TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - GAZA AND UKRAINE

UNCLAS TOKYO 000275 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 - GAZA AND UKRAINE ¶1. LEAD STORIES: All papers on Wednesday morning gave top or front-page play to Toyota's announcement on Tuesday that it would recall 437,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide to repair brake problems. ¶2. "Further Efforts Needed to End Tragedy in Gaza" The liberal Asahi editorialized (2/10): "In order to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we need to create conditions for regional stability through a step-by-step approach as if unraveling a tangled web. We hope the U.S., which has close relations with Israel and can work with Arab nations, will make additional efforts to end the tragedy in Gaza." ¶3. "Ukraine to Revert to Being Pro-Russia" The business- oriented Nikkei stated in an editorial (2/10): "The future course of Ukraine, which is likely to quickly revert to being a pro-Russian nation, is worrisome.... Russia naturally welcomes the change of government in Ukraine. In addition to Ukraine, it is quite possible that Russia will increase its influence over its key neighbors that have geopolitical importance, such as Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Although Russia has incurred serious damages from the collapse of the Soviet Union and the recent financial crisis, we cannot rule out concerns that Russia's expansionism, which is backed by its rich energy resources, will become a source of instability by upsetting the balance of power in the region." ROOS