Politics Japan

India, Japan agree on annual N-dialogue

2006-01-05T19:22:00.000-05:00

In trying to build a greater understanding on nuclear issues, India and Japan agreed today to start an annual dialogue on nuclear matters under the framework of disarmament and non-proliferation.

From an Indian standpoint, this allows New Delhi to iron out differences in ways that could make for gaining greater international cooperation on civilian nuclear energy. Japan, as a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, will play a crucial role in decisions related to India when the grouping meets next, possibly in March.

The agreement was arrived at during discussions between Minister of State for Foreign Affairs E Ahamed and visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso.

‘‘The ministers agreed to launch a ... dialogue on disarmament and non-proliferation, with the objective of promoting commonalities and enlarging areas of convergence for mutual cooperation in a constructive manner,’’ a joint press release said.

The dialogue will also address issues linked with high technology trade. It will be conducted at the joint-secretary level and will take forward the resolve to work on areas of convergence in nuclear matters stated during Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visit in April.

Divisions, Rivalries threaten new Cold War in East Asia

2006-01-03T16:52:00.000-05:00

What we have feared is threatening to become a reality. The open rivalry and discord between Japan and China is becoming the most destabilizing factor to the peace and prosperity of East Asia. The United States is so concerned by the mounting tensions between the two leading nations in the region that it has called on them to settle their differences.

Divisions not unity. It has become clear, however, that the U.S. fear that an East Asian Community concept, centered on ASEAN Plus Three (Japan, China and South Korea), may lead East Asia to coagulate into a regional Pan-Asianism bloc has turned out to be groundless. Far from embracing Pan-Asianism, East Asia is deeply divided.

Two international events that should mark the conclusion of the 60th anniversary year of the end of World War II took place in 2005 -- the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum plenary meeting in Seoul and the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur. Nevertheless, discord between China and South Korea, on the one hand, and Japan, on the other -- the three nations that form a core group in the East Asian region -- is growing more serious.

As a result, the two events, which were supposed to shape the future of East Asia, ended up being an all-star show that produced nothing worth mentioning.

The East Asia Summit in particular, held with much fanfare, failed to achieve anything substantial, simply issuing a declaration whose focus was blurred due to the fact that the agenda covered an unnecessarily broad spectrum of items. There are three major reasons for this.

LDP landslide buries two-party system

2006-01-02T23:23:00.000-05:00

The result of the Sept. 11 general election was a runaway victory for the Liberal Democratic Party, and political chaos. But from the fog of uncertainty that is enveloping Japan there may emerge a new political structure that could some day be called the "2005 order."

This order offers two scenarios. One is the establishment of a bipolar political system under which right-wingers and middle-of-the-road left-wingers vie for power in the context of a confrontation between a new liberalism and a moderate welfare state advocacy. The other sees the LDP and the Democratic Party of Japan competing to make bold or radical statements on the back of diplomatic subservience to the United States on the international front and a new liberalism at home.

In Europe, labor unions have far greater political influence than those in Japan and always support political parties on the left. In the U.S., the Republican Party weaves together such extremists as neoconservatives and religious fundamentalists within its ranks while there have always been liberal forces exercising their influence in the Democratic Party. Therefore, it is almost inconceivable that there could exist two-party systems devoid of ideological differences in Europe and the U.S.

Bush-Koizumi diplomacy to wind down

2006-01-02T23:13:00.000-05:00

The New Year marks the beginning of the end of a period in which Japan and the United States could rely on the unprecedented friendly ties between their leaders to work out disputes and maintain the bilateral alliance to deal with Asian hotspots such as China and North Korea.

The end looms as Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi indulges in domestic politics before leaving office in September and U.S. President George W Bush focuses on Iraq to address his waning popularity and help boost his fellow Republicans ahead of the mid-term congressional elections in November.

Asia experts in Washington are now worried most about how the Bush administration will manage possible contingencies in Asia, especially between Japan and China, without this top-level backbone to Japan-U.S. relations amid an exodus of senior U.S. officials who had formed the currently stable ties with Japan and other Asian nations.

Michael Green left the White House in December after serving as senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council, joining the list of major departed figures including former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs James Kelly.

