYO 00001594 013 OF 013 the facilities. POST