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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 004520 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR E, P, EB, EAP/J, EAP/P, EAP/PD, PA; 
WHITE HOUSE/NSC/NEC; JUSTICE FOR STU CHEMTOB IN ANTI-TRUST DIVISION; 
TREASURY/OASIA/IMI/JAPAN; DEPT PASS USTR/PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; 
SECDEF FOR JCS-J-5/JAPAN, 
DASD/ISA/EAPR/JAPAN; DEPT PASS ELECTRONICALLY TO USDA 
FAS/ITP FOR SCHROETER; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR; 
CINCPAC FLT/PA/ COMNAVFORJAPAN/PA. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO PGOV PINR ECON ELAB JA
 
SUBJECT: JAPANESE MORNING PRESS HIGHLIGHTS 08/11/06 
 
Index: 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
4) Foiled terrorist plot Heathrow Airport, England, puts Japanese 
airliners on alert 
 
5) Prime Minister Koizumi reveals 10-year comprehensive cooperative 
plan during Mongolia visit 
 
6) Yomiuri poll shows extraordinary popular distrust toward China 
65%  with 66% of public seeing bilateral relations in bad shape 
 
"Spy paradise" Japan: 
7) Company caught shipping chemical weapons-related freeze-dry unit 
to North Korean firm directly under Kim Jong Il 
8) Russian industrial-secrets spy caught trying acquiring missile 
guidance-related devices 
 
Political season: 
9) LDP presidential candidate Shinzo Abe seems to have gathered 70% 
of the party's support, will announce candidacy tomorrow 
10) Abe with majority support in his party seems assured of being 
elected LDP president 
11) Abe running way ahead of other candidates but "forces of 
resistance" in LDP should not be discounted 
 
12) Three conditions for turning Yasukuni into a non-religious 
organization: keep name, facility, and ceremonies 
 
13) Japan, South Korea to negotiate prior notification system for 
nautical surveys in disputed waters 
 
14) Mexican-origin cattle cannot be processed and shipped to Japan 
as US beef 
 
15) Overseas Economic Cooperation Council to promote assistance for 
energy conservation by China and India, using ODA 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: Mainichi: Yomiuri: Sankei: Tokyo Shimbun: 
Terrorist attacks on US-bound aircraft thwarted; London police 
arrest 21 suspects 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
New guidelines for screening companies to be listed to be 
strengthened; Cautious stance toward corporate governance and 
information disclosure to be required from securities houses 
 
Akahata: 
Liberal Democratic Party to use new fund-raising method using 
intermediary corporations; Seminars that collect 500,000 yen from 
corporate participants planned 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
 
TOKYO 00004520  002 OF 010 
 
 
(1) LDP presidential election: Factions continuing to weaken 
(2) Lebanon crisis: Expanding diplomacy for a ceasefire 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) National Police Agency to adopt reward system for crime tips: 
Many issues to be resolved 
(2) Prime minister's ambition has sparked nationalism 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Mongolia: Affinity with this nation will support strategic 
relationship 
(2) Proliferation of private universities: Brand power needed to 
survive 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1) Revitalize local economies: Northern Kyushu making best use of 
its ties with Asia 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Gifu Prefecture conceals off-the-books money; Expose collusive 
ties between prefecture and labor union 
(2) Prime minister visits Mongolia: We want to see strengthened 
strategic diplomacy 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Child murders in Akita: Police investigation should be examined 
(2) Law schools: Study of law at turning point 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Asbestos Safety Treaty to come into force in Japan: Use it to 
prevent health hazard 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, August 10 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2)  (Full) 
August 11, 2006 
 
08:29 
Departed for Mongolia from Haneda Airport on government plane. 
 
Afternoon 
Arrived at Genghis Khan International Airport and Genghis Khan 
Hotel. Attended welcoming ceremony. Offered flowers before Genghis 
Khan statue. Held summit meeting with Prime Minister Enkhbold. 
Attended the signing of economic aid package and joint press 
conference. Returned to Genghis Khan Hotel. 
 
