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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 TOKYO 001592 
 
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:  DAILY SUMMARY OF JAPANESE PRESS 04/11/07 
 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) National referendum bill likely to clear Diet during current 
session; Government, ruling coalition confirm plan to pass 
legislation through Lower House on April 13 
 
(2) Defense Ministry eyes "logistics agency" after disbanding DFAA 
 
(3) Interview with Syrian Foreign Minister Mualem: Syria hopes for 
expanded dialogue with US 
 
(4) Shiten (personal view) column: Thorough investigation necessary 
for settling comfort women issue 
 
(5) WTO talks: Japan alarmed about being left out of context; 
Government unable to make move on agriculture; Japan likely to be 
pressed to make concessions, if developing countries, US and EU 
reach agreement 
 
(6) Editorial -- An "ice-thawing trip" by Wen: Substance needed 
instead of language 
 
(7) Editorial: Japan must take strategic steps for bringing 
stability to Iraq 
 
(8) Editorial: Measures to address global warming; World beginning 
to move forward 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) National referendum bill likely to clear Diet during current 
session; Government, ruling coalition confirm plan to pass 
legislation through Lower House on April 13 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 10, 2007 
 
With the end of the first half of the unified local elections, the 
government and ruling parties yesterday started the selection of 
priority bills that will be submitted to the current session of the 
Diet. The government and ruling coalition also confirmed that the 
Lower House Special Commission on the Constitution would adopt on 
April 12 a bill outlining procedures for amending the Constitution 
and pass it through the Lower House on April 13. As it stands, 
chances are that the legislation will clear the Diet during the 
ongoing session. They plan to set up a special committee in the 
Lower House to deliberate a set of three bills on education reform 
and to speed up deliberations in the committee next week or later. 
 
In a meeting yesterday of the government and ruling camp, Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP) Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Toshihiro 
Nikai explained the procedure of taking a vote on the national 
referendum bill, saying: 
 
"We will reach a crucial point this week. Since we spent enough time 
for deliberations on the national referendum bill, we are now ready 
to put the bill to a vote. More than 540 hours has been spent on 
debate, including that in the Research Commission before the special 
commission was set up." 
 
Nikai underscored that criticism by Minshuto (Democratic Party of 
Japan), which has called for deliberating the measure carefully, was 
unwarranted. 
 
TOKYO 00001592  002 OF 010 
 
 
 
The ruling parties have attached importance to bills with a strong 
conservative bent that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is eager to pass 
through the Diet during the current Diet session. Coordination is 
underway for naming former Education Minister Kosuke Hori chairman 
of the special committee on the three bills for educational reform. 
The ruling camp has a blueprint for passing the three bills thorough 
the Lower House in the middle of May. They intend to have the Upper 
House Committee on Education, Culture and Science discuss the 
legislation and adopt it in early June. Regarding 
social-security-related bills, they also aim to start in mid-April 
deliberations on a bill to reform the Social Insurance Agency. 
 
Since the start of debate on a bill revising the employment rules, 
including a plan to raise the minimum wage, has been delayed, some 
in the ruling camp are concerned that the measure may not clear the 
Diet during the ongoing session. The Lower House is now discussing a 
special measures law designed to set up a new subsidy system for 
municipalities cooperating with the government plan to relocate US 
bases in Japan with the aim of passing the bill through the Lower 
House in mid-April. The outlook is that a bill revising the Iraq 
Special Measures Law will clear the Lower House in mid-May or 
later. 
 
The ruling bloc will put off until an extraordinary Diet session 
this fall or later passage of bills to set up a Japanese version of 
the US National Security Council and a bill merging the employees' 
pension program and the mutual aid pension scheme. 
 
In yesterday's meeting of the government and the ruling coalition, 
Abe stressed the need to strengthen the party's support system for 
the April 22 Upper House by-elections in Fukushima and Okinawa 
Prefectures. In the first half of the unified local elections, the 
LDP won three of the five gubernatorial races in which it faced off 
with Minshuto. The number of seats the LDP obtained in the 44 
prefectural assembly elections was about 100 fewer than it gained in 
the 2003 elections. This indicates that the party's local chapters 
have weakened. 
 
