VZCZCXRO1895
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #1923/01 1210112
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 010112Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3155
INFO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/USDOJ WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/USDOT WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5//
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA//
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA//J5/JO21//
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA
RUAYJAA/CTF 72
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 3339
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 0895
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 4431
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 0171
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 1804
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6821
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 2889
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4094

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 TOKYO 001923 
 
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 05/01/07-1 
 
 
Prime Minister Abe in Washington: 
1) Bush-Abe summit meeting confirms "irreplaceable alliance" as base 
for future multilateral cooperation 
2) President Bush to link consideration to abduction issue to 
decision on whether to remove North Korea from list of 
terrorist-sponsoring states 
3) Summit meeting reveals gap still exists between US, Japan on 
North Korea issue 
4) Bush "accepts" Abe's "apology" for comfort-women issue 
5) Gist of summit meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister 
Abe 
6) Summit meeting joint statement includes cooperation to stem 
global warming 
7) Gap between US, Japan on global warming: No mention in summit 
statement about "obligation" to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions 
8) Summit meeting agreement on intellectual property protection 
9) Summit meeting reaches de facto agreement on prior discussion on 
future FTA 
10) US, Japanese leaders both deem their first summit meeting a 
resounding success 
11) One bitter lesson learned for Abe in US was apparent inability 
to transmit intention on comfort-women issue 
 
Articles: 
 
1) Summit meeting -- Japan, US searching for multilateral 
cooperation with "irreplaceable alliance" as the pivot 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Excerpt) 
April 28, 2007 
 
By Fumi Igarashi in Washington 
 
Prime Minister Abe and President Bush in their summit meeting with 
on April 27 (late night in Japan) confirmed to strengthen 
cooperation in a broad range of areas from the North Korea nuclear 
and abduction issues to measures to counter global warming. At the 
press conference that followed, Abe repeatedly referred to the 
president as "George" and stressed their closeness. But compared to 
the former prime minister, Koizumi, there was an undeniable feeling 
that the closeness of the two leaders had "retreated." However, 
different from Koizumi, who tilted solely toward the US, there was a 
desire to have a new bilateral alliance that would seek out 
multilateral cooperation, with the "irreplaceable alliance" as the 
pivot, in order to respond to changes in the international 
situation. 
 
2) US president promise to prime minister that consideration to 
abductions issue would be given in removing North Korea from 
terrorist list 
 
MAINICHI (Top play) (Excerpt) 
Eve., April 28, 2007 
 
By Chiyako Sato in Washington 
 
In his summit meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the 
president's retreat, Camp David, in the suburbs of Washington, 
President Bush said, "We will factor in the abduction issue" in 
connection with removing North Korea from the list designating it as 
a country sponsoring terrorism. He was replying to a request from 
the prime minister that consideration be given to the abduction 
 
TOKYO 00001923  002 OF 008 
 
 
issue at the time of removing that country from the list of 
terrorist-supporters. The president said: "I promise there will be 
no change" in support for the abduction issue. He stressed: "We must 
not let our strong stance toward the abduction issue weaken." 
 
3) Covering the gap on North Korea: Prime Minister Abe -- "Common 
target of nuclear and other issues"; President Bush -- "Support 
Japan on abduction issue" 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 3) (Excerpt) 
April 28, 2007 
 
The summit meeting between Prime Minister Abe and President Bush 
became a forum for re-coordinating US policy toward North Korea that 
had turned toward dialogue with that country. The US confirmed that 
if North Korea does not carry out its promise to abandon nuclear 
weapons, the US would heighten pressure on it. The president, 
turning to the abduction issue, clearly stated that he would support 
Japan's efforts to resolve the issue. However, the moves of North 
Korea are hard to read, and the truth is that there is a lack of 
specific means to pressure it. In case the issue becomes prolonged, 
it is unclear how long Japan and the US can maintain their 
cooperation on this problem. 
 