Deputy Defense Undersecretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Richard Lawless is the only notable Japan-focused figure who remains in the Bush administration.

Human rights ambassador ready to tackle North Korea

2006-01-02T19:33:00.000-05:00

Diplomat Fumiko Saiga has repeatedly tried to convince Japanese politicians and labor officials that women are not weak. She is again set to prove that point on her new mission as Japan's first ambassador in charge of human rights.

Having long dedicated herself to the elimination of discrimination against women, Saiga will now take on a country that world leaders are still trying to figure out: North Korea.

Saiga, 62, ambassador to Norway and Iceland, was appointed Dec. 6 to concurrently serve in the newly created post.

Flying back to Tokyo from Oslo on Dec. 8, Saiga landed in Seoul the same day to attend an international conference urging Pyongyang to improve its human rights records.

There, she agreed with Jay Lefkowitz, U.S. special envoy on human rights, to strengthen cooperation to resolve the issue of Japanese abducted to North Korea.

Saiga said she will have to shelve her gardening and golfing hobbies to shuttle between Oslo and such cities as Geneva and New York to attend U.N. human rights meetings and other international forums.

"Abduction is an unpardonable act that infringes on all kinds of human rights, such as freedom of expression, thought, creed and abode," she says. "Since many countries in Europe have diplomatic ties with North Korea, I hope to seek their understanding and cooperation."

Japanese premier vows to improve relations with neighbors

2006-01-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Sunday vowed to improve relations with neighboring countries, as a diplomatic row over the death of a Japanese consulate worker in Shanghai threatened to further poison Japan-China relations.

The premier also said Japan would continue to aid country-building efforts in Iraq, and accelerate fiscal and administrative reform efforts at home.

"I will advance friendly relations with other countries, including neighboring countries," Koizumi said in a New Year's message released Sunday. But Japan's foreign relations would remain based on the Japan-U.S. alliance and international coordination, he added.

His comments came after China on Saturday accused Japan of deliberately smearing Beijing's image by suggesting Chinese spies drove the consulate staffer to suicide last year.

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Frozen China-Japan relations hold hopes

2006-01-01T14:39:00.000-05:00

Most news about the China-Japan relations in 2005 is negative, which led people to truly believe in a crisis. However, the China-Japan relations have their intrinsic exuberant vitality, holding hopes beneath the hard ice and calling for new breakthroughs.

There is no denying the existence of some sticking points, which does not, however, mean complete gloominess for the future.

It is already known to all that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine are the crux for the development of the China-Japan relations. A few years ago, although bilateral visit exchanges could not be realized due to this, a "side door" was still left open for Chinese and Japanese leaders to meet on the sidelines of multilateral activities. Even this door has been shut this year.

So is it true that no vitality is left in the body because of the existence of some persistent ailment?

The answer is negative and the China-Japan relations will continue to develop forward. The rationale is rather obvious -- the China-Japan relations cannot develop in isolation from the overall international situation.

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Editorial: The spirit of the samurai

2006-01-01T14:22:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year. Today, people all over Japan must be repeating this phrase to greet each other.

New Year is a happy time because we feel refreshed and have a feeling something good is going to happen. In Japanese, we say "Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu." The Chinese say "Xin nian kuai le," which literally means "New Year pleasure." The feeling of felicitation seems universal around the world.

What are your wishes for the New Year? Some people may be hoping to succeed in entrance examinations or land a good job. Others may be seeking happiness in a romantic relationship or at their workplace. Others pray for good health or peace. We wish everyone happiness from the bottom of our heart.

Unfortunately, however, happiness does not come to everyone equally. Just as there are winners and losers in sporting events, someone's fortune is often another's misfortune.

Last year, the privatization of postal services drew a clear line between the winners and losers. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who admires the ruthless 16th century feudal lord Oda Nobunaga, showed his mettle and called a Lower House election after the Upper House rejected his postal privatization bills.

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Mitsuru Uchida: Our next leader must be bold, yet...

2006-01-01T13:45:00.000-05:00

Our next leader must be bold, yet empathetic
Special to The Asahi Shimbun

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has been declaring for some time now that he will step down when his term as Liberal Democratic Party president expires in September.