Since the results of the Upper House by-elections will directly 
affect the setting of the threshold for victory in the July Upper 
House race, the LDP leadership will send senior members to Okinawa 
and Fukushima. The ruling camp aims to maintain its majority in the 
Upper House. If the ruling coalition wins the two by-elections, it 
will have to win 63 seats in the July Upper House election to do so. 
If it loses the two races, it must win 65, making the road to 
victory a difficult one. 
 
(2) Defense Ministry eyes "logistics agency" after disbanding DFAA 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Abridged slightly) 
April 11, 2007 
 
A plan is afoot to relocate the Logistics Departments in the Ground, 
Maritime, and Air Staff Offices, which procure weaponry and 
ammunition for the Self-Defense Forces, to the building now housing 
the Defense Facilities Administration Agency (DFAA) when the agency 
is disbanded in September this year. The plan is drawing criticism 
from uniformed officers saying that it would obstruct their 
operations. Behind the relocation plan lies a scheme to establish a 
"defense logistics agency" overseeing those logistics departments in 
separate buildings. It might be just another case of bureaucrats' 
modus operandi of producing a bigger organization after dismantling 
 
TOKYO 00001592  003 OF 010 
 
 
one body. 
 
The Defense Ministry sits in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. The Ground Staff 
Office occupies five floors from the first floor in 19-story 
Building A, the Maritime Staff Office from the 6th to 9th floors, 
the ministry's internal bureaus from the 10th to 13th, and the Air 
Staff Office from the 15th to 19th. 
 
According to the relocation plan, when the DFAA, now in Building D, 
is dismantled, the DFAA Facilities Department will move from the 4th 
floor in Building D to Building A and the vacated space will be 
filled by the Logistics Departments in the three staff offices. A 
senior Defense Ministry official took this view: "The dismantlement 
of the DFAA will increase the number of internal bureau personnel by 
about 500, so some people must move out of the building." 
 
One SDF officer said disapprovingly: "There are important 
departments on the floors above and below each staff office in the 
building. In particular, the operations and plans department, which 
works out defense and budgetary plans, and the logistics department 
are inseparable." 
 
For instance, the Air Staff Office Defense Plans and Operations 
Department exists a floor above the Air Staff Office Logistics 
Department in Building A. Once the Logistics Department is moved to 
Building D, traveling time would increase. 
 
A Defense Ministry source explained: "We are fully aware of strong 
objections from the uniformed officers. Defense Ministry leaders 
have a plan to establish a "defense logistics agency" by putting 
together three types of departments: a logistics and facilities 
office to be established in Building D by realigning the DFAA 
Construction Department, the Technical Research and Development 
Institute that develops weapons, and the logistics department in 
each staff office. 
 
Once the defense logistics agency is established, it is certain to 
press the defense industry hard to accept many retiring bureaucrats. 
This might help the Defense Ministry's bureaucracy reestablish 
channels to the construction industry, which the DFAA has lost due 
to bureaucrat-initiated bid-rigging scandals last year. 
 
The source also noted: "Banks, non-life and life insurance companies 
are about the only firms that accept retiring senior internal bureau 
officials. Over 10 career-track bureaucrats join the Defense 
Ministry annually, and new posts and postretirement jobs are in 
need." 
 
The approach of disbanding one organization only to establish a 
similar, larger body in years later has been proven successful. One 
such example is the Central Procurement Office (CPO) that had been 
dismantled over a breach of trust scandal but revived as an enhanced 
office five and a half years later. 
 
A senior SDF officer lamented: "The revival of the CPO did not draw 
much criticism. Defense leaders have come up with the idea of 
dismantling the DFAA as a tool to upgrade the Defense Agency to a 
ministry rather than from self-reflection. Some of the Defense 
Ministry's bureaucrats think they can do anything." They put 
ministry interests ahead of Japan's national interests. 
 
(3) Interview with Syrian Foreign Minister Mualem: Syria hopes for 
expanded dialogue with US 
 
TOKYO 00001592  004 OF 010 
 
 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 8) (Full) 
April 11, 2007 
 
In an interview with a Nihon Keizai reporter yesterday, Syrian 
Foreign Minister Walid Mualem expressed his hope that United States 
Speaker of the House Pelosi's visit to Syria will lead to expanding 
dialogue between Syria and the US. He reiterated the need for the US 
to specify when it plans to withdraw from Iraq and for Iraq to form 
a full-scale national defense force by reinforcing its current 
military. 
 
