DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 09/24/09

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E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA SUBJECT: DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 09/24/09 INDEX: (1) Japan-U.S. summit: PM Hatoyama gives priority to building trust; Two leaders agree on "lofty ideals" on global warming, nuclear non-proliferation (Yomiuri) (2) Summit meeting: Japan, U.S. keep pace on stimulus measures (Nikkei) (3) New York University Professor Lincoln: "Prime Minister Hatoyama is not anti-American" (Nikkei) (4) Editorial: Japan-U.S. foreign ministerial talks - Taking action is best way to build relationship of trust (Sankei) (5) Editorial: Make use of Hatoyama speech to move negotiations on global warming forward (Nikkei) ARTICLES: (1) Japan-U.S. summit: PM Hatoyama gives priority to building trust; Two leaders agree on "lofty ideals" on global warming, nuclear non-proliferation YOMIURI (Page 3) (Full) September 24, 2009 Takushi Murao, political reporter (New York) Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama held his first Japan-U.S. summit meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama on the morning of September 23 (evening of September 23, Japan time). He gave priority to building a personal relationship of trust with the President and deferred discussions about the review of existing policies and the specific pending issues championed by the new Hatoyama administration. Personal relationship of trust Hatoyama was all smiles after his meeting with Obama. He told reporters: "It was a very warm atmosphere. I am very pleased." He had given top priority to building a personal relationship of trust with the President in this meeting and appeared to have a sense of success. At this first meeting between the two leaders, which lasted around 35 minutes including time allotted for picture taking, they reportedly "talked about their ideals and spoke enthusiastically about accepting challenges and working together," according to a participant in the meeting. The meeting also became an occasion for these two leaders, who both realized a change of government in their countries, to express their support for each other. Hatoyama said, "The wave of change that you initiated also reached Japan, and we were inspired by your courage." Obama replied, "That was good." A large number of senior U.S. government officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were also present at the meeting. This was perceived by the Japanese side as "an indication of the U.S. side's enthusiasm about the summit," according to a source accompanying the Prime Minister. TOKYO 00002236 002 OF 007 Hatoyama told Obama at the meeting that his cabinet will also "attach importance to the Japan-U.S. alliance as the cornerstone," emphasizing the importance of the Japan-U.S. relationship repeatedly. This is because he wanted to clear up the misunderstanding arising from his article carried by a U.S. paper in August and his advocacy of an "East Asian community," which had been interpreted as a sign of "breaking away from the U.S." or "leaning toward China." Neither side touched on issues that were sensitive to the U.S., such as the idea of an "equal Japan-U.S. relationship" that was championed by Hatoyama during the House of Representatives election or the "secret agreement" on introducing nuclear arms into Japan. Lofty ideals The two leaders talked about their "lofty ideals" and agreed on Japan-U.S. cooperation in dealing with climate change and other global issues. With regard to climate change, Hatoyama reiterated Japan's new mid-term target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. Obama paid tribute to the Prime Minister's announcement of this ambitious target, saying, "I am grateful for your bold statement." Hatoyama also told him that he intends to make efforts to persuade people who have reservations about the target at home. He noted that: "Certain people in the industrial sector in Japan still have a problem (with this target). It is necessary to find a political solution." The two leaders also confirmed the commitment of Japan and the United States to cooperate in supporting the 15th Conference of Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP15) to be held by the end of 2009. In addition, Hatoyama commented on Obama's speech in April calling for a "world without nuclear weapons." "I was deeply moved," said Hatoyama. "Let us take the lead on this," conveying Japan's determination to also play a leading role in the elimination of nuclear weapons. With regard to Afghan aid, an important issue for the U.S., Hatoyama said, "Japan will get actively involved with all possible forms of reconstruction aid as its own cause." This conveyed Japan's intention to come up with alternative aid proposals on the assumption that it will not continue the refueling mission in the Indian Ocean after next January. In response, the President said, "That's very good." USFJ realignment, refueling mission, other pending issues deferred Meanwhile, the two leaders did not go into detailed discussions on the pending issues between the Hatoyama administration and the U.S. government. The