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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 TOKYO 001122 
 
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 03/15/07 
 
 
1) Top headlines 
2) Editorials 
3) Prime Minister's daily schedule 
 
Opinion polls: 
4) Asahi poll shows 70% negative about sending more US troops to 
Iraq 
5) 69% opposed to extending Iraq Special Measures Law, 75% see Iraq 
war as "wrong": Asahi poll 
 
Ambassador Schieffer: 
6) US envoy urges Japan to increase defense spending 
7) US envoy asks Japan for appropriate defense burden sharing 
8) US defense spending burden 10 times larger than Japan's: US envoy 
 
9) US-DPRK normalization premised on solution to abduction, other 
pending issues: US envoy 
 
US-Japan ties: 
10) Japan, US hold joint memorial on Iwojima for fallen soldiers 
11) ACCJ awards Toyota's Okuda as "Person of the Year" for US-Japan 
economic ties 
 
Comfort women issue: 
12) US Representative Honda pursuing comfort women issue receives 
money from China lobbies 
13) LDP group to continue investigating comfort women issue 
 
Political agenda: 
14) Prime Minister Abe to make decision on his own over whether to 
extend law for Japan's Iraq mission 
15) Prime Minister Abe wants national referendum bill to get through 
Diet during current session for constitutional revision 
 
16) Japan's envisioned national security council not to call in 
special advisor to prime minister 
17) Japan to host Middle East peace talks for 1st time 
18) Gov't to start preliminary environmental survey next month for 
Futenma relocation, Okinawa withholds answer 
 
Foreign Minister Aso, LDP execs on the move: 
19) Foreign Minister Aso to visit South Korea on March 31 
20) Foreign Minister Aso to visit India next month 
21) LDP Secretary General Nakagawa, other coalition leaders to meet 
with Chinese President Hu 
 
Articles: 
 
1) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Tokyo District Court rules pediatrician's suicide was work-related 
death, cites his working on night duty eight times per month as 
overfatigue 
 
Mainichi, Yomirui & Tokyo Shimbun: 
ANA accident: Detached bolt the likely cause of landing gear 
failure 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
Government to establish by this summer a clear standard for taxation 
on profits from intangible assets like technology and brand names 
 
TOKYO 00001122  002 OF 011 
 
 
 
Sankei: 
Chinese-Americans made $110,000 in contributions to Congressman 
Honda last year; Honda working with anti-Japanese organizations to 
pursue "comfort women" issue 
 
Akahata: 
Health minister's advisory panel decides not to time-limit 
rehabilitation for some diseases, including heart disease 
 
2) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) ANA accident: Why did emergency device not function? 
(2) Firm bears a heavy responsibility for leak of personal 
information 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Agriculture Minister Matsuoka not fit for the post 
(2) Leading firms' wage hikes: Don't leave small business workers 
and part-timers behind 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) Spring labor offensive: Will pay raises spread to small business 
workers and part-timers? 
(2) Politics and money: The system needs to be reviewed swiftly 
 
Nihon Keizai: 
(1) Management decides to hike wages, but with priority given to 
staying competitive 
(2) Problems in US housing market lie behind falling stocks 
 
Sankei: 
Six-party talks: Concern about being betrayed by America 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Utility costs: MakeAgriculture Minister Matsuoka speak 
(2) Spring labor offensive: We hope the trend for pay hike will gain 
momentum 
 
Akahata: 
National referendum bill intended to make it easy to amend the 
Constitution 
 
3) Prime Minister's Official Residence (Kantei) 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, March 14 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
09:30 
Met Justice Minister Nagase at the Kantei, followed by Vice Health 
and Welfare Minister Tsuji, Social Security Agency Director General 
Murase, and others. 
 
10:21 
Met a delegation of the Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology, which 
will open a school in Thailand, in the presence of Lower House 
member Seiken Sugiura and others. Afterward, met Vice Foreign 
Minister Yachi and Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau chief Sasae. 
Yachi stayed on. 
 