Evening 
Enjoyed the second act of opera "Genghis Khan." Returned to the 
hotel. Attended welcoming dinner party hosted Prime Minister 
Enkhbold at Guesthouse. Returned to the hotel. 
 
4) JAL, ANA taking security measures following suspension of flights 
to Heathrow Airport due to terrorist plot 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
August 11, 2006 
 
British police on Aug. 10 foiled a terrorist plot to blow up 
aircraft in midair. In response, tighter security measures have been 
 
TOKYO 00004520  003 OF 010 
 
 
taken at Heathrow Airport. Narita Airport, Kansai Airport, and 
Japanese airlines were also preoccupied yesterday with making 
responses and gathering information, just a few days before a rush 
of people going on trips abroad during the O-Bon holidays. The Land, 
Infrastructure, and Transport Ministry has not raised the threat 
level at domestic airports, but it instructed airlines to take 
thorough security measures, including checking liquids to be carried 
on planes. The ministry also instructed that all liquids be banned 
from being carried on flights. Airlines have asked passengers to 
hand over even drinks and shampoo. 
 
Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) operated all 
London-bound flights on schedule yesterday. Long flights are allowed 
to land at Britain's Heathrow Airport, but the destination might be 
changed. The two airlines have collected information to learn if 
landing and taking-off are possible at the airport today and 
beyond. 
 
In London, passengers are required to put all carry-on items in 
clear plastic bags. The two companies distributed bags to passengers 
at the airports in London. JAL will distribute bags to passengers at 
Japanese airports starting today. 
 
5) Japan, Mongolia to map out 10-year comprehensive plan with 
cooperation in energy development in mind 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 11, 2006 
 
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi yesterday met with Mongolian Prime 
Minister Enkhbold at the Mongolian government office. The two 
leaders agreed to map out a 10-year comprehensive action program 
aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in the political, 
economic, educational, and cultural fields. They also agreed to 
establish an intelligence exchange framework with Mongolia's 
diplomatic ties with North Korea in mind. 
 
The aim is to expand relations with a pro-Japan Mongolia, thereby 
encouraging Japanese companies to participate in the development of 
natural resources in that nation, as well as to counter China, which 
is increasing its political presence in Asia. 
 
The action program will contain specific targets for each field. The 
two countries will speed up efforts to lay the groundwork in the 
run-up to President Enkhbayar's planned visit to Japan next 
February. Mongolia has rich underground mineral resources, such as 
coking coal, a material used for manufacturing steel, gold, and 
copper. The objective of the program is to develop these resources. 
Prime Minister Koizumi underscored, "Japanese companies are 
interested in underground resources. I would like to make efforts to 
consolidate investment conditions." 
 
Koizumi is the third Japanese prime minister to visit that nation, 
following Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu in 1991 and Prime Minister 
Keizo Obuchi in 1999. Koizumi announced that Japan would provide 
approximately 300 million yen in grant aid for the construction of a 
museum in Karakorum, the capital of the former Mongol Empire. He 
handed over a museum model to the prime minister, creating a 
friendly atmosphere in the talks. 
 
During the talks, Enkhbold expressed his support for Japan's bid for 
a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). He 
 
TOKYO 00004520  004 OF 010 
 
 
also pledged to have stories from illustrated books for children 
"The Grateful Crane (Tsuru no Ongaeshi)" and "Guardian Deity in a 
Hat (Kasa Jizo)" carried in elementary and middle school textbooks 
in Mongolia. 
 
Mongolia, sandwiched between China and Russia, attaches importance 
to relations with Japan, characterizing it as a third neighbor. 
China has formed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with Russia 
and four Central Asian nations. Mongolia has taken part in the 
framework as an observer. Koizumi plans to visit Central Asia later 
in the month. He intends to check China's diplomatic offensive by 
visiting that region. 
 