With more than five years in power, the Koizumi Cabinet will by then be Japan's third-longest post-World War II administration, after the governments of Shigeru Yoshida and Eisaku Sato, respectively.

But the end is near. In the new year, we will witness the inevitable rush from the starting gate of candidates vying to form the first government of the post-Koizumi era.

No one can deny that Koizumi's resignation will herald big changes in Japanese politics. For better or worse, this prime minister's strong personality has overshadowed his Cabinet throughout his tenure.

After last September's Lower House election gave the Liberal Democratic Party a landslide victory, Koizumi's leadership has taken on a royal aspect.

No matter who follows, the next prime minister will be forced to adopt a drastically different political style, just to make it clear that a new person is in charge.

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Japanese troops will train with U.S Marines

2006-01-01T13:34:00.000-05:00

TOKYO Japanese troops will train with U.S. Marines next year to strengthen Tokyo's defense of islands also claimed by China which are believed to lie near oil and gas resources in the East China Sea, a report said Saturday.

Japan's Self-Defense Forces will also develop short-range torpedoes for combat in shallow waters, the business newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported.

The paper said about 125 Japanese troops will be sent to San Diego in January for joint exercises with Marines simulating a landing on an occupied island.

The islands _ called Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan _ lie in the East China Sea between Taiwan and Japan. They were ceded to Japan by China in an 1895 war and continue to be a frequent source of friction between the nations.

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TOKYO - Japan's military is stepping up its...

2005-12-31T14:01:00.000-05:00

TOKYO - Japan's military is stepping up its defense of islands also claimed by China and will propose talks with India on diplomatic and security issues as part of attempts to counter China's growing military might in Asia, a report said on Saturday.

To strengthen its ability to repulse a possible Chinese invasion of the disputed East China Sea islands, Japan's Self-Defense Forces will conduct joint exercises with the U.S. Marine Corps in January and develop short-range torpedoes for combat in shallow waters, the business newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported.

The report came days after Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Beijing poses "a considerable military threat" because it has nuclear weapons and is boosting its military spending. China called the remarks irresponsible and groundless.

Japan envisions a scenario in which China would invade the islets, called Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, the newspaper said.

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Reporter: Shane McLeod MAXINE McKEW: Time now to...

2005-12-31T11:16:00.000-05:00

Reporter: Shane McLeod

MAXINE McKEW: Time now to turn to one of the most important regions in the world for Australia - and of course that's North Asia, and it's home to three of our main export markets. There, it's been a year of power politics - from nuclear bombs of the past to nuclear ambitions of the future. Japan emerged from more than a decade of economic doldrums just as China staked its claim on becoming the region's economic superpower. This look back at 2005 from North Asia correspondent Shane McLeod.

SHANE McLEOD: McLEOD: Among the hundreds of animals at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, there's none more popular than the panda. But Ling Ling is a very lonely bachelor. He's the last of the line of furry black and white residents of the zoo given to Japan by China as a gesture of friendship after the two countries established diplomatic relationship in the 1970s. His keepers would like to find him a mate, but his dating options are limited by politics and money.

TRANSLATION, UENO ZOO, OONO MASANARI: A panda is an animal that basically lives as an individual, except for the breeding season. So at the moment he's having an easy life by himself.

SHANE McLEOD: Attempts to find Ling Ling a mate have ended in failure. Other options are limited, because China doesn't give its pandas away anymore. It only lets you borrow them.

OONO MASANARI: The rental fee is a very large amount so it's not easy.

SHANE McLEOD: Lonely Ling Ling's search for love is symptomatic of all that's tricky in north Asian diplomacy. Tensions came to a head in April when streets in Chinese cities filled with protesters targeting Japanese companies. From China's side the problem was Japan not showing enough contrition for war-time aggression and annual visits by Japan's PM to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo didn't help. The shrine honours the war dead including 14 class-A war criminals from World War II.

JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (TRANSLATION): We shall not forget that we have today's peace because people who unwillingly went to war and lost their valuable lives made a sacrifice.

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Japan 'warship plan' to guard whaling fleet

2005-12-31T10:45:00.000-05:00

HARDLINE anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd claims Japan may be sending a warship to the Southern Ocean to protect its whaling fleet from interference.

