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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 TOKYO 005502 
 
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 12/10/07-2 
 
 
Index: 
 
(12) Yomiuri-Gallup poll: 76 PERCENT  of Americans think N. Korea 
should remain on terror list until abductions issue is resolved 
(Yomiuri) 
 
(13) LDP, New Komeito to agree on re-adoption of new antiterrorism 
legislation; Fukuda-Ota talks at beginning of week; Momentum 
gathering for extending Diet session until mid-January (Mainichi) 
 
(14) DPJ's Kitazawa indicates new antiterrorism legislation to be 
brought to a vote, possibly to apply pressure on ruling camp 
(Sankei) 
 
(15) Total of 21 bills expected to clear divided Diet (Mainichi) 
 
(16) China rewrites official communiqu worked out at Japan-China 
economic dialogue (Asahi) 
 
(17) Establishment of Japan-US Security Strategy Council aimed at 
pursuing profits for defense industries (Akahata) 
 
(18) Japan's stealth aircraft to make 1st test flight in 2011 
(Yomiuri) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(12) Yomiuri-Gallup poll: 76 PERCENT  of Americans think N. Korea 
should remain on terror list until abductions issue is resolved 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
December 8, 2007 
 
The Yomiuri Shimbun conducted a telephone-based joint public opinion 
survey with the Gallup Organization, a U.S. pollster, on Nov. 15-18 
in Japan and Nov. 9-18 in the United States. In the survey, Japanese 
and American respondents were asked if they thought it would be 
better to keep North Korea on the U.S. government's list of terror 
sponsors until the incident of Japanese nationals abducted to North 
Korea is resolved. In response to this question, a total of 75 
PERCENT  in Japan and 76 PERCENT  in the United States answered 
"yes" or "yes to a certain degree," with "no" at 15 PERCENT  both in 
Japan and in the United States. As seen from these figures, 
three-quarters of respondents in both countries think resolving the 
abduction issue is one of the conditions for delisting North Korea 
as a terror sponsor. 
 
Respondents were also asked if they thought North Korea would 
actually abandon its nuclear weapons and nuclear development 
programs as a result of the six-party talks. To this question, those 
who answered "yes" totaled only 27 PERCENT  in Japan and 22 PERCENT 
in the United States. Those who answered "no" totaled 59 PERCENT  in 
Japan and 72 PERCENT  in the United States. Particularly, the 
proportion of pessimistic views overwhelmed that of optimistic ones 
in the United States. 
 
In the survey, respondents were further asked to pick one or more 
tasks which they thought the Japanese and U.S. governments should 
tackle on a priority basis in cooperation with each other over North 
Korea. In response, those who think the two countries should work 
together to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons 
accounted for 93 PERCENT  in Japan and 84 PERCENT  in the United 
 
TOKYO 00005502  002 OF 007 
 
 
States, and the proportion of those who think the two countries 
should stop North Korea from developing and launching missiles was 
89 PERCENT  in Japan and 82 PERCENT  in the United States. In Japan, 
the proportion of those who picked the abduction issue were 87 
PERCENT . In the United States, those who chose diplomatic 
normalization with North Korea accounted for 73 PERCENT . 
 
In the United States, the abduction issue ranked fourth at 61 
PERCENT . In Japan, diplomatic normalization ranked fifth at 45 
PERCENT . 
 
(13) LDP, New Komeito to agree on re-adoption of new antiterrorism 
legislation; Fukuda-Ota talks at beginning of week; Momentum 
gathering for extending Diet session until mid-January 
 
MAINICHI (Page 1) (Full) 
December 9, 2007 
 
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (who is also LDP president) will hold 
talks early next week with New Komeito Representative Akihiro Ota to 
discuss a response to the current extraordinary Diet session due to 
end on Dec. 15. With the aim of enacting the new antiterrorism 
legislation in the current Diet session, they are expected to 
confirm a policy course of re-extending the session so that even if 
the bill is voted down in the House of Councillors, they can 
override it with a two-thirds majority in the House of 
Representatives. They plan to determine the length of extension by 
watching the actions by the major opposition Democratic Party of 
Japan (DPJ or Minshuto). Calls are growing in the government and 
ruling parties to extend the session by one month until 
mid-January. 
 
LDP Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Tadamori Oshima appearing on a 
TBS-TV talk show yesterday indicated his party's intention to 
readopt the legislation in the Lower House, saying: "There is a good 
chance of making a decision under the rules of the Constitution and 
the Diet Law." Alarmed at the developments of the bribery case 
involving former Administrative Vice-Defense Minister Takemasa 
Moriya, some in the ruling camp were initially negative about 
re-extending the Diet session. But the prime minister has defined 
the antiterrorism legislation as a top priority. The New Komeito has 
also softened its stance, with Representative Ota saying: "Members 
have come to understand the need for it to a certain extent." 
 