6) Poll: 65% can't trust China, 66% see Japan-China ties as bad 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
August 11, 2006 
 
A recent Yomiuri Shimbun poll, conducted July 8-9 across the nation 
on a face-to-face basis, has found that a total of 65% cannot trust 
China, the worst ever rating in the six surveys taken since 1988. 
Meanwhile, a total of 66% think that Japan-China relations are 
currently in bad shape, nearly twice as high as the percentage shown 
in a previous survey taken in 1996. The figure in the latest survey 
appears to reflect China's strong backlash to Prime Minister Koizumi 
paying homage at Yasukuni Shrine. 
 
The proportion of those who cannot trust China is up 10 percentage 
points from a previous survey in 2002. Those who can trust China 
totaled 30%, down 8 points. In addition, respondents were also asked 
if they thought Japan-China relations are now in good shape, with 
only 27% saying "yes," down 29 points from the 1996 survey. When it 
comes to the public image of China, "bad" totaled 67%, with "good" 
at 27%. 
 
Respondents were also asked to pick only one country they thought 
would be most influential in Asia. In response to this question, 
China topped all other countries at 57%, followed by the United 
States at 14%. Japan ranked third at 10%. 
 
They were further asked to pick up to three countries as potential 
economic powers in Asia, and China ranked first at 70%. As seen from 
this figure, an increasing number of people think China would be an 
important country mainly in the economic area. 
 
However, 36% think China's economic growth would have a negative 
impact on the economy of Japan, with 28% anticipating a positive 
impact. 
 
Respondents were also asked to pick one or more countries as 
potential military threats. China ranked second at 44%, with North 
Korea topping all other countries at 78%. 
 
7) Illegally exported freeze dryer possibly shipped to Kim Jong Il's 
bioweapon lab 
 
SANKEI (Page 1) (Abridged) 
August 11, 2006 
 
Kim Yong Gun, 58, a North Korean resident in Japan and former 
president of the trading firm Meisho Yoko, was arrested yesterday by 
Yamaguchi and Shimane prefectural police on suspicion of illegally 
 
TOKYO 00004520  005 OF 010 
 
 
exporting a freeze dryer that could be used for the production of 
biological weapons. 
 
Judging from confiscated documents, police authorities suspect that 
the freeze dryer has been installed at a research facility of Kim 
Jong Il as part of plans to build a bioweapon plant. The police are 
investigating North Korea's involvement. 
 
According to investigators, Kim is alleged to have illegally shipped 
a freeze dryer to North Korea via Taiwan from Yokohama in September 
2002 without permission from the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and 
Industry. 
 
8) Russian spy demanded infrared sensor for missile guidance 
 
SANKEI (Page 27) (Abridged) 
August 11, 2006 
 
An official of the Russian Trade Representative Office in Japan and 
a former researcher of Nikon Corp., a major precision equipment 
manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, were referred to 
prosecutors yesterday on suspicion that the 47-year-old researcher 
had given a stolen communications device to the 35-year-old Russian 
trade official. In this case, the Russian demanded technologies that 
could be used to assist a missile in sensing its target via 
infrared, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security 
Bureau discovered yesterday from its investigations. The Russian 
official also secured a variable optical attenuator (VOA) that 
adjusts the wavelength of light through optical fiber. This is also 
indispensable for advanced missile guidance systems, as well as for 
infrared sensing systems. The MPD suspects that the Russian 
attempted to get missile-related technologies. 
 
The Russian trade official is Vladimir Petkevich, who belongs to the 
Chief Administration for Intelligence (GRU), an intelligence unit of 
Russia. Petkevich began approaching the former Nikon researcher 
around March last year. He wined and dined the former researcher 
more than 10 times at bars or elsewhere in Tokyo until around 
October last year and also handed him several tens of thousands of 
yen in cash. The MPD asked Petkevich last month to report in person 
for questioning. However, he left Japan for Russia on Aug. 2. 
 
9) LDP presidential race: Nearly 70% support Abe; Nukaga, Yamasaki 
not to run 
 
SANKEI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
August 11, 2006 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, regarded as the strongest 
candidate in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential 
election in September to choose a successor to Prime Minister 
Junichiro Koizumi, yesterday had secured nearly 70% of the LDP Diet 
member votes (403). The Tsushima faction, the second largest in the 
party, decided the same day not to field Defense Agency 
Director-General Fukushiro Nukaga. Former LDP Vice President Taku 
Yamasaki a will likely give up on joining the race. Furthermore, the 
Ibuki faction announced its support for Abe, giving him a boost. 
There is a growing possibility of an Abe landslide (300 party member 
votes). 
 