-- The White House strongly opposed the speaker's visit to Syria, 
didn't it? 
 
Speaker Pelosi's visit will open the way for Syria to launch a 
dialogue with the US Congress. The Bush administration's policy of 
isolating Syria since 2003 is wrong. Syria, adjacent to Iraq, 
Lebanon, and Palestine, all of which have conflicts, can become an 
important player. We are ready to offer cooperation in stabilizing 
Iraq. 
 
-- What measures do you think will work effectively to stabilize 
Iraq? 
 
All parties concerned in Iraq, including Baathists, should be 
allowed to take part in the political process. The US should clarify 
when it plans to pull its troops out of Iraq, and Iraq should form a 
heavily armed military to replace it. I think that should big-name 
Iraqi politicians courageously dismantle the armed groups under 
their control and discuss with group members how to incorporate them 
in the military, Iraq will be stabilized. 
 
-- In the upcoming foreign ministerial meeting next month to discuss 
measures to stabilize Iraq, do you have a plan to meet US Secretary 
of State Rice individually? 
 
I have no intention of making the proposal to Secretary Rice. Even 
if we meet under the current situation, we will just exchange our 
own views and nothing more will come of it. We live in the Middle 
East, so we know more about the circumstances there than the US. If 
the other side has no interest in listening to us, the talks will 
never be constructive. 
 
-- What strategy do you have in mind to resume peace negotiations 
with Israel? 
 
We are ready to hold negotiations based on the comprehensive peace 
plan (adopted by the Arab League in late March). We want to secure 
the return of the Golan Heights, and this is Syria's top priority 
challenge. Should Israel withdraw to its 1967 borders, it will be 
possible for both sides to conclude a security accord acceptable to 
both and establish a normal relationship 
 
The problem of Palestinian refugees should be resolved through 
negotiations. Nobody can deny the fact that all refugees have the 
right of return, but the focus of attention is how they use the 
right. 
 
(4) Shiten (personal view) column: Thorough investigation necessary 
for settling comfort women issue 
 
ASAHI (Page 18) (Abridged slightly) 
 
TOKYO 00001592  005 OF 010 
 
 
April 10, 2007 
 
Koken Tsuchiya, former president of the Japan Federation of Bar 
Associations 
 
The government and the Liberal Democratic Party are showing 
excessive reactions to the US House of Representatives resolution on 
the so-called wartime comfort women. There is nothing new about the 
US resolution, which is similar in contents to those adopted in 
South Korea and Taiwan that called for Japan's clear apology and 
response. Japan has repeatedly been urged by the UN Human Rights 
Commission, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural 
Rights, and an International Labor Organization expert council to 
settle the issue. 
 
Neither the victimized countries nor the international organizations 
regard the comfort women issue as settled. 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Taro Aso denied 
"coercion in the narrow sense," pointing out factual mistakes. Their 
justification is unsound. The governments of victimized countries, 
such as the Netherlands and South Korea, have identified victims as 
a result of conducting investigations, including interviews, since 
¶1993. I have interviewed victims from various countries myself. As a 
result, I have found that in many cases in occupied countries, such 
as China and the Philippines, the Imperial Japanese Army directly 
abducted, raped, and confined young women (in comfort stations) 
without the involvement of the private sector. The Japan Federation 
of Bar Associations has sent fact-finding teams to those countries, 
released their investigative reports, and urged the prime minister 
on four occasions to offer apologies and compensations to the 
victims. 
 
Some experts attribute the ongoing feud to ambiguity associated with 
the investigative report and the statement released in 1993 by the 
government and then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono, 
respectively. I agree with their view. There is no evidence that the 
government has conducted serious investigations since 1993. The 
government's response has been passive, evidenced by its lack of 
efforts to conduct interviews with victims except for those in South 
Korea. Some have begun calling for a revocation of the Kono 
statement by taking advantage of its insufficiency. The cause lies 
in the government's failure to take appropriate steps. The 
government must repeatedly conduct interviews to elucidate the 
Japanese military's use of coercion in recruiting the comfort women 
during World War II. 
 
