ASSISTANT SECRETARY CAMPBELL'S NOVEMBER 5 LUNCH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002617

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/J, CA/OCS - BOND, CA/CI - REGAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL KOCI CASC MARR CH JA
SUBJECT: ASSISTANT SECRETARY CAMPBELL'S NOVEMBER 5 LUNCH
WITH VFM YABUNAKA

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Classified By: DCM James P. Zumwalt per reasons. 1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: During a November 5 lunch meeting with MOFA
Vice Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabunaka, Assistant Secretary
for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell briefed on
his trip to Burma (see septel report),and discussed the
President,s upcoming visit to Japan, U.S.-Japan alliance
management, International Parental Child Abduction, whaling,
and China. State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tetsuro
Fukuyama joined the end of the meeting and discussed
Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) views toward China. End
Summary.

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POTUS Visit
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2. (C) A/S Campbell said that the President was looking
forward to his visit to Japan. In order to avoid letting
difficult issues such Futenma relocation and Okinawa dominate
perceptions of the visit, Campbell said that the visit should
highlight areas in which the U.S. and Japan are working
together in order to avoid having Okinawa and Futenma
relocation issues dominate the Summit. The U.S. and Japan
must work together to ensure that media coverage of
U.S.-Japan Alliance issues during the President,s visit is
balanced, he said.


3. (C) Yabunaka agreed on the importance of reaffirming the
Alliance and suggested a joint press statement during the
President,s visit that would highlight areas of cooperation.
In addition, background papers provided to the media would
elaborate on these areas. He suggested three main topics -
the bilateral alliance, regional security, and global
cooperation. A/S Campbell said the U.S. needed to be careful
regarding choice of language and word choice - particularly
on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. Because the
U.S. is currently in the midst of its nuclear posture review
and Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference (Revcon)
preparations, any background papers would have to be
carefully reviewed by U.S. government experts. Yabunaka
expressed appreciation for the U.S.,s flexibility on
language on various issues.


4. (C) A/S Campbell said he understood that Prime Minister
Hatoyama,s speech for the Singapore APEC Summit was
currently being prepared by the Prime Minister,s staff and
said he hoped the Prime Minister's office would coordinate
the contents with MOFA. In particular, A/S Campbell urged
that any references to Hatoyama,s East Asia Community (EAC)
concept not exclude the U.S. from membership, stressing that
exclusionary language would not be well-received in
Washington. A/S Campbell said the U.S. is trying to be more
active in Asia and does not want the perception that it is
unwelcome. Yabunaka reaffirmed that U.S. involvement in Asia
is essential and reassured that Hatoyama,s Singapore speech
would reflect A/S Campbell,s concerns. He added that the
Prime Minster,s statements on the EAC had become more
inclusive over the last month and that this had reflected
MOFA,s involvement.

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International Parental Child Abduction
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5. (C) A/S Campbell suggested to Yabunaka that the GOJ take
proactive steps to confront the International Parental Child
Abduction (IPCA) issue. He said that left-behind parents in
the United States, primarily fathers, are becoming better
organized and becoming more active with Congress. These
parents are angry and frustrated with perceived GOJ inaction
on the issue. A/S Campbell cautioned that unless the GOJ
finds a way forward in dealing with IPCA, the situation could
deteriorate significantly and negatively impact how Japan is
seen in the United States. Acknowledging past GOJ statements

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that it would be difficult in the short term for the GOJ to
sign The Hague Convention and that this step would not cover
existing cases retroactively -- the U.S. and Japan had
discussed forming a working group to address the issue -- A/S
Campbell urged that Japan take steps to facilitate visitation
by left-behind parents. The Ambassador also suggested
developing a roadmap of necessary steps that would allow
Japan to sign the Convention. The DCM added that the State
Department,s Office of Children,s Issues (CA/OCI) offered
training for Consular Officers in handling potential IPCA
cases and suggested that CA/OCI might be willing to brief
Japanese Embassy and MOFA personnel on techniques for dealing
with such cases. Yabunaka said he understood the strong
emotions that IPCA issues aroused and the views shared by not
only the United States, but Canada and European countries as
well.

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State Secretary Fukuyama Joins/China
--------------


6. (C) As the discussion turned to China, State Secretary
for Foreign Affairs (SSFA) Tetsuro Fukuyama, a DPJ Diet Upper
House member, unexpectedly arrived and joined the meeting.
(Note: Just below the Foreign Minister, MOFA,s two SSFAs are
the senior political appointees in the ministry. End Note.)
Prior to Fukuyama,s arrival, A/S Campbell had asked Yabunaka
about the range of views on China within the DPJ. Yabunaka
said that the overall sentiment, if not precisely utopian was
tha the relationship with China would be one of friendship,
provided certain issues could be overcome. That said, others
in DPJ espoused a less optimistic and more "realistic" view
toward China, in Yabunaka,s view.


7. (C) In response to a similar question from A/S Campbell
regarding DPJ views toward China, Fukuyama said that the
short answer was that China was a friend. At the same time,
various issues related to China are reminders of the
importance of the U.S.-Japan Alliance, he said. Recalling
comments he had made earlier in the day at a Japan-Germany
forum, Fukuyama said that German participants had asked a
similar question. He said that Japan-China relations are
very important and that the new DPJ-led government had gotten
off to a good start in dealing with China. That said, he
added the Japan,s relationship with China is based on the
U.S.-Japan Alliance. U.S.-Japan relations and Japan-China
relations are not mutually exclusive, he stressed, but both
were part of Japan,s multilayered international relations.
While the DPJ-led government has some concerns about China,
Fukuyama said Prime Minister Hatoyama had emphasized
friendship over concern. A/S Campbell replied that the new
U.S. administration also felt that it had gotten off to a
good start with China but difficult subjects such as Tibet,
Taiwan, and Xinjiang remained.


8. (U) A/S Campbell cleared this cable.

ROOS