In a study session last evening of the Tsushima faction, Nukaga 
stated: "I have to come to my own conclusion after discussing the 
 
TOKYO 00004520  006 OF 010 
 
 
matter with faction head Yuji Tsushima and LDP Upper House Chairman 
Mikio Aoki." He later met with Tsushima and Aoki. Tsushima indicated 
that he would wait for Nukaga's decision, telling reporters, "He 
will give me his conclusion as early as possible after he considers 
it carefully." Nukaga is likely to give up on running in 
consideration of the unity of the faction. 
 
The reason the Tsushima faction has decided not to field Nukaga is 
that many of its Lower House members back Abe and are concerned that 
if Nukaga suffers a crushing defeat, the faction would lose its 
influence in the party. The faction intends to allow its members to 
make their own decisions on how to vote. Many will likely vote for 
Abe. 
 
Abe to announce candidacy tomorrow 
 
Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe decided yesterday that he would 
announce his candidacy for the LDP presidency on Aug. 12 when he 
returns to his home constituency of Yamaguchi Prefecture, according 
to several sources. 
 
Following his announcement, a group of Diet members supporting Abe, 
mainly from the Mori faction, will start forming an election setup 
soon after the mid-August O-Bon holiday break. 
 
Abe will attend a party hosted by his support group in the city of 
Shimonoseki starting on 11:00 a.m. on Aug. 12. He will announce his 
candidacy for the LDP presidency before about 3,000 senior LDP 
prefectural chapter members and supporters. Visiting Nagato City on 
Aug. 13, he will express his determination to run in the race before 
the grave of his father, former Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe. 
 
10) Abe has majority support in LDP presidential race; Taku Yamasaki 
to give up on running 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
August 11, 2006 
 
The Ibuki faction of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held an 
executive meeting last night. The meeting agreed that the faction 
would support Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, 51, in the Sept. 
20 LDP presidential election. Former LDP Vice President Taku 
Yamasaki, 69, decided the same day to give up on running in the 
race. Defense Agency Director-General Fukushiro Nukaga, 62, is 
expected to announce soon his intention not to run. The election is 
expected to be a three-way race involving Abe, Foreign Minister Taro 
Aso, 65, and Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki, 61. A majority of 
the 403 Diet members will likely support Abe in the presidential 
race. 
 
If no candidate secures a majority of the 703 votes, including the 
300 party member votes, the top two candidates will hold a runoff to 
be decided by the party's Diet members. Even in a runoff, Abe would 
be sure to dominate his opponent. 
 
Abe told reporters yesterday morning, "I can go along with (policy 
proposals made by the Ibuki faction)." Following this, Bunmei Ibuki, 
a former labor minister who heads the faction, announced yesterday 
afternoon that his faction would back Abe. During his meeting last 
evening with LDP acting policy chief Akira Amari in Tokyo, Yamasaki 
said he would seriously consider the sentiments of his 36-member 
faction, many of whom back Abe. 
 
TOKYO 00004520  007 OF 010 
 
 
 
Yuji Tsushima, a former health and welfare minister who heads a 
75-member faction, and Mikio Aoki, chairman of the LDP caucus in the 
House of Councillors, met last night with Nukaga and told him that 
it would be difficult for the faction to support him. After the 
meeting, Nukaga told reporters, "I will come to my own conclusion as 
soon as possible." If he decides not to run in the race, the faction 
will let its members cast their votes independently. 
 
Almost all the 86-member Mori faction, the 32-member Ibuki faction, 
and the 15-member Nikai faction will back Abe. About 35 of the 48 
members of the Niwa-Koga faction and 35 of the 70 lawmakers 
belonging to no faction, now support Abe. About half of the 
15-member Komura faction backs Abe at present. 
 