TOKYO 00001122  003 OF 011 
 
 
 
11:20 
Met National Police Agency Director-General Uruma. 
 
12:03 
Had lunch with LDP first-term lawmakers and others. 
 
13:35 
Met LDP Secretary General Nakagawa. 
 
14:33 
Met Israeli Vice Premier Peres, Palestinian negotiator Erakat, and 
other confidence-building meeting members. 
 
15:20 
Met LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Nakagawa, followed by 
Advisor Nakatani. 
 
17:08 
Met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Matoba, followed by FIA President 
Max Mosley and others. 
 
18:04 
Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan President Saito and 
others. 
 
18:44 
Met at the Akasaka Prince Hotel with former Japan Business 
Federation Chairman Okuda and others. 
 
20:34 
Returned to his official residence. 
 
4) Poll: 70% negative toward US plan to send additional troops to 
Iraq 
 
ASAHI (Page 9) (Abridged slightly) 
March 15, 2007 
 
People in Japan, Australia, Britain, Poland, and other US allies are 
becoming increasingly skeptical of the Bush administration's policy 
toward Iraq, where the security situation is worsening. 
 
In a nationwide opinion poll conducted recently by the Asahi 
Shimbun, 70% of the respondents took negative views on President 
George W. Bush's new Iraq strategy to send additional troops to that 
country. Negative views came even from 52% of those who said "the 
Iraq war was correct" and 55% of people who indicated that 
"America's military action has helped constrain terrorism." 
 
At the same time, 69% of all respondents expressed opposition to 
extending the Iraq Special Measures Law. Opposition also came from 
58% of those supporting the Abe cabinet and the Liberal Democratic 
Party. Views split among those who said the war was correct, with 
48% expressing support and 47% opposition. With the law scheduled to 
expire in July, heated debate is expected to take place over the 
appropriateness of its extension. 
 
Polls were also conducted in Australia, whose troops conducted 
activities with Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force troops in the 
southern Iraqi city of Samawah. According to Newspoll, a private 
research organization, 46% of respondents said in a February 2004 
 
TOKYO 00001122  004 OF 011 
 
 
survey that Australia's Iraq mission was "worthwhile," while 45% 
indicated it was "not worthwhile." But in a survey last December, 
71% of respondents called it "not worthwhile." 
 
The Sydney Morning Herald's Marian Wilkinson, a senior security 
writer, attributed the growing public opposition to the Australian 
government's decision to keep its troops in Iraq for training local 
security troops even after the GSDF left the country last July. 
 
Surveys took place in Britain, as well, where Prime Minister Tony 
Blair has announced a plan to gradually withdraw from Iraq. In a 
poll conducted by the Times this past January, 60% of respondents 
called for an immediate withdrawal, while only 31% urged British 
troops to remain in Iraq until it becomes stable. 
 
Severe views on the United States are also beginning to show in 
Poland, as well, which is committed to Iraq. In a poll conducted by 
the BBC in January, favorable feelings toward the United States 
dropped from last year's 62% to 38%. In addition, 52% of the people 
said they do not support America's Iraq policy. 
 
5) Poll: 69% opposed to extending Iraq law, 75% see Iraq war as 
"wrong" 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
March 15, 2007 
 
According to findings from a telephone-based nationwide public 
opinion survey conducted by the Asahi Shimbun on March 10-11, 69% 
answered "no" when asked whether Japan should continue the Air 
Self-Defense Force's mission in Iraq by extending the Iraq Special 
Measures Law, which is to expire in July. What lies behind the 
figure is the public's criticism of the United States' Iraq policy. 
In January this year, US President Bush announced a new strategic 
plan to send reinforcements to Iraq. In the survey, however, a total 
of 70% took a critical view of the new strategy, saying it will not 
lead to the stabilization of public security in Iraq. 
 