President said, "We will have a long relationship, so let's resolve the issues ONE by one," indicating his approach of devoting time to discussing them. The Hatoyama administration has declared that the top three foreign TOKYO 00002236 003 OF 007 policy issues in the first 100 days of the administration are: climate change, aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) realignment. Japan may need to take a stand on all these issues before the end of the year. North Korea With regard to the North Korea issues, about which Japan has a strong interest, the two leaders agreed to cooperate in resolving the nuclear issue. Hatoyama also said: "We also have the abduction issue. Therefore, in addition to the policy of dialogue and cooperation, we also need to take a tough stance when necessary." He sought the United States' understanding on the UN Security Council resolutions on sanctions against North Korea. This was meant to caution the Obama administration against adopting a conciliatory policy toward the DPRK over Japan's head. President Obama said he is "looking forward" to his visit to Japan in November. The two leaders agreed to start preparations for this visit. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs wanted to make this Japan-U.S. summit a success in order to facilitate a smooth visit for President Obama in mid-November. It is also planning to invite the President as a state guest on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the revision of the bilateral security treaty and issue a "New Japan-U.S. Joint Communique" (tentative name) next year. So far, the two leaders have worked hard to showcase a "honeymoon" between the two countries. Their diplomatic skills will now be put to test. (2) Summit meeting: Japan, U.S. keep pace on stimulus measures NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) September 24, 2009 Kotaro Hidaka, Takashi Okuma, New York The Japanese and U.S. leaders at a summit on September 23 vowed that both countries will strictly implement economic measures in order to overcome the current financial crisis and put the global economy on a sustainable growth track. The meeting, however, did not touch on specific policy challenges. Consequently, such issues as measures to curb global warming or narrow subtle differences in the views of the two countries about Prime Minister Hatoyama's East Asian Community Initiative, which takes the adoption of a common Asian currency into account, are still on the future agenda. Discussion stops short of bringing up measures to curb global warming, East Asian Community Concerning the global economy, the two leaders agreed at the meeting to work together to surmount the ongoing economic crisis. Until now, Hatoyama has been showing a stance of aiming for domestic demand-driven economic growth, by laying down measures to spur household budget consumption first. Meanwhile, in the U.S., it will likely take time for personal consumption, which has served as the driving force of its economy, to pick up because employment anxieties and excessive debts are TOKYO 00002236 004 OF 007 acting as an impediment. Obama intends to cover the global shortage in demand by increasing domestic demand in current account surplus countries, such as China and Japan. Playing up Japan-U.S. cooperation has been indispensable to that end as well. However, when it comes to individual economic policies, there remains a subtle gap in the two countries' cooperative stances. Cooperation on measures to curb global warming is still a challenge. At the meeting Hatoyama explained Japan's mid-term goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 from the 1990 level based on the premise that major countries will adopt an effective emissions reduction framework. Hatoyama and Obama agreed that the two countries will cooperate in the run-up to the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention to be held in December. However, a bill being considered in the U.S. stipulates an emissions cut by between 17 percent and 20 percent from the 2005 level, which is the same level as the goal adopted by the previous Aso administration in Japan. Deputy Assistant to the President Jason Furman stopped short of making a clear statement on the matter. He simply said to reporters that "Japan's goal is Japan's problem." The situation does not yet warrant an observation about the summit setting a direction for Japan and the U.S. to adjust their views for cooperation on curbing global warming. An essay by Hatoyama was carried by a U.S. daily before he visited the U.S. The U.S. media criticized his essay at first, claiming that it rejected U.S.