11) Abe far ahead of other candidates in "destroyed" LDP 
presidential race; LDP members rallying around "winning horse" for 
fear of being labeled "forces of resistance" 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Abridged slightly) 
August 11, 2006 
 
Support for Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, a shoo-in for the 
September Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, is 
increasing by the day, visibly outdistancing other candidates. 
 
The 85 members of the Mori faction, to which Abe belongs, are almost 
certain to vote for him. Large portions of the Ibuki, Komura, and 
Nikai factions, which have announced their support, and a majority 
of the Niwa-Koga faction support Abe. The membership of these five 
factions comes to 195. Some may rally around other candidates. But 
more members from the Tsushima and Yamasaki factions plus 
unaffiliated members are expected to back Abe. A simple calculation 
shows that well over a majority of 202 of the 403 LDP lawmakers are 
expected to vote for Abe. 
 
The LDP lawmakers and local rank-and-file members who hold 300 votes 
in total will determine the new LDP president. Even if another 
candidate were to best Abe in terms of local votes, a runoff would 
be held between the top two contestants by the LDP Diet members. For 
this reason, Abe's lead is unshakable. 
 
In the past, many LDP members have sought the party presidency out 
of an Olympics-like spirit of participation without any expectation 
of winning. 
 
The ultimate goal of any faction was to make its leader the prime 
minister. There was a tendency for LDP lawmakers not to win 
recognition from other members until they ran in a presidential 
race. Prime Minister Koizumi, too, secured the LDP presidency on his 
third try. 
 
But the situation has changed over the five-and-a-half years of the 
Koizumi administration. 
 
Today, factions that lose in a presidential race are labeled "forces 
of resistance." Koizumi has been hostile toward them. Last year, 
some postal rebels were forced out of Nagatacho after their defeat 
in the Lower House election. 
 
Vivid memories of last year's developments are pushing LDP members 
to flock to Abe. Koizumi declared that he would destroy the LDP. 
 
TOKYO 00004520  008 OF 010 
 
 
True to his words, the environment surrounding the presidential race 
has markedly changed. 
 
12) Yasukuni Shrine confirms three conditions -- maintenance of 
name, facilities, and rituals -- for turning itself into 
nonreligious corporation 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Abridged slightly) 
August 11, 2006 
 
Amid growing calls in the LDP for making Yasukuni Shrine a 
nonreligious entity to resolve the question of Class-A war 
criminals, Yasukuni Shrine has come up with its basic policy on 
transforming itself into a nonreligious corporation, sources said 
yesterday. The policy does not reject the option of abandoning 
religious status and becoming a special corporation with state 
intervention. But following the shrine's 1963 view, the policy sets 
three conditions: (1) continued use of the name Yasukuni Shrine; (2) 
maintaining facilities; and (3) protection of rituals and events. 
The conditions would pose a high hurdle for turning the shrine into 
a nonreligious corporation. 
 
Chief priest Toshiaki Nambu and other Yasukuni Shrine executives 
confirmed the policy this May. Foreign Minister Taro Aso announced 
on Aug. 5 his private plan to transform the shrine into a 
nonreligious entity, but the shrine has kept its silence. In truth, 
however, the shrine made a move ahead of the government and the 
Liberal Democratic Party. Former LDP Secretary General Makoto Koga, 
who chairs the Japan War-Bereaved Association, proposed in May 
studying the option of unenshrining Class-A war criminals from 
Yasukuni. 
 
Following the appearance of a state maintenance plan in the bereaved 
association and the LDP since the 1950s, Yasukuni Shrine produced in 
1963 a set of state protection guidelines calling for the 
maintenance of the name Yasukuni Shrine and facilities and major 
rituals and events. 
 
But the new policy calls for the maintenance of: (1) the name 
Yasukuni Shrine; (2) facilities, such as the Torii gate and shrine 
pavilions; and (3) rituals and events, such as collective 
enshrinement of Shinto deities (eirei) at Yasukuni and paying 
tribute to the war dead. But the strict observance of the three 
highly religious conditions might constitute a violation of Article 
20 of the Constitution stipulating separation of religion and 
state. 
 