Dogged by Greenpeace ships, threatened with attack from Sea Shepherd, and enduring bad weather, the fleet's factory ship has not processed a whale for a week.

Sea Shepherd, whose ship Farley Mowat has had one brush with the fleet, alleges a "reliable source" in Japan gave the tip-off that a warship had left for the Southern Ocean.

Japanese Government representatives could not be reached for comment, but a spokesman drew attention to Sea Shepherd's extremism.

Japan's top 2005 stories: Derailment disaster highlights profits...

2005-12-31T10:43:00.000-05:00

AMAGASAKI, Hyogo -- A commuter train derailment on the JR Fukuchiyama Line here in April that left 107 people dead and hundreds of others injured raised serious doubts about the railway operator's attitude toward safety.

The accident occurred between Tsukaguchi and Amagasaki stations in Amagasaki at around 9:20 a.m. on April 25. The front four carriages of the seven-car rapid service train bound for Doshishamae from Takarazuka derailed.

The two front coaches rammed into a condominium along the line, badly damaging the structure.

It was later learned that the train was traveling at over 100 kilometers per hour at the time of the accident, far in excess of the speed limit of 70 kph. The driver had previously been suspended from train operation duties for overrunning the stop position at a railway station.

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Japan/China: Venom Continues

2005-12-31T10:41:00.000-05:00

Japan slammed for smearing China's image:

China on Friday expressed strong indignation at the Japanese government's association of the suicide of a staff member at the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai with the so-called "actions of Chinese agents."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said it was a vicious act by Japan to intentionally smear China's image.

Japan said on Wednesday that local Chinese security authoritieswere believed to have taken regrettable actions behind the scene of the suicide in May last year.

Japanese behaviour in suicide case 'vile', says China

2005-12-30T19:11:00.000-05:00

China yesterday denounced the "vile behaviour" of the Tokyo government in alleging that a Japanese diplomat based in Shanghai committed suicide after he was blackmailed by a Chinese agent demanding state secrets.

In the latest bitter dispute between the Far Eastern powers, Japanese media reports said the diplomat, who was in charge of encryption of classified material, left suicide notes saying he had been blackmailed by Beijing over his relationship with a hostess at a karaoke bar.

The diplomat, who was 46, reportedly hanged himself in the Japanese consulate in May last year, saying in a note that he would rather die than betray his country.

The reports said that Chinese agents had pressurised the diplomat into leaking a report and divulging Japan's encryption systems.

China keeps its policy to Japan despite gov’t shift

2005-12-30T18:05:00.000-05:00

China is to insist on its position and foreign policy to Japan no matter which party or person rules Japan, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing Thursday.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will leave office when his term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party expires next September.

The Chinese government always adheres to developing long-term friendly cooperative relations with Japan based on the principle of "taking history as a mirror and looking forward to the future", Qin told a regular press conference.

It is believed that Junichiro Koizumi repeated pilgrimage to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including a dozen major World War II criminals, is the main reason for the deterioration of China-Japan ties.

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2006 - Year of Goat?

2005-12-30T10:59:00.000-05:00

The best diplomacy is quiet diplomacy. Over 50 years ago, the U.S. State Department suggested to Secretary of Defense Charlie Wilson that "the most important thing to avoid in conversation is the temptation to give advice." Wilson, who was getting ready to fly to Tokyo for security negotiations with the Japanese government, did his best to remember this golden rule of international relations.

Fortunately, though, commentators beat a different drum. They have the luxury of sounding off as and when the moment appears right. It goes with their territory to pound the table or even kick the podium in hob-nailed boots to make a point.

With Japan set to switch leaders next September and the economy looking healthier by the hour, 2006 is going to present new opportunities. Instead of the inward-looking stances of the past decade and a half, Japan should be thinking of new initiatives toward the wider world. Rather than proposing budgetary cuts in its foreign aid, Tokyo ought to be reckoning on what it can do to "Make Poverty History."

New thinking is called for as the Japanese economy shifts gear and the public alters its mind set. Consumerism is once again on the national agenda. Shoppers can be expected to be out in force from now on and the Tokyo stock exchange is set to head north providing it can avoid another "fat fingers" cock-up.

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Politics Japan

2005-12-30T10:27:00.000-05:00

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