TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS

UNCLAS TOKYO 000207 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 - U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS AND START TALKS ¶1. LEAD STORIES: Most Tuesday morning papers led with the disclosure by DPJ Secretary General Ozawa on Monday that he was questioned a second time by prosecutors on Sunday over a questionable land purchase made in 2004 by his political fund management organization. ¶2. "Chinese Arms Buildup Becoming New Source of Concern" On strong Chinese reaction to the Obama administration's decision to sell weapons to Taiwan, the business-oriented Nikkei editorialized (2/2): "The fact that the Chinese stated that [the arms sale] is bound to affect U.S.-China cooperation on important global and regional issues is worrisome, given that there are many outstanding issues that require coordination between the U.S. and China, such as nuclear development by Iran and North Korea, the global financial crisis, and the environment. Speculation is rife that President Hu may not take part in the Nuclear Security Summit proposed by President Obama and to be held in Washington in April. China must not break its promise to play a constructive role in world stability and prosperity.... As China's presence continues to grow, concerns are mounting around the world about China potentially taking a tough diplomatic line." ¶3. "'G-2' to Become Obsolete Word" A Washington-based columnist with the conservative Sankei argued in a front-page essay (2/2): "The clash of opinions is becoming more pronounced between the U.S. and China, with bilateral coordination between the two governments likely to suffer a setback. However, this transition is a natural consequence, given that the Obama administration has been trying to gloss over major differences in values, policies, and interests in order to play up common areas of interest. There appears to be a limit to the extent that disagreements can be masked." ¶4. "U.S.-Russia Talks Resumed over Post-START Accord" (2/2): On Monday's resumption of talks in Geneva between the U.S. and Russia over a treaty to succeed START, the liberal Mainichi stated: "While President Obama, as well as Russian President Medvedev, has presented an optimistic view on reaching a deal at an early date, the issue of how to verify flight tests for Russian ICBMs is likely to remain a source of contention right up until the last minute. With conservatives in both countries showing no sign of compromise, the two leaders will probably be pressed to make a political decision.... Optimistic statements made by the two presidents can be regarded as a reflection of the sense of urgency to reach an early agreement in order to bring a successful conclusion to the NPT review conference in May." ROOS