13) Japan, South Korea to hold talks on prior-notification system on 
maritime research 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 11, 2006 
 
The governments of Japan and South Korea decided yesterday to hold 
talks of bureau-director-level foreign ministry officials on the 
introduction of a system of prior notification on maritime research 
in waters where the two countries' respective EEZs have not yet been 
demarcated, such as near the Takeshima /Dokdo islets. Their first 
meeting will be held in Tokyo today. Participating in the meeting 
will be International Legal Affairs Bureau Director-General Ichiro 
Komatsu and others from Japan and Treaty Bureau Director General Pak 
Huikwon and others from South Korea. 
 
TOKYO 00004520  009 OF 010 
 
 
 
Over maritime research in waters near Takeshima/Dokdo, Japan planned 
to study seafloor topography in April, and South Korea mobilized 
patrol boats in reaction. Japan called off the survey, but South 
Korea carried out a survey of ocean currents in July. This time, 
Japan was considering a plan to conduct a radioactivity survey 
 
Seoul was initially opposed to the introduction of a 
prior-notification system, saying: "Since waters near 
Takeshima/Dokdo are within our EEZ, the system is not necessary." In 
actuality, though, if Tokyo undertakes the planned survey, Seoul 
will find it difficult to chase off Japanese ships in view of 
international law. Probably keeping such a circumstances in mind, 
South Korea has become positive about the prior-notification 
system. 
 
A senior Foreign Ministry official said yesterday: "South Korea 
supposedly has judged it better not to cause unnecessary confusion." 
If South Korea takes part in the talks, Japan plans to put off the 
radioactivity survey to October or later. 
 
Should Prime Minister Koizumi visit Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, 
however, the talks might be negatively affected due to the expected 
fierce reaction by the South Korean government and people. 
 
14) Prion panel: Cattle born in Mexico do not meet import condition 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
April 11, 2006 
 
In a meeting of the prion panel under the Food Safety Commission 
yesterday, one member pointed out that beef from cattle born in 
Mexico could not meet the condition Japan set to limit imports to 
only beef from cattle 20 months of age or younger. 
 
A satisfactory birth-recording system has not been introduced in 
Mexico, so the age of cattle is determined based on meat maturity. 
Panel Chairman Yasuhiro Yoshikawa said: 
 
"We discussed if the United States' methodologies to verify the age 
of cattle was scientifically appropriate, premised on cattle born in 
the US. When it come to cattle born in other countries, however, we 
cannot say that the same is true." 
 
15) Overseas Economic Cooperation Council to promote assistance for 
energy conservation by China and India, using ODA 
 
Nihon KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
August 11, 2006 
 
The government yesterday held a meeting of the Overseas Economic 
Cooperation Council (chaired by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi) 
and reaffirmed a policy of strengthening ties with 
natural-resource-producing nations through official development 
assistance (ODA). Participants in the meeting also shared the 
perception that Japan should promote cooperation with China and 
India in the energy-conservation area. Energy consumption by those 
countries is rapidly increasing. It is likely that Japan will 
increasingly use ODA for resource energy diplomacy. 
 
They also agreed to distribute ODA on a priority basis to secure 
interests in such energy resources as oil. As part of such efforts, 
 
TOKYO 00004520  010 OF 010 
 
 
the government will continue to use international financing services 
by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the trade 
insurance system. In Asia, the government will also go ahead with 
technical cooperation in the nuclear area, while giving 
consideration to nuclear nonproliferation efforts. 
 
ODA will also be allocated for the promotion of trade investment, 
such as an early signing of trade agreements under the multilateral 
trade negotiations of the World Trade Organization, which have 
recently collapsed, and the signing of economic partnership 
agreements. 
 
The council first met in May. Yesterday's meeting was the third, 
bringing together Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe; Foreign 
Minister Taro Aso; Finance Minister Tanigaki; Economy, Trade and 
Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai; and Agriculture, Forestry and 
Fisheries Minister Shoichi Nakagawa. 
 
SCHIEFFER