4) US President Bush "accepts apology" of Prime Minister Abe on 
comfort-women issue 
 
SANKEI (Page 1) (Full) 
April 28, 2007 
 
Ruhi Ahiru in Washington 
 
In his summit meeting with the President Bush, Prime Minister Shinzo 
Abe apologized for the comfort-women issue, stating, "As a human 
being and as the prime minister, I feel genuine sympathy for the 
comfort women for their having to undergo such painful experiences 
under excruciating circumstances. I feel sorry that they were placed 
in such a situation." 
 
He also stated: "The 20th Century was a century in which there were 
many human-rights transgressions, and Japan, too, was a part of it. 
I would like Japan to make major contributions in the 21st Century 
so that it will be a better age without human-rights violations." 
 
In response, President Bush expressed his understanding, saying: "I 
accept the Prime Minister's apology. It was a frank statement filled 
with great compassion. Our task is to lead our countries by learning 
the lessons from the past." 
 
The prime minister's statement aimed to assuage the issue, having in 
mind the resolution criticizing the Japanese government that is now 
before the US House of Representatives, as well as the protest 
demonstration outside the White House on April 26. 
 
5) Gist of summit meeting between Prime Minister Abe and US 
President Bush 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Full) 
April 30, 2007 
 
The following is the main contents of the summit meeting between 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Bush on April 27, as 
 
TOKYO 00001923  003 OF 008 
 
 
briefed by the Japanese government: 
 
Overall Japan-US relations 
 
The two leaders agreed to deal with the various issues in East Asia, 
based on the Japan-US alliance, and to further strengthen the 
alliance. The two shared the common view of the importance of having 
deterrence capabilities based on the bilateral alliance and they 
reconfirmed they would promote the realignment of US forces in Japan 
and cooperate on ballistic missile defense. 
 
The two leaders compiled a joint statement on such areas as the 
economy, cultural exchanges, and nuclear energy. On the economic 
front, keeping in mind the rise of new economies and their impact on 
the global economy, the two agreed to strengthen cooperation on a 
broad agenda that includes energy, intellectual property rights, and 
safe and smooth trade. 
 
From the point of view that the cornerstone of the bilateral 
alliance lies in exchanges and mutual understanding between the two 
peoples, the two leaders agreed also on reform of the Japan-US 
cultural and educational exchange council to strengthen the 
intellectual exchanges between the two countries. They confirmed 
their intention to cooperate based on a joint Japan-US action plan 
on nuclear energy. 
 
Prime Minister Abe: As a mission of the Abe Cabinet, I am aiming at 
emerging from the postwar regime. With the security environment 
around Japan greatly changing, I established just before traveling 
to the United States a blue-ribbon panel of experts for the purpose 
of rebuilding the legal base for national security to match the age. 
On the economic front, I will carry out structural reforms. 
 
It is important to steadily implement the agreement reached last 
year in May on the realignment on US forces in Japan, and I will 
carry out the relocation of the US forces' Futenma Air Station in 
accordance with the agreement. 
 
President Bush: Cooperation will be carried out by the responsible 
cabinet members. 
 
North Korea problem 
 
The two leaders agreed to make efforts through the six-party talks 
to bring about North Korea's complete scrapping of its nuclear 
weapons and nuclear programs. 
 
President: Even now, I am left with a strong impression from the 
meeting last year with Sakie-san, the mother of Megumi Yokota, one 
of the victims of abduction by North Korea. I would like to 
reconfirm by unchanging support for the Japanese government. 
 
Prime Minister: Will North Korea be removed from the list of 
terrorist-supporting countries? 
 
President: When we approach that issue, we will factor in 
consideration for the abduction issue. This process must never 
weaken the strong feelings toward the abduction victims. 
 
Relations with China; measures to prevent global warming 
 
Both leaders welcomed the fact that China was carrying out a more 
 
TOKYO 00001923  004 OF 008 
 
 
constructive role in the international community. 
 