Envisaging use of the constitutional provision allowing the Lower 
House to conclude the Upper House's failure to take final action 
within 60 days after receipt of a bill to be a rejection of the 
bill, calls are growing for extending the session until around Jan. 
¶15. 
 
Concerned about possible political tensions resulting from the 
postponement of handling of the bill to next year, some are looking 
for ways to extend the session only until around Dec. 25. They are 
in accord, however, to have the DPJ's assurance to bring the bill to 
a vote in the Upper House before the end of the year. Earlier, 
Chairman Toshimi Kitazawa (of the DPJ) of the Upper House Foreign 
Affairs and Defense Committee, now discussing the antiterrorism 
bill, alluded to the possibility of taking a vote in late December, 
but they all think a clear assurance is necessary. 
 
In the wake of President Ichiro Ozawa's return home from China, the 
DPJ, which is opposed to the legislation, is scheduled to discuss 
 
TOKYO 00005502  003 OF 007 
 
 
its response shortly. The view is gaining ground in the party that 
the Upper House should not postpone voting down the legislation 
until next year. In the event the bill is readopted in the Lower 
House, the focus of attention would be shifted to whether or not the 
opposition camp would submit a censure motion in the Upper House 
against the prime minister. 
 
(14) DPJ's Kitazawa indicates new antiterrorism legislation to be 
brought to a vote, possibly to apply pressure on ruling camp 
 
SANKEI (Page 5) (Full) 
December 8, 2007 
 
Chairman Toshimi Kitazawa (Democratic Party of Japan) of the House 
of Councillors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, which is 
discussing the new antiterrorism bill, told reporters in the Diet 
building yesterday: "The bill is before us, and this committee 
intends to take a vote on it. Deliberation time would be 
approximately 41 hours on a par with the House of Representatives." 
The committee has already discussed the bill for 11 hours and 20 
minutes. Kitazawa's comment alluded to the possibility of taking a 
vote before the end of the year. 
 
The committee meets twice a week (on Tuesdays and Thursdays). In 
order for the committee to discuss the legislation for 41 hours, as 
was done by the Lower House Committee on Prevention of Terrorism, 
the Diet session must be extended for a dozen or so days. 
 
The Upper House Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has yet to 
settle the 11 DPJ demands, including sworn and unsworn Diet 
testimony over improprieties involving the Defense Ministry. 
 
DPJ Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka told the press 
corps in Beijing yesterday: "I have confirmed with him (Kitazawa). 
His comment is based on the assumption that our demands are 
realized. At this point in time, things are not going in that 
direction (taking a vote before year's end )." 
 
Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama, too, commented at a press 
 
SIPDIS 
conference: "I think (Kitazawa) eyes preventing the Lower House from 
taking an override vote (based on the constitutional 60-day rule), 
for such would be suicidal for the Upper House." President Ichiro 
Ozawa also said in a press conference in Beijing: "Our party has yet 
to make a final decision. We will do so at the beginning of next 
week or later." 
 
"Kitazawa made that statement to throw the ruling camp into 
confusion," a DPJ member noted. 
 
(15) Total of 21 bills expected to clear divided Diet 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Abridged) 
December 9, 2007 
 
The ruling and opposition camps have steadily enacted bills, mostly 
livelihood-oriented ones, despite their fierce battle over the new 
antiterrorism bill. As of Dec. 8, of the 10-government sponsored 
bills presented to the current Diet session, nine, excluding the 
antiterrorism bill, were unanimously enacted. When prospective bills 
are counted, a total of 21 bills -- only a few short of 25 bills 
enacted in the extraordinary Diet session last fall -- are likely to 
clear the current session of the Diet. Given the split Diet, the 
 
TOKYO 00005502  004 OF 007 
 
 
government and ruling camp abstained from presenting controversial 
bills. The number also reflects the opposition camp's unexpectedly 
flexible and cooperative stance so as not to draw public criticism. 
 
Thus far, a total of 12 government-sponsored bills, including those 
carried over from the previous session, have passed the Diet. 
Included in them is a bill to revise the Minimum Wage Law to raise 
the minimum wage out of consideration for public criticism of income 
disparities. Additionally, a bill to amend the Broadcast Law in 
compliance with the opposition camp's demand is certain to win Diet 
approval. 
 
Four lawmaker-initiated bills have also cleared the Diet, including 
one to revise the Law to Support the Rebuilding of Lives of Disaster 
Victims. They are specifically designed to provide assistance to 
victims of disasters, such as earthquakes. Agreements have also been 
reached between the ruling parties and the DPJ to enact four bills, 
including a prospective bill to revise the Political Funds Control 
Law. 
 