Past prime ministers have offered apologies. But never has the prime 
minister or foreign minister met the victims in person. Their Diet 
replies suggest that they have read neither the Dutch government's 
investigative reports in or after 1993 nor Indonesian writer 
Pramoedya Ananta Toer's reports on the comfort women on Buru 
Island. 
 
Speculation not based on thorough investigation is unconvincing. The 
logic to rule out the use of coercion on the grounds of the absence 
of government documents pointing to coercion is absurd. Although it 
is a fact that voluminous documents were burned when Japan was 
defeated in the war, government warehouses still keep large volumes 
of documents. 
 
A draft bill to establish a special bureau in the National Diet 
Library to examine those documents has repeatedly been submitted to 
 
TOKYO 00001592  006 OF 010 
 
 
the Diet. The Diet must deliberate such a bill before making moves 
to block the US Congress from adopting the comfort women 
resolution. 
 
Some are wary the resolution could cause a split in the Japan-US 
alliance. Any attempt to block the resolution would undermine 
bilateral relations of trust. Rep. Mike Honda, a cosponsor of the 
comfort women resolution, indicated that Japan's awareness of its 
responsibility would result in reconciliation with the victims and 
stability in the Asia-Pacific region. 
 
Although the Asian Women's Fund was dissolved last month, many 
victimized countries and victims held negative views on it, deeming 
it as a system to evade state responsibility. It is about time that 
Japan contemplated what "national interests" really means. 
 
(5) WTO talks: Japan alarmed about being left out of context; 
Government unable to make move on agriculture; Japan likely to be 
pressed to make concessions, if developing countries, US and EU 
reach agreement 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 5) (Slightly abridged) 
April 10, 2007 
 
Moves to find a breakthrough in the stalemated multilateral trade 
talks at the World Trade Organization (WTO) are underway behind 
closed doors. That is because the US president's trade promotion 
authority (TPA) given by the Congress expires on July 1. The 
government is frantic about collecting information, alarmed about 
the possibility of the US and the European Union reaching a 
compromise on a major reduction of tariffs on agricultural 
products. 
 
The government in early March received an e-mail from an official 
responsible for WTO talks in Geneva noting that the US, the EU, 
Brazil and India appear to plan to hold an urgent ministerial 
meeting. Japan was quick to collect information by arranging for 
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari and Agriculture 
Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka to hold talks with Indian Prime 
Minister Kamal Nath and United States Trade Representative Susan 
Schwab. 
 
The government has a bitter experience in Cancun, Mexico in 2003, 
where the US and the EU reached agreement ahead of a WTO ministerial 
to introduce a cap on tariff rates with a view to liberalizing 
agricultural products. Japan, which was strongly against the idea of 
capping tariff rates out of consideration to domestic farmers, found 
that it was left out of the context. 
 
The proposal made by the US and the EU was rejected as it faced 
opposition from agricultural countries, which were seeking major 
concessions in the agricultural area. This time Brazil is acting as 
a mediator for developing countries and approaching the US and 
Europe, which have hinted at adopting preferential measures for 
developing countries. Japan has a growing sense of crisis, with one 
government official saying: "If the US and the EU reach a consensus, 
the talks will wrap up as they intended. Should that occur, Japan 
might be pressed to make major concessions, including accepting a 
cap on tariff rates." 
 
Upon receiving information that the US, the EU, Brazil and India 
would hold a ministerial meeting from Apr. 12 without Japan, Vice 
Agriculture Minister Yoshio Kobayashi indignantly told a press 
 
TOKYO 00001592  007 OF 010 
 
 
conference, "It is regrettable to hold discussions in which Japan 
cannot take part." 
 
Japan's position is that it cannot accept any major reduction of 
tariffs on produce, such as rice. Other countries are actively 
exploring agreements through talks, while Japan finds it difficult 
to make a move due to the agricultural issue. 
 
There are signs indicating the possibility of the talks going on at 
a high pitch. EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson stressed during 
telephone talks with Matsuoka, "We will aim at reaching an agreement 
in general principle." He is eyeballing the US president's TPA 
expiring. 
 