Prime Minister: Even Premier Wen cited the necessity of building an 
effective international framework that all major carbon-dioxide 
emitting countries could join, including China and India. 
 
War on terror; Middle East situation 
 
Prime Minister: We understand and support US efforts to stabilize 
and reconstruct Iraq. (He then explained the bill amending the Iraq 
Reconstruction Assistance Special Measures Law to extend it for two 
years.) 
 
The two leaders agreed on strengthening assistance to Afghanistan 
and Pakistan. They also agreed, as has the international community, 
to search for ways to resolve peacefully the main case of Iran, 
while heightening pressure on that country. 
 
Other issues 
 
Prime Minister: I thank the United States for its support of Japan's 
bid to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security 
Council. 
 
It is important to deepen dialogue and cooperation with major 
democratic nations in the Asia-Pacific region, and to support the 
basic direction toward prosperity and democratization in the region. 
In addition to Japan and the United States, it would be beneficial 
for countries, such as India and Australia to engage in dialogue. 
 
The stability of the Middle East is a matter of vital interest for 
Japan. I will visit Middle-East countries, starting on the 28th. I 
will make efforts to help stabilize the region by strengthening 
relations with Arab states. In a dimension that transcends a 
diplomacy that gives priority to energy in relations with each 
country, I would like to build broad and multilayered relations in 
the region. 
 
6) Japan, US to cooperate on global warming, joint statement 
released at summit notes 
 
ASAHI (Top Play) (Excerpts) 
Evening, April 28, 2007 
 
A joint statement on greenhouse gases, the cause of global warming, 
was released after talks between Prime Minister Abe and President 
Bush held on the morning of Apr. 27 (midnight of the same day, Japan 
time) at Camp David in a suburb of Washington DC. The US, which has 
been negative toward the climate change issue, has indicated a 
stance of cooperating in areas where its interests are in agreement 
with Japan's, such as energy security and development of alternative 
forms of energy. 
 
According to the joint statement, Japan and the US agreed to 
continue to engage in the ultimate objective of stabilizing the 
concentration of greenhouse gases in the air and consider ways to 
press ahead with this effort. The statement also noted that both 
countries would boost government-level talks and that the US would 
send a delegation consisting of senior government officials to Japan 
before the G-8 Summit in June in order to deepen discussions on the 
issue. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001923  005 OF 008 
 
 
It is a key agenda item for the prime minister, who wants to display 
leadership regarding environmental measures, to have the US, which 
pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol, return to the international 
framework to combat global warming. The Japanese side has given high 
marks to the joint statement, with Abe saying that the statement was 
a major step forward as it was able to obtain US pledge for 
cooperation. 
 
Footing for post-Kyoto Protocol discussions 
 
(Commentary) The joint statement the leaders of Japan and the US 
released on Apr. 27 categorically mentioned that the objective of 
measures to counter global warming is to stabilize the concentration 
of greenhouse gases in the air. It can be said that it was an 
achievement for Japan in the sense that it has succeeded in clearly 
setting the footing for future discussions to have the US return to 
an international framework for measures to combat global warming. 
 
There is nothing new about this objective, because it is the same as 
the one advocated in the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the 
starting point for the world's global warming preventive measures. 
The point is that the US, which walked out of the 2005 Kyoto 
Protocol mandating signatory countries to cut emissions of 
greenhouse gases, is a signatory to that convention. 
 
Global emissions of carbon dioxide are now about double the amount 
nature, such as forests, absorbs. In order to stabilize the 
concentration of carbon dioxide, it is in theory necessary to halve 
the amount of emissions. The joint statement noted that Japan and 
the US start discussions on cutting carbon dioxide emissions on the 
footing they share. 
 
The US Supreme Court early this month decided that greenhouse gases 
are pollutants. The State of California is already aiming at 
implementing emissions regulation based on that premise. The court 
decision will likely back this movement. 
 