Japan has been deploying ASDF troops in Iraq to back up US and other 
Iraq-based multinational force troops with airlift activities. This 
ASDF deployment is based on the Iraq Special Measures Law. In 
response to the US government's decision to send reinforcements to 
Iraq, the Japanese government has now decided to extend the law to 
continue the ASDF deployment past July. In the survey, 19% were in 
favor of extending the law. The Abe cabinet, as was the Koizumi 
cabinet, remains committed to Japan's support for the Bush 
administration's Iraq policy. When asked whether Japan should 
continue its cooperation, however, "yes" accounted for only 18%, 
with 69% saying the government should review Japan's cooperation. 
 
Respondents were also asked whether they thought the United States' 
military operations for its "war on terror," now expanded from 
Afghanistan to Iraq, have led to antiterror deterrence. In response 
to this question, "yes" accounted for 24%, and "no" at 57%. 
Respondents were further asked about the Iraq war itself. In 
response, those regarding it as right accounted for only 12%, with 
75% seeing it as wrong. 
 
6) US ambassador to Japan calls on Japan to increase defense 
spending 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00001122  005 OF 011 
 
 
March 15, 2007 
 
US Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer yesterday said in a speech 
in Tokyo that the United States devoted 4% of its GDP to its 
national defense budget. And referring to Japan's defense spending, 
Schieffer said, "(Japan's defense budget) is 1% of its GDP. We hope 
to see Japan increase the budget. The more contributions from Japan, 
the better." He thus called on Japan to increase its defense 
budget. 
 
7) US Ambassador calls for Japan to bear due burden regarding 
defense spending 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
In a speech in Tokyo yesterday, United States Ambassador to Japan 
Thomas Schieffer said that the share of Japan's defense spending to 
gross domestic product (GDP) is smaller than that of the US. 
Schieffer expressed his hope for Japan's greater burden, citing 
modernized military forces and other reasons. 
 
The ambassador stated in the speech, "The US forces in Japan, which 
have contributed to maintaining peace in Asia as a whole, are 
pushing forward the modernization of their capabilities." He then 
called for Japan to shoulder a due burden in proportion to its 
economic scale, remarking: 
 
"The US paid more than 4% of GDP for defense expenses in 2005. It 
has disbursed funds also for the sake of Japan and its concerned 
areas. Meanwhile, the ratio is less than 1% in the case of Japan. An 
increase in Japan's defense spending will have a favorable effect on 
our nation." 
 
8) US ambassador to Japan seeks increase in Japan's defense budget, 
noting, "US defense expenditures are 10 times more than in Japan" 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
US Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer yesterday gave a speech in 
Tokyo. In the speech he called for strengthening Japan-US defense 
cooperation in such areas as missile defense. He stressed that 
Japan's share in defense cooperation is insufficient, saying: 
"Japan's national defense budget is less than 1% of its GDP, while 
that of the US is over 4%. US taxpayers are shouldering more than 10 
times the burden of Japanese taxpayers. I hope Japanese taxpayers 
will share more burdens. It costs a great deal to protect national 
interests." 
 
Japan's defense budget is 4.8139 trillion yen in fiscal 2006, while 
that of the US is 512 billion dollars or approximately 60.41 
trillion yen in fiscal 2007. 
 
9) US ambassador stresses need to resolve abduction and other 
pending issues as precondition for normalizing relations with North 
Korea 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
United States Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer delivered a 
 
TOKYO 00001122  006 OF 011 
 
 
speech in Tokyo yesterday, in which he stressed that the US regards 
the settlement of all pending issues, including the nuclear and 
abduction issues, as the precondition for normalizing its diplomatic 
ties with North Korea. The ambassador stated: 
 
"The agreement (in the six-party talks in September 2005) specifies 
that all issues, including nuclear, humanitarian, and human rights 
issues, must be settled. The US will normalize its relations with 
North Korea for the first time after seeing many issues disposed 
of." 
 