One government official presumes that the talks would climax in 
April, expecting to see some progress in April if they aim at 
reaching a consensus at the end of June. This view is gaining ground 
within the government. Amari and Matsuoka plan to hold talks in 
India with US and European ministers after the G-4 ministerial on 
the 12th. 
 
If such a climax really comes, the government's policy decision, 
including opening up Japan's agricultural market, will be put to the 
test. 
 
(6) Editorial -- An "ice-thawing trip" by Wen: Substance needed 
instead of language 
 
SANKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 11, 2007 
 
Does Wen Jiabao want to melt the "ice" lying between Japan and China 
with "wen" (this Chinese letter means warm)? China's Premier Wen 
Jiabao will arrive in Japan this afternoon and stay here until April 
¶13. Wen will be the first Chinese premier to visit Japan in nearly 
seven years, but his visit to Japan this time will be his second 
one. At a press conference ahead of his tour of Japan, Wen noted: 
"Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to China last year was an 
'ice-breaking trip.' My visit to Japan this time will be an 
'ice-thawing trip.'" 
 
This remark is viewed as showing his enthusiasm to improve 
Japan-China ties, which had been in an ice age until last year. We 
welcome his stance. But it is not so easy for the Japanese public to 
dispel their distrust of the Chinese government caused by China's 
anti-Japanese attitude that has intensified particularly since the 
start of the 1990s. 
 
For the real improvement of relations, thawing, and mutual trust, 
not only language but substance is also essential. We want to see 
how China has changed its policy toward Japan in concrete terms. 
 
Many Japanese never forget that the past buzzword "Japan-China 
friendship" was simply used by China as a "friendship convenient 
only to itself." Many Japanese also never forget that China's stance 
toward Japan could easily change, depending on its domestic 
political climate and its Communist Party's policy switch. 
 
During Prime Minister Abe's visit to Beijing last October, both 
Japan and China agreed to build a strategic, reciprocal 
relationship. Now, the two countries intend to bring it into shape 
and deepen it during Wen's visit to Japan this time. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001592  008 OF 010 
 
 
In the political and security areas, both sides are expected to 
agree to push ahead with mutual visits by their top leaders. Japan 
has claimed since former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was still 
in office: "The top leaders of the two countries must meet all the 
more because there are problems." We welcome mutual visits to each 
other by the top leaders of the two countries taking root. Defense 
exchanges, including a visit to Japan by the Chinese defense 
minister, would also be of help for confidence-building. 
 
In the economic area, a Japan-China high-level economic dialogue 
will be arranged. This is a Japan-China version of the strategic 
economic ministerial conference, which was started between the 
United States and China and between China and Russia. Specifically, 
Japan and China will work together to chart specific steps for 
energy-saving and environmental preservation. In addition, the two 
countries boost cooperation in such sectors as information 
technology (IT), finance, and small businesses. 
 
Yet, we must keep it in mind that Japan-China relations should be 
"reciprocal." Any relationship benefiting only one side is never 
acceptable. We want to see "reciprocal" measures shown in dealing 
with the natural resources issue in the East China Sea. We also hope 
to see both sides frankly assert their own positions respectively 
about historical perceptions and the Taiwan issue but refrain from 
using them for political purposes. 
 
(7) Editorial: Japan must take strategic steps for bringing 
stability to Iraq 
 
YOMIURI (Page 3) (Full) 
April 10, 2007 
 
Supporting Iraq and strengthening relations with that country are 
strategically vital for Japan. 
 
In their meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting 
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki affirmed a plan to build a 
long-term strategic partnership between the two countries. 
 
Abe conveyed to Maliki Japan's plan to revise the Iraq 
Reconstruction Support Special Measures Law to extend the Air 
Self-Defense Force's airlift operations in Iraq for another two 
years. In response, Maliki expressed his gratitude. 
 
Given Iraq's highly unstable situation, there are limits to what 
Japan can do to break the impasse in that country. ASDF activities 
are a symbol of Japan's assistance to Iraq as a responsible member 
of the international community. 
 
ASDF activities are playing only a minor role in bringing stability 
to Iraq. Still, it would be extremely significant for Iraq to 
remember Japan as a country that has extended a helping hand in its 
time of need. 
 