For this reason, it has been a pressing issue for the Bush 
administration to come up with some countermeasures before various 
states start introducing their own regulations. 
 
However, the leaders of the two countries did not exchange any 
concrete views on measures to address emissions cut targets or the 
deadline to meet such targets. Discussions on the creation of a 
concrete post-Kyoto framework have yet to be started. 
 
7) Japan-US summit meeting in discussing global-warming 
countermeasures did not step into obligatory reduction of greenhouse 
gases, revealing gap with Europe 
 
NIHON KEIZAI (Page 2) (Excerpt) 
Eve., April 28, 2007 
 
By Kazuaki Fujii in Washington 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Bush in their summit meeting 
on April 27 announced cooperation on measures to counter global 
warming and to consider ways how the US and Japan might take the 
lead in building a framework for the post-2013 period when the Kyoto 
Protocol will have expired. However, they did not step into any 
specific discussion, such as setting targets for greenhouse-gas 
reduction, or making it obligatory for companies to reduce 
 
TOKYO 00001923  006 OF 008 
 
 
emissions. The European Union (EU) has set high numerical targets 
and is moving ahead with reduction centered on private companies. 
The gap between the EU on one side and Japan and the US on the other 
side is becoming increasingly wide. 
 
8) Japanese, US leaders agree on protection of intellectual property 
rights 
 
ASAHI (Page 3) (Excerpts) 
Evening, April 28, 2007 
 
Washington, Kaori Nishizaki 
 
Prime Minister Abe and US President Bush after a meeting on Apr. 27 
released a document advocating strengthening bilateral cooperation 
in the economic area. The document incorporated the worldwide 
strengthening of the protection of intellectual property rights, 
promotion of new multilateral trade talks (Doha Round) at the World 
Trade Organization (WTO), efforts to promote the envisaged free 
trade area for the Asia Pacific (FTAAP) and exchanges of information 
on a (possible Japan-US) free trade agreement. 
 
With both leaders stressing the Japan-US alliance in the economic 
fields as well, no major issues concerning trade disputes surfaced. 
Regarding the high-profile US beef issue, the president expressed 
his hope to see Japan ease its import conditions. He applied 
pressure only in a soft manner noting: "US beef is healthy. We will 
serve hamburgers to the prime minister and his entourage for today's 
lunch." 
 
9) Japanese, US leaders agree to start prior negotiations on 
bilateral FTA 
 
ASAHI (Page 11) (Excerpts) 
April 28, 2007 
 
Kaoru Nishizaki, Washington 
 
In the Japan-United States summit on April 27, the two leaders 
agreed that the two countries would promote information exchange on 
the details of the free trade agreements (FTA) and the economic 
partnership agreements (EPA) that they have so far concluded. The 
aim is to find out what type of FTA is possible for the two 
countries to form. Japan and the US will launch preliminary 
negotiations in effect for future talks on concluding a bilateral 
FTA. 
 
A senior US official who stresses the importance of a Japan-US FTA 
commented: "We are fully aware that the Abe administration, keeping 
the upcoming House of Councillors election in mind, remains unable 
to refer to liberalization of trade in agricultural products. In the 
world, however, moves pursuing FTAs have begun in full swing. Japan 
and the US also should look into the possibility; otherwise, they 
will lag behind the times." 
 
Japan has concluded EPAs or FTAs with six countries, while the US 
has signed or agreed on such accords with 13 countries. Since the 
contents of each accord are different, both sides have decided to 
explain to each other the details of the protection of intellectual 
property rights, competition policy, investment, agriculture, and 
other areas specified in each agreement. 
 