10) 500 guests attend joint Japan-US memorial service on Iwo Jima 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 28) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
A joint Japan-US memorial service was held yesterday on Iwo Jima 
(Ogasawara Village in Tokyo), which was a fierce battleground during 
World War II. About 500 former soldiers from both sides, bereaved 
families of the war dead, and US Marines in Okinawa attended the 
event. The participants prayed for the roughly 28,700 people who 
died in the battle. 
 
The Battle of Iwo Jima was in the news because of two films Clint 
Eastwood directed from both the Japanese and American viewpoints. 
Many books related to the battle have also been published. Because 
of the films and books, the battle has now drawn wider attention in 
Japan. 
 
The event took place before the memorial tombstone for Japan-US 
reunion. Iwo Jima Association Chairman Yoshiki Endo, 84, a resident 
of Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, said in a speech: 
 
"I lament that the sorrow and suffering of the bereaved families of 
the war dead have been forgotten these days. We should hand down the 
battle from generation to generation so that we will never repeat 
such a terrible war." 
 
An association of former US Marines returned to Japan items that had 
been brought home after the war. Japanese and US individuals 
connected with the battle offered flowers at the memorial. 
 
11) ACCJ to honor Hiroshi Okuda for contributing to Japan-US 
economic relationship 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 5) (Full) 
March 15, 2006 
 
The American Chamber of Commerce in Japan yesterday selected Hiroshi 
Okuda, advisor to Toyota Motor, as its person of the year for 2006 
to honor persons who contributed to the development of Japan-US 
economic relationship. The reason for his selection is that he 
contributed to creating job opportunities in the US when he was 
Toyota's president and chairman. 
 
Asked about the possibility of Akio Toyoda, the eldest son of the 
founding family of Toyota, becoming president, Okuda, after saying 
that he could not reply to such a delicate question, bewildered 
reporters with this reply: "The criteria for leadership in the 21st 
century is being able to hear the footsteps of God. I don't know how 
many such people there are in Toyota, but the next president will be 
picked from among them." 
 
TOKYO 00001122  007 OF 011 
 
 
 
12) Congressman Honda received $110,000 in political donations from 
Chinese-Americans last year; Working with anti-Japanese 
organizations on "comfort women" issue 
 
SANKEI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
March 15, 2007 
 
Yoshihisa Komori, Washington 
 
It was learned as of yesterday that Representative Mike Honda, who 
introduced a resolution condemning Japan over the "comfort women" 
issue in the US House of Representatives, has had a high reliance on 
political donations from Chinese-Americans in the past elections. 
Chinese contributors included a number of senior members of 
anti-Japanese organizations based in the United States but 
apparently linked to Chinese authorities. It also turns out that 
Honda's pursuit of Japan's "war responsibility" for many years had 
been closely linked to those Chinese-affiliated organizations. 
 
According to an investigation by the Sankei Shimbun based on the 
reports released by the US Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), 
Honda received a total of $370,000 in political donations from 449 
individuals for the House of Representatives election in 2006. Of 
that amount, approximately $110,000 came from 94 Chinese-Americans. 
This number of contributors and this amount accounted for 21% of the 
total and 30% of the total, respectively. Honda was elected in 
California's 15th Congressional District, where 29% of the 
population is Asian-American, of whom Chinese-Americans account for 
only 9%. 
 
Of the donations by Chinese-Americans to Honda, some 40% was 
contributed by Chinese-Americans outside California. Donations other 
House of Representatives received outside their electorates 
accounted for about 10% or so. Compared to them, it is clear that 
Honda received donations from Chinese-Americans across the country. 
This percentage was unusually high. 
 
South Korea should have been deeply involved in the comfort women 
issue, but when it comes to donations by Korean-Americans to Honda, 
the amount Honda received in 2006 totaled $7,000 from 10 
Korean-Americans. This amount was one-tenth of the donations from 
Chinese-Americans. This fact confirms how influential 
Chinese-Americans are. 
 