In the wake of the ruling coalition's devastating setback in the 
July Upper House election, the government and the ruling camp feared 
that the opposition camp's fierce resistance would block the 
majority of bills from clearing the Diet. Such anxiety has now 
essentially vanished. The reason is mostly because the government 
and ruling parties avoided presenting contentious bills in the first 
place, with the new antiterrorism legislation being the only 
exception. 
 
Of the government-presented bills that cleared the Diet, four are 
designed to raise the salaries of civil servants in compliance with 
recommendations of the National Personnel Authority. The DPJ had no 
other option but to cooperate in enacting them so as not to cause 
trouble for civil servants and draw fire from them. 
 
The ruling parties and the DPJ submitted similar bills to the lower 
and upper chambers, respectively, like the one to revise the Law to 
Support the Rebuilding of Lives of Disaster Victims. The system of 
the two sides meeting halfway for the sake of enacting bills has 
begun taking root. 
 
(16) China rewrites official communiqu worked out at Japan-China 
economic dialogue 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Full) 
December 9, 2007 
 
Nobuyoshi Sakajiri, Beijing 
 
It has been learned that the Chinese government unilaterally rewrote 
the press communiqu worked out at the Japan-China high-level 
economic dialogue in Beijing on Dec. 1 and announced the corrected 
version. In protest against this move, the Japanese government has 
urged China through diplomatic channels to correct the rewritten 
document. China deleted such parts as referring to Japan's 
expectations for China's efforts to raise the exchange rate of the 
Chinese currency yuan. Japan is looking into drawing up and 
releasing its own press communiqu in Chinese. With the planned 
visit to China by Prime Minister Fukuda near at hand, this issue 
could trigger a new dispute between Japan and China depending on 
what action China takes next. 
 
 
TOKYO 00005502  005 OF 007 
 
 
It is quite unprecedented for a nation to unilaterally alter the 
contents of an agreed press communiqu and announce it. 
 
The economic dialogue brought together six Japanese cabinet 
ministers and the Chinese vice premier and seven cabinet ministers 
at the Great People's Hall in Beijing to comprehensively discuss 
economic issues. When Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met on Dec. 2 with 
five Japanese cabinet ministers, the premier hailed the positive 
results produced in the dialogue, saying: "It was a great success." 
In response, Foreign Minister Koumura said: "It was successful that 
both sides were able to issue a joint communiqu." 
 
 
According to several sources familiar with relations between Japan 
and China, working-level officers from the two countries formed the 
communiqu while promoting dialogue, and relevant cabinet ministers 
approved expressions in each sector. The Japanese government 
released the full text of its Japanese-language version to reporters 
in Beijing on the night of Dec. 1. 
 
On the Chinese side, the Xinhua News Agency reported the 
Chinese-language communiqu on the 3rd, and it was also carried in 
the People's Daily dated Dec. 4 and on the website of the Chinese 
Commerce Ministry. However, the communiqu announced in China does 
not include parts expressing Japan's expectations for China's 
efforts to hike the exchange rate of the yuan and pointing out the 
significance of China's participation in the Energy Charter Treaty, 
both of which were in the original. 
 
The United States and Europe, saddled with huge trade deficits with 
China, have criticized the current exchange rate of the yuan, 
claiming that the rate has been kept low through the People's Bank 
of China's market intervention. The Energy Charter Treaty sets 
international rules for liberalized trade and investment protection 
in the energy sector, but China has yet to sign the treaty and 
remains an observer. 
 
The parts that China deliberately deleted are clauses in which Japan 
urges China's efforts. A Japanese government official said: "The 
Chinese government was negative about forming the communiqu itself. 
China was supposedly unwilling to specify what it does not want to 
hear." Japanese officials have fiercely reacted to China's 
unilateral move, with one official complaining: "The alternation 
without notice will erode the trust between the two countries;" and 
another claiming: "That is a reckless act that should not be done 
diplomatically." 
 
As a countermeasure, the Japanese Embassy in Beijing reportedly is 
looking into translating the Japanese-language version into Chinese 
and posting that on its website. 
 
A source familiar with Japan-China relations said: "The Chinese 
Communist Party's leadership must have made the request," but it is 
uncertain why the Chinese side changed the wording. As of the night 
of Dec. 8, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's press office has made no 
reply to an inquiry by the Asahi Shimbun. 
 
(17) Establishment of Japan-US Security Strategy Council aimed at 
pursuing profits for defense industries 
 
AKAHATA (Page 1) (Full) 
December 9, 2007 
 
TOKYO 00005502  006 OF 007 
 
 
 
Meetings of the Japan-United States Security Strategy Council are 
held by the Congressional National Security Research Group -- 
chaired by former Defense Agency Director General Tsutomu Kawara and 
composed of lawmakers representing defense interests from the 
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), 
and the New Komeito. The establishment of the Japan-US committee was 
aimed from the beginning at strengthening the basis of the Japanese 
and US military industries and promoting trade in weapons, according 
to a document of its preparatory committee released yesterday. 
 