 
TOKYO 00001923  007 OF 008 
 
 
10) Japanese, US leaders make great effort so that summit meeting 
will be seen as success 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
Eve. April 28, 2007 
 
By Chiyako Sato in Washington 
 
"Last night, we were invited over by George and Laura, and we had a 
wonderful time with the President and the First Lady."  Prime 
Minister Abe, in the joint news conference after his summit meeting 
with President Bush, called the president by his first name three 
times. The prime minister, once it was decided at the summit meeting 
to use first names "George" and "Shinzo," immediately put it into 
practice. Although "shared values" were stressed in the talks, 
Japan-US relations have some noticeable gaps in understanding. Both 
leaders, however, played up their performances to make sure that the 
Abe visit to the US would come across as successful. 
 
In particular, on the North Korea problem, both leaders took special 
pains so that their differences would be seen as less than they 
were. The US administration, which has changed to a soft-line, has 
distanced itself gradually from the hard stance of the Abe 
administration, which is unable to compromise on the abduction 
issue. 
 
On this point, the president likely spoke in response to the Japan 
side's expectation. The president said he was demanding of North 
Korea not just to shut down its nuclear facility, but also to 
abandon all nuclear programs. And if the North did not keep its 
promise, he said, "We have the capability of carrying out even more 
sanctions." 
 
11) Prime Minister Abe's bitter lesson during his US trip: Unable to 
transmit his intention on the comfort-women issue 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
April 30, 2007 
 
By Ruri Ahiru in Abu Dhabi 
 
The visit of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the United States first of 
all scored a great success on the point of building a relationship 
of trust with Abe's counterpart, President Bush. However, the only 
bitter lesson that lingers seemed to have been the comfort-women 
issue, which remains pending. The prime minister, in his joint press 
conference with the US president, spoke this way of the 
comfort-women issue: "I feel genuine sympathy as an individual and 
as the prime minister for those who were comfort women, and I feel 
sorry that they were placed in such a situation."  He continued: 
"The 20th Century was an age in which the human rights of people 
were transgressed in every region (of the world). I would like to 
the 21st Century to be a splendid age in which there will be no 
human-rights violations." 
 
Prior to that, in his meeting with senior members of the US 
Congress, Abe said about the same thing. And even in an interview 
with CNN before his trip to the US, he used the same expressions. 
 
The prime minister's intention was clear. It was important for him 
to express directly his sympathy for the situation the comfort women 
had been in. In previous replies to the Diet and other occasions, he 
 
TOKYO 00001923  008 OF 008 
 
 
had pointed out, "Although there were was coercion in the broad 
sense, in which comfort women were made such against their wills, 
there was no coercion in the narrow sense, such as acts of being 
rounded up by constituted authorities and made into comfort women." 
Although he had explained that there had been no coercive 
recruitment by constituted authorities, the overseas media reported 
it as if he lacked a human-rights consciousness. 
 
Regarding the reason for sympathizing with the comfort women, he did 
not refer to involvement by the Japanese government or constituted 
authorities, but stressed that there existed at the time "such 
conditions" into which the comfort women were placed. He strongly 
suggested that Japan was not the only country during the war 
committing human-rights transgressions.  His aim was make the others 
turn their eyes toward the future and away from the past. By this, 
he was not compromising on his basic line that there had not been 
any coercion in the narrow sense. 
 
However, the phrases he has so carefully prepared beforehand did not 
bring about the results that he had aimed for. Despite his having 
repeatedly used the same phrases even before his trip to the US, 
much of the Japanese media did not catch his intention or ignored 
it, stressing the issue "apology to the US." 
 
On the other hand, the overseas media, having a fixed view that 
there had been forced recruitment of comfort women, did not transmit 
the delicate nuances of the prime minister's remarks. Even President 
Bush, who heard the explanation from Abe directly, simply concluded 
that it was an "apology," saying, "I accept the Prime Minister's 
apology (to the former comfort women)." As a result, according to a 
source accompanying the prime minister, "The image projected at home 
and abroad that all he did was repeatedly apologize" could not be 
denied. 
 
The prime minister's visit to the US thus left a strong impression 
that when it comes to historical issues, in order to obtain 
understanding, even for example from an allied country, there should 
have been more persistent efforts and devices. 
 
DONOVAN