13) LDP parliamentary group to continue investigation into comfort 
women issue 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
The group of lawmakers considering Japan's future and history 
education, composed of Liberal Democratic Party's likeminded 
lawmakers under Chairman Nariaki Nakayama, has decided to continue 
investigating the wartime comfort women issue, focusing on whether 
the Imperial Japanese Army coerced young women into sexual slavery 
and other points. The decision came in response to Prime Minister 
Shinzo Abe saying that the government would render cooperation, for 
instance, by presenting data if the LDP reinvestigates the issue. 
Chairman Nakayama will present the proposal during a meeting of the 
group shortly. The plan is likely to be approved. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001122  008 OF 011 
 
 
14) Prime Minister Abe: "I will decide whether to extend Iraq 
Special Measures Law on my own judgment" 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
In a recent public opinion poll, 70% of respondents opposed an 
extension of the Iraq Special Measures Law.  Regarding this survey 
result, Prime Minister Abe said before reporters yesterday: "While 
taking the security situation in Iraq and other elements into 
consideration, I will decide on whether to extend the law on my own 
judgment." 
 
He then stressed the significance of the dispatch of Self-Defense 
Force (SDF) troops to Iraq, remarking: 
 
"Japan has dispatched SDF personnel from the viewpoint of fulfilling 
its international responsibility. Iraqi people have expressed great 
appreciation. I want the people to also understand this." 
 
15) Prime minister determined to secure Diet passage for national 
referendum bill during current session 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday had lunch with Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP) freshman Lower House lawmakers. During lunch, 
he indicated a strong desire to get Diet approval for the national 
referendum bill that stipulates procedures for revising the 
Constitution, noting: "I will get Diet passage for the national 
referendum bill by all means. I think this is possible because so 
many LDP candidates were elected." 
 
This was Abe's second informal discussion meeting with freshman Diet 
members following the one held on Mar. 7. Approximately 40 members 
took part. Some participants criticized Agriculture Minister 
Toshikatsu Matsuoka for his political funds issue. The prime 
minister said, "I understand this issue is causing trouble," but he 
reportedly did not touch on how he is going to deal with this 
issue. 
 
16) Government plan for JNSC: Permanent post for special advisor to 
prime minister not to be created 
 
ASAHI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
A bill amending the National Security Council Establishment Law 
intended to establish a Japan National Security Council (JNSC) next 
April has been outlined. According to the outline, a right to demand 
information from related government agencies will be created so that 
the JNSC can obtain key information without the fetter of 
bureaucratic sectionalism. In the meantime, the bill will not 
mention the establishment of a permanent post for a special advisor 
to the prime minister. The government is expected to submit the bill 
to the Diet in late March. 
 
The Council to Reinforce the Functions of the Prime Minister's 
Official Residence (Kantei) Regarding National Security in late 
March compiled a set of proposals, including the establishment of a 
permanent post for a special advisor to the prime minister in charge 
 
TOKYO 00001122  009 OF 011 
 
 
of national security issues. However, due to opposition that the 
establishment of such a post would confuse relations with the chief 
cabinet secretary, as a senior member of the Cabinet Secretariat put 
it, the government has given up the idea of amending the Cabinet 
Law, which stipulates the special advisor system. It instead decided 
to mention in the regulation on attendance in cabinet meetings the 
status of a special advisor as a semi-member of the cabinet meeting 
who can take part in meetings of a small number of cabinet 
ministers. As such, whether a permanent post for a special advisor 
to the prime minister will be established will be up to whoever is 
in power as prime minister in the future to decide. 
 
The bill will also include a regulation allowing the JNSC to demand 
the chiefs of related government agencies provide information. This 
will be part of efforts to establish a system for the JNCS, which 
will consist of a cabinet meeting with small membership for 
conferring on long-term strategy and a staff organization with 10 to 
20 members, to obtain necessary information from various government 
agencies. 
 
