A/S CAMPBELL'S OCT 12 MEETING WITH MOFA STATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002368 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/J NSC FOR RUSSELL DOD FOR OSD/APSA - GREGSON/MITCHELL/SCHIFFER/HILL/BASALLA/HAMM PACOM FOR J00/J01/J5 USFJ FOR J00/J01/J5 E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/13/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR JA SUBJECT: A/S CAMPBELL'S OCT 12 MEETING WITH MOFA STATE SECRETARY TAKEMASA Classified By: James P. Zumwalt, Deputy Chief of Mission; reasons 1.4 ( b/d) SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) EAP A/S Kurt Campbell cited recent and upcoming high-level interaction between the U.S. and Japanese governments, including the visits to Japan by the President and Secretary Gates, as evidence of U.S. intent to work closely with the new Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Government in his October 12 meeting with State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Koichi Takemasa and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Parliamentary Secretary Shuji Kira. He urged the DPJ government not to conflate their views on the previous Japanese government with the U.S.-Japan Alliance, stressing that the U.S. Government would share all available information on Alliance issues to help the DPJ government deepen its understanding. ¶2. (C) Takemasa noted that the DPJ's stance on issues such as Host Nation Support for U.S. forces and plans to relocate U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam stemmed partly from lack of information. Kira stated that the DPJ government sought verification of recent reports of U.S. Air Force plans to reduce aircraft at Kadena and Misawa Air Bases, given the party's renewed interest in the Kadena consolidation option. On Afghanistan and Pakistan, he pointed out that the Japanese government would need a clearer idea of the Obama Adminstration's plans to engage the Taliban and its vision of the UN's role as Tokyo sought to support the U.S. Government's initiatives. A/S Campbell pointed out that no decision had been made regarding aircraft at Kadena and urged the Japanese government to state clearly its intention to support Afghanistan and Pakistan during the President's visit. End Summary. U.S. INTENTION TO WORK CLOSELY WITH DPJ GOVT -------------- ¶3. (C) The new Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) government and the U.S. Government were off to a good start, having begun a productive process of exchanges on key bilateral issues, such as realignment, visiting EAP A/S Kurt Campbell told State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Koichi Takemasa and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Parliamentary Secretary Shuji Kira in an October 12 meeting. A/S Campbell noted that a joint State-DOD team had provided realignment-related information earlier in the day to the Ministry of Defense (MOD),which was dispatching a delegation to Washington that evening for further discussion on the U.S.-Japan Alliance. He also cited the upcoming October 20-21 visit of Defense Secretary Gates and subsequent visit by the President in mid-November as further evidence of the Obama Administration's intention to work closely with the DPJ government. A/S Campbell asked that Japanese government leaders not conflate their views of the former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) government with the Alliance, adding that the U.S. Government would provide any further details required on past negotiations relevant to the realignment of U.S. forces. DPJ STANCE ON HNS, GUAM DUE PARTLY TO LACK OF INFORMATION -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Takemasa expressed gratitude for the hospitality shown Prime Minister Hatoyama and Foreign Minister Okada during their recent visits to the United States and stressed that U.S.-Japan relations remained the basis of Japan's security policy. He recounted his experience in the DPJ security policy team when the party was the opposition, highlighting that the DPJ's tough stance on Host Nation Support (HNS) for U.S. forces and on the plans to relocate U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam was due partly to its lack of information about those issues. The DPJ's views on the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) had also primarily reflected the sentiments of the Okinawan people rather than actual policy concerns. He therefore appreciated the U.S. Government's offer to provide further background on Alliance issues, Takemasa said. VALIDATE REPORTS OF USAF AIR CRAFT REDUCTION AT KADENA? -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) The Japanese government understood the importance of the February 2009 Guam International Agreement (GIA),but wished to review all realignment plans to secure a "win-win situation," noted Kira. He recalled that the U.S. Government in 1996 had appeared to favor the consolidation of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine aviation capabilities at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa as an alternative to Futenma Air Station. Kira queried whether recent reports that the U.S. Air Force might reduce the number of aircraft at Kadena were true, pointing out that, as the DPJ government looked again at the Kadena option, there was interest in such reports. A/S Campbell responded that the U.S. Air Force had examined the possibility of downsizing the number of aircraft at Kadena and Misawa, but had decided against it. This decision was appropriate, given tensions on the Korean Peninsula as well as evolving plans to introduce F-35s into Japan. A/S Campbell pointed out that no decision had been made regarding aircraft at Kadena, reiterating the offer to provide U.S. briefs on deployments and contingency plans to assist the Japanese government in its efforts to understand realignment issues. DPJ GOVT'S INTEREST IN SUPPORTING U.S. IN AF/PAK -------------- --- ¶6. (C) The DPJ government wished to support U.S. efforts in regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan, said Kira. To do so, Japan wished to learn more about indications that the Obama Administration might pursue reconciliation with the Taliban, a possibility that would require a better security climate. The Japanese government also sought a U.S. read-out on the role of the UN in Af/Pak initiatives going forward. The U.S. Government would welcome Japanese contribution to Af/Pak efforts and understood the importance placed on the UN by the DPJ government, said A/S Campbell. He also expressed hope that the Japanese government would make clear its commitment to Afghanistan and Pakistan during President Obama's visit. More generally, the U.S. Government sought a process that would lead to a reaffirmation of the bilateral relationship, which would encompass U.S. assistance in the Japanese government's review of realignment. A/S Campbell concluded by requesting MOFA's support for increased interaction between the two governments, ideally to include the visit of a large delegation of DPJ Diet members to Washington during Japan's Golden Week holidays in early May. ¶7. (U) A/S Campbell has cleared this message. ROOS