-led globalization. Concern also remains that his proposal for a common Asian currency proposal will lead to the division of the world economy into blocs. Since then, Hatoyama has been underscoring his stance of attaching importance to the U.S. This was evident when he talked with Obama on the phone. It appears that the initial gap is becoming narrower. However, the two leaders went no further than vowing to work together toward settling issues concerning the Asia-Pacific region. The delicate distance between the two leaders will affect market trends. With the Hatoyama essay taken as a message of his distancing himself from the U.S., a strong yen trend has picked up steam on the foreign exchange market. At the bilateral summit in February, then prime minister Taro Aso and Obama agreed to maintain their faith in the dollar. The summit is over now, but skepticism remains about whether both countries can reconfirm their confidence in the dollar. (3) New York University Professor Lincoln: "Prime Minister Hatoyama is not anti-American" NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) September 23, 2009 With Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's visit to the U.S., an increasing number of Americans are paying attention to the change of government in Japan. The Nikkei interviewed New York University Professor Edward Lincoln, special advisor to a former U.S. ambassador to Japan and an expert on Japan-U.S. economic issues, to ask about his expectations for the Hatoyama administration and what tasks it should address. TOKYO 00002236 005 OF 007 -- How do you interpret the change of government in Japan? Lincoln: The change of government through an election in Japan is a very interesting event. The Hosokawa administration was launched in 1993 as a result of the Liberal Democratic Party's collapse and not through an election. I think this is a healthy development for democracy in Japan. -- Reading his article contributed to an American newspaper, some people seem to have labeled Prime Minister Hatoyama as anti-American. Lincoln: On economic issues, Mr. Hatoyama cited (in the article) the failure of U.S.-led capitalism, but the failure is also being debated in the U.S. The ongoing financial crisis is a result of the failure of U.S. regulations and oversight. The U.S. government is now making efforts to reconstruct such systems. Regarding security issues as well, Prime Minister Hatoyama and the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) have criticized mainly the Japanese government's strong support of the Bush administration's policies toward Iraq and other countries since 2001. I am opposed to the war against Iraq as are many Americans, and I agree with the DPJ's view. Prime Minister Hatoyama might be anti-Bush, but I don't think he is anti-American. I don't think that (the inauguration of the Hatoyama administration) will be a major problem in Japan-U.S. relations. -- The new administration has come up with a positive mid-term target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Lincoln: The DPJ has presented a more positive target (than the Liberal Democratic Party). The question is how the party will achieve this target. It is important for Japan to take part in international discussions. Japan has left quarreling with Europe to the U.S. and simply accepted the results of those arguments. The change in Japan's environment policy will put effective pressure on the U.S. (4) Editorial: Japan-U.S. foreign ministerial talks - Taking action is best way to build relationship of trust SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) September 23, 2009 A Japan-U.S. foreign ministerial meeting was held in New York between Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, now visiting the United States, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In their first meeting, the two top diplomats agreed that Tokyo and Washington will continue to place priority on the bilateral alliance under the Hatoyama administration. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and President Barack Obama have already reaffirmed the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance. We welcome that Okada and Clinton demonstrated the significance of the bilateral relations to audiences at home and abroad. However, Japan and the United States are out of step on such specific issues as the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and assistance to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Okada and Hatoyama should give considerable thought to strengthening the bilateral alliance in a realistic manner, as well as to expanding Japan's international contributions. TOKYO 00002236 006 OF 007 The talks were the first opportunity for Okada to meet with Clinton after becoming foreign minister. Clinton said, "The Japan-U.S. alliance is a cornerstone of the U.S. foreign policy and is indispensable to the security and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region." Okada then responded, "I would like to build a deeper, sustainable bilateral relationship." It can be said that the two leaders took positive approaches. Okada cited climate change, support for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan as the key issues that the new government will tackle in the coming 100 days. It makes sense that Okada did not bring up the issue of the alleged secret agreement on nuclear introduction. It is only natural that the U.S. government takes the position that Japan should not link the issue of the secret pact with contemporary issues because the secret pact is a domestic issue for Japan from the Cold War era. Okada told Clinton, "The Hatoyama government has no intention of normalizing relations with North Korea unless the