17) Japan hosts first four-party talks on Middle East peace 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
Jin Omae 
 
The first four-party meeting on the Middle East peace process took 
place at Japan's Foreign Ministry's Iikura Guest House in Tokyo 
yesterday. This framework is the first occasion for Japan to be 
fully engaged in the peace process. Joining the meeting were 
cabinet-level officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, 
Jordan, and Japan. On Japan's proposal for constructing an 
agricultural industrial park in the West Bank, the meeting agreed to 
send a fact-finding team to the area by the end of the month, hold 
working-level talks in June and look for a candidate location for 
the construction. 
 
The session was held in line with the idea of creating a Corridor 
for Peace and Prosperity as proposed in last July by then Prime 
Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The officials participating in the 
session were Foreign Minister Taro Aso, Israel's Deputy Prime 
Minister Peres, PLO Negotiations Affairs Department chief Erekat, 
and Special Advisor to the King of Jordan Kasrawi. Erekat expressed 
hope: "Japan's vision is important in the sense of bringing peace to 
the region. It is essential for a third party to play a role." 
 
Later in the day, Aso announced grant aid to the Palestinians worth 
12.6 million dollars (1.487 billion yen) for medical assistance and 
job creation. The third round of confidence-building talks of 
high-level government officials and experts from Israel, the 
Palestinian Authority, and other countries also began in Tokyo. 
 
18) Futenma relocation: Government notifies Okinawa of its plan to 
begin preliminary environmental assessment in April 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
The government has notified Okinawa that it will begin a preliminary 
survey in April before the planned environmental assessment of Nago, 
the relocation site for the US Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station, 
 
TOKYO 00001122  010 OF 011 
 
 
according to an informed source yesterday. The prefectural 
government has yet to convey a reply to the central government. 
Obtaining concurrence of local governments is not required to 
conduct an environmental assessment. The central government plans to 
determine a contractor to conduct the preliminary survey later this 
month to begin the survey in early April. 
 
The government wants to start the survey early because dugongs lay 
eggs in May through June in waters around Camp Schwab, the 
relocation site. The assessment must include the survey of the 
growth of dugongs for a year starting with their egg-laying period. 
Missing this year's egg-laying period would force the government to 
delay the survey for a year thereby forcing Tokyo and Washington to 
miss their target of the new base making operational in 2014. 
 
The Environmental Assessment Law requires a set of procedures, 
including: (1) presentation of documents detailing assessment 
methods to the prefectural government from the enterprising body 
(the government), and (2) hearing of views from people, including 
the public, for a month and a half. This process will take at least 
two months. Tokyo intends to conduct full-fledged negotiations with 
local governments on launching the assessment once the April 22 
Upper House Okinawa by-election is over. 
 
19) Foreign Minister Aso to leave for South Korea on March 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
Foreign Minister Taro Aso will make a two-day trip to South Korea 
from March 31. He will hold talks with Foreign Affairs and Trade 
Minister Song Min Soon. The two foreign ministers will discuss the 
issue of Japan-South Korea talks on the demarcation of the 
boundaries of their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the Sea of 
Japan, as well as their response to the six-party talks on North 
Korean nuclear weapons program. 
 
20) Foreign Minister Aso to visit India in April 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
Foreign Minister Taro Aso has decided to visit India on April 3-4. 
He is expected to meet with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee. 
He also plans to attend the summit of the South Asian Association 
for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to announce Japan's policy of 
supporting the SAARC's efforts for democratization and economic 
growth. 
 
21) LDP Secretary General Nakagawa to meet in Beijing with President 
Hu Jintao 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
March 15, 2007 
 
Ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary General Hidenao 
Nakagawa and New Komeito Secretary General Kazuo Kitagawa will visit 
China on March 15-19. The two ruling coalition leaders will meet 
with President Hu Jintao on March 16 to hand him Prime Minister 
Shinzo Abe's letter. The purpose of their China visit is to 
strengthen bilateral relations by exchanging views on such issues as 
North Korea's nuclear weapons program, as well as to pave the way 
 
TOKYO 00001122  011 OF 011 
 
 
for a visit to Japan in April by Premier Wen Jiabao. 
 
SCHIEFFER