Iraq has not ranked among the top 10 crude oil producers due to its 
old facilities despite the fact it has the world's third-largest oil 
reserves. Chances are high that Iraq's oil output will dramatically 
increase once its domestic situation becomes stable and its 
reconstruction efforts get on track. 
 
The stability of the Middle East and relations with Iraq are 
directly linked to the national interests of Japan, which imports 
90% of its crude oil from the Middle East. 
 
TOKYO 00001592  009 OF 010 
 
 
 
With no prospects for law and order in Iraq in sight, the long-term 
strategic partnership plan might end up as pie in the sky. 
 
In fact, the government's evacuation advisory to Japanese citizens 
in Iraq has been preventing Japan from sending personnel to that 
country to implement the 5-billion-dollar official development 
assistance (ODA) package. 
 
But Japan must steadily take necessary steps from a long-term 
strategic perspective. 
 
Not only Japan but also Western countries have strong interests in 
Iraq's oil. Japan must remain highly alert so as not to fall behind 
other countries. 
 
There are moves to create a framework to promote regional dialogue 
for the stabilization of Iraq. One example is the recent 
international conference held by 16 countries and organizations, 
including Iraq, its neighboring countries, and the five UN Security 
Council members, to discuss Iraq's stability. 
 
Japan must actively take part in such a framework. 
 
Prime Minister Abe is scheduled to visit five Middle Eastern 
countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Egypt, following his 
trip to the United States in late April. Japan must urge the 
international community to advance dialogue for bringing stability 
to the Middle East. 
 
(8) Editorial: Measures to address global warming; World beginning 
to move forward 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 5) (Full) 
April 10, 2007 
 
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group 
II said that no one on earth could avoid the impact of global 
warming. The global position on global warming is now quickly 
changing. 
 
The report compiled by the Working Group II categorically noted that 
the progress of global warming as a result of human behavior is 
already having a visible effect on nature and human beings on a 
global scale. 
 
It also noted that if the average temperature rises 2 to 3 degrees 
centigrade over 1990 levels, economic losses would increase all over 
the world. 
 
Facing frequent abnormal climatic events, the world is beginning to 
move forward. Climate change will reportedly head the agenda of the 
United Nations Security Council and the G-8 Summit. 
 
The US, the world's largest carbon dioxide emitter, pulled out of 
the Kyoto Protocol six years ago. The pact sets signatory countries' 
commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions. However, the US Supreme 
Court handed down a decision strengthening restrictions on 
greenhouse gas emissions, judging that greenhouse effect gases 
emitted by autos, etc., are apparently pollutants. Leading 
retailers, such as Wal-Mart Stores, are shifting to simple wrapping 
and energy-conservation at their outlets. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001592  010 OF 010 
 
 
Though the Kyoto Protocol does not obligate China to cut greenhouse 
gas emissions, the country has indicated that it will press ahead 
with reductions in such gases in the post-Kyoto framework to be 
launched in 2013. Efforts to consolidate the environment for both 
countries to return to the framework or take part in the pact appear 
to be underway. 
 
The European Union is ahead of other countries in terms of a global 
warming preventive strategy. Chancellor Merkel of Germany, which 
hosted the EU summit meeting held early last month, indicated a 
strong desire to lead the world regarding global warming preventive 
measures, issuing an ambitious declaration pledging that the EU as a 
whole will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2020 over 1990 
levels, or at least by 20% in any case. She added that a method that 
will not harm economic development would be adopted. 
 
Global interests are not the only issue to which the EU is paying 
heed. Another ambition must be to seize the initiative in the 
environmental market, which is bound to grow sharply, by outpacing 
rivals through such economic strategies as innovation in 
energy-conserving technology and emissions trading. 
 
At the turning point of the global situation over measures to 
prevent global warming, Japan's effort to cut greenhouse gas 
emissions appears to be stagnated in both the industrial and 
household sectors. 
 
The first thing for Japan to do in order to avoid being left behind 
is to strengthen preventive measures in those sectors and make sure 
that it meets its commitment made under the Kyoto Protocol starting 
next year. In addition, it should pursue policies that will lead to 
economic development, while involving small and medium-size 
companies and working people. 
 
DONOVAN