North's nuclear and missile threats, as well as the abduction issue, are resolved." He clearly expressed that the Hatoyama government will follow the former Japanese government's policy toward Pyongyang. Okada and Clinton took a realistic approach on the agreement that verifiable and complete denuclearization is necessary for dismantling the North's nuclear programs. Since some Hatoyama administration members are believed to be pro-Pyongyang politicians, the Japanese and U.S. governments should be especially careful in terms of information sharing and security control regarding North Korea. Although Okada gave a positive assessment of his meeting with Clinton by saying he "got off to a good start," it will be difficult to resolve the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and the Afghan assistance issue. The U.S. side has said that if Japan formally proposes a review of the realignment plan, including the relocation of Futenma Air Station, it will hold discussions. However, it has maintained its position that the existing plan is the best one. Unless the Hatoyama administration presents a concrete framework for civilian assistance to Afghanistan, there will be no progress on the Afghan issue. On Sept. 23, Hatoyama will hold talks with Obama. Hatoyama plans to first build a relationship of trust with Obama, but the fastest way for Hatoyama to build a relationship of trust is to take action in resolving pending issues. He should do his best to strengthen and deepen the bilateral alliance with Japan's national interests in mind. (5) Editorial: Make use of Hatoyama speech to move negotiations on global warming forward NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) September 24, 2009 In the United Nation's climate change summit, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama announced Japan's midterm target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 PERCENT from 1990 levels by 2020. The summit was held with the December deadline drawing nearer for forming a new international framework to fight global warming following the 2012 expiration of the Kyoto Protocol. Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S. President Barack Obama delivered TOKYO 00002236 007 OF 007 speeches earlier than Hatoyama. Their speeches indicated many difficulties lie ahead before an agreement is reached. President Hu repeatedly used expressions indicating that developing countries should not be obligated to reduce greenhouse gases emissions. President Obama only emphasized a change in the U.S. approach to global warming. The U.S. and China have emitted 40 PERCENT of the total amount of gases discharged across the world. In this sense, the speeches by these countries' leaders were unsatisfactory. Meanwhile, the Hatoyama speech, in a sense, played the role of adding momentum to the negotiations on global warming. The Hatoyama Initiative is premised on "all major countries' agreeing on an ambitious target." To minimize the adverse effect of global warming, it is imperative for all major emitters to cooperate in reducing greenhouse gas emissions for which they are respectively responsible, based on the principle that major emitters should fulfill "common but different levels of responsibility." The U.S. and China are required to take a step forward to bring about an agreement. We expect the Hatoyama administration to play the role of persuading major emitters and speeding up the negotiations on this issue that will affect the environment of the earth in the future. The Hatoyama Initiative designed to offer support for developing countries in fighting global warming could become a catalyst prompting all countries to take part in efforts to tackle global warming. In the UN summit Hatoyama presented only principles for the initiative. He is urged to work out specifics, such as the scale of funds and ways of offering technological support, and present them to each country at an early date. Prime Minister Hatoyama is now pressed to form a domestic consensus. Critics say the new midterm target is too high, focusing on the previous administration's estimate that a household may have to shoulder an additional burden of about 360,000 yen annually. A study group under the Aso administration worked out this figure. Some people point out that the numerical figure was worked out by adding necessary costs, based on the current industrial structure and without taking into consideration the possibility of new industries created through technological innovation. Once the government comes up with a clear goal, companies should be able to confidently invest in technical development and plant and equipment in related areas. In order to win public support for its international promise, it is necessary to make the people aware that the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions will create new markets and eventually contribute to buoying up the economy. If only an increase in the public burden is focused on in discussion, the discussion will be way off-base. We hope that the government will hammer out a national strategy that will impose an equitable and minimal burden on the people and enable sustainable economic growth. ROOS