The document, with the seal of "strict secrecy," was compiled in 
2002 by Naoki Akiyama, chief of secretariat at the said 
congressional group, who reportedly is holding the key to the 
investigation of a scandal involving military interests. 
 
The document says that the purpose of the establishment of the 
Japan-US security panel was to promote multilaterally studying 
security problems between Japan and the US (related to policy and 
military technologies). 
 
The panel's mandate is specified as "strengthening the basis of 
Japanese and US national defense industries and future options for 
defense technology cooperation (including the transfer of technology 
and the purchase of weapons)." This reveals that the establishment 
of the panel was designed to promote both Japanese and US military 
industries' profits. 
 
The document notes: "In order to maintain the management of the 
panel, we will obtain cooperation from (about 25) private firms 
supportive of our efforts to map out our nation's sound security 
policy," showing that the new panel, since its establishment, has 
been greatly dependent on financial aid from the military industry. 
The document also indicated that a Mitsubishi Corp. executive served 
as coordinator in the defense industry, saying: "Mitsubishi Corp. 
executive Sato has served as liaison among Japanese private firms." 
 
Mitsubishi has received orders worth 53.9 billion yen in total 
(FY2001 - FY2006) from the Defense Ministry (the Defense Agency), 
one of the largest defense contractors in the nation. 
 
In the preparatory committee set up in November 2001, three former 
Defense Agency director generals served as representative members. 
The three were Kawara, Fumio Kyuma, and Fukushiro Nukaga. The idea 
was that the panel would include such key persons among its members 
as former Defense Secretary Cohen, Boeing Vice President Stanley 
Roth, and others from the U.S. The name of James Auer, former 
director of the Japan Desk at the Department of Defense, is also 
found on the list. 
 
(18) Japan's stealth aircraft to make 1st test flight in 2011 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 9, 2007 
 
The Defense Ministry yesterday revealed a plan to develop a 
prototype aircraft with advanced technologies for the purpose of 
verifying stealth and other state-of-the-art technologies for a new 
fighter plane model. The plan will start next fiscal year, with the 
prototype scheduled to make its first test flight in FY2011. If the 
plan gets well underway, the Defense Ministry would like to lead it 
to Japan's development its own fighter jet model. 
 
TOKYO 00005502  007 OF 007 
 
 
 
The prototype has an overall length of 14 meters and an overall 
width of 9 meters. The newly planned fighter plane is named 
"Shinshin." It is a stealth aircraft that can hardly be picked up by 
enemy radar. Another feature of the Shinshin is its high mobility 
using an engine developed by Japan. The Shinshin will also adopt 
other advanced technologies, such as radar called "smart skin." The 
new aircraft is a prototype, so it will not be loaded with weapons. 
 
The Defense Ministry plans to develop the Shinshin over a period of 
six years, starting next fiscal year. The Defense Ministry will 
earmark 15.7 billion yen in its budget request for next fiscal year 
and estimates the total cost of development at 46.6 billion yen. The 
ministry will make a prototype engine and electronic equipment by 
fiscal 2009. It will set about producing the prototype in fiscal 
2010 and will make its first flight in fiscal 2011 at the earliest. 
The fuselage and engine are already under development. In 2005, the 
ministry tested a mockup model for stealth in France. "We have 
already confirmed high efficiency," a senior official of the Defense 
Ministry said. 
 
Japan and the United States once co-developed the F-2 fighter 
support plane. F-2 production will be will be ended in several 
years' time, so the planned development of an experimental aircraft 
model is for Japan to retain its technical know-how. Meanwhile, the 
Air Self-Defense Force is interested in the F-22 Raptor, a 
U.S.-developed fighter jet model, as a likely candidate for its 
follow-on mainstay fighter (FX). However, the United States will not 
consent to export the F-22. The Defense Ministry is hoping to 
negotiate with the United States to its advantage over the F-22. 
 
The United States is cautious about exporting the F-22 for security 
reasons, according to a government source. "For another," the source 
said, "they think Japan cannot develop stealth technologies on its 
own, so they want to sell it at a high price in the future." 
 
"It's possible for Japan to deploy its own fighter planes in around 
2017 or 2018," a senior official of the Defense Ministry said. The 
Shinshin could replace the F-15. In the United States, however, 
there are concerns about Japan choosing to develop its own fighter 
jet model. That is because the United States will lose one of its 
export markets. 
 
SCHIEFFER