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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 13 TOKYO 000161 
 
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 01/22/08 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Bill revising special taxation measures law to be submitted 
tomorrow to Lower House; Upper House LDP wants bill to clear Lower 
House before end of January (Mainichi) 
 
(2) DPJ having difficulty deciding what approach to take regarding 
supplementary budget bill: Decision to be made right before roll 
call (Yomiuri) 
 
(3) Consumer minister to be appointed in April (Yomiuri) 
 
(4) Chinese military experts discussing sending troops to North 
Korea to deal with a collapse of Kim Jong Il regime (Yomiuri) 
 
(5) Think-tank headed by Yoshiko Sakurai: Delisting North Korea as 
state sponsor of terrorism will undermine Japan's confidence in U.S 
(Sankei). 
 
(6) Int'l community beginning to undergo sea change: Morimoto 
(Sankei) 
 
(7) U.S. FDA declares safety of beef from cloned cattle: Cloned 
pigs, goats also safe; Voluntary shipment restraint to be kept in 
place (Yomiuri) 
 
(8) Editorial: If cloned beef is marketed, labeling requirement 
should be imposed (Mainichi) 
 
(9) TOP HEADLINES 
 
(10) EDITORIALS 
 
(11) Prime Minister's schedule, January 18 (Nikkei) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Bill revising special taxation measures law to be submitted 
tomorrow to Lower House; Upper House LDP wants bill to clear Lower 
House before end of January 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
January 22, 2008 
 
There is a deepening rift in the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) over 
a strategy of passing a bill to revise the special taxation measures 
law to maintain the provisional tax rate imposed on gasoline. The 
main issue is when the bill should clear the House of 
Representatives. The Lower House LDP caucus has insisted that the 
legislation should be passed in mid-February by the Lower House, but 
LDP members in the House of Councillors are unhappy with the idea. 
The government and ruling coalition have decided to submit the bill 
on Jan. 23 to the Lower House earlier than the initially scheduled 
25th. Since the Upper House LDP has still been endeavoring to 
recover from the setback, the focus is on a final decision to be 
made by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. 
 
In an LDP executive meeting last evening, Fukuda stated: "I leave 
managing Diet affairs to the secretary general and Diet Affairs 
Committee chairman. As a responsible person, I will make a decision 
at a time when I should do so." He indicated in his remarks that he 
wanted to curb internal discord over Diet deliberations on the 
 
TOKYO 00000161  002 OF 013 
 
 
provisional gasoline tax rate. 
 
Meanwhile, Upper House LDP Caucus Chairman Hidehisa Otsuji stressed 
in a press conference after the executive meeting: "If the bill is 
sent to the Upper House in February, it will be difficult to reach a 
conclusion before the end of this fiscal year (March)." 
 
The Upper House LDP's idea is that the ruling coalition will able to 
resort to a two-thirds majority override vote in the Lower House 
even if the opposition does not put the bill to a vote within 60 
days after it is sent to the upper chamber. This means that the bill 
must be cleared the Lower House by Jan. 31 in order to secure 60 
days before the end of March. Another senior Upper House LDP member 
told his aides: "This issue is not logic but a battle." His view is 
that force is the only way to enact the bill before the end of this 
fiscal year. 
 
The reason for Secretary General Bunmei Ibuki and other Lower House 
LDP members being negative about passing the bill within January is 
that they are concerned that an early passage of the bill may bring 
on political turmoil. Usually a bill amending the special taxation 
measures law is sent to the Upper House during the time between late 
February and early March. The opposition camp is certain to toughen 
its stance if the ruling coalition passes the measures by March 31 
through the Lower House after the bill is submitted to the lower 
chamber on Jan. 23. However, the Lower House LDP views that if it 
rams through the bill, the ruling camp will give the opposition bloc 
an excuse to boycott deliberations on the fiscal 2008 budget bill. 
The LDP caucus in the Lower House is more concerned about a 
political situation that involves the risk of escalating into Lower 
House dissolution, which the ruling camp wishes to put off as long 
as possible. A senior Upper House LDP member said yesterday: "The 
question is how the prime minister will make his final decision." 
 
(2) DPJ having difficulty deciding what approach to take regarding 
supplementary budget bill: Decision to be made right before roll 
call 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
January 22, 2008 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ or Minshuto) is having difficulty 
deciding what approach to take regarding the fiscal 2007 
supplementary budget bill and related bills, such as an amendment to 
the Local Distribution Tax Law. Some are calling for opposing the 
bills, citing the government's economic misadministration. Others 
are insisting on approving the bills before the end of the current 
fiscal year, because if the related laws fail to secure Diet 
approval by then, it would have a major impact on the finances of 
local governments. They are instead calling for focusing on a bill 
amending the Special Tax Measures Law, including retaining the 
provisional rate imposed on the gas tax. 
 
The DPJ party leadership, including President Ozawa, Secretary 
General Hatoyama and Diet Affairs Committee Chairman Kenji Yamaoka, 
on Jan. 21 met in the Diet building and conferred on the 
supplementary budget bill. However, failing to decide what approach 
to take, they simply confirmed that they would decide whether to 
approve them or not right before a roll call in the Lower House, 
after determining the development of Diet deliberations. 
 
The DPJ has supported a supplementary budget only once in the past 
 
TOKYO 00000161  003 OF 013 
 
 
decade. It supported the fiscal 2004 bill, which included 
appropriations for reconstruction from the damage caused by the 
Chuetsu Earthquake in Niigata Prefecture. 
 
The fiscal 2007 supplementary budget includes measures to make up 
for budgetary shortfalls stemming from tax revenues falling short of 
the government estimate. There is strong criticism of the government 
in the DPJ that the government's economic misadministration has 
necessitated the compilation of a supplementary budget. 
 
However, as Internal Affairs Minister Masuda has pointed out that if 
the supplementary budget bill and related bills are not enacted 
within the current fiscal year, local governments would be cornered 
to a considerable extent, the DPJ is concerned that if it opposes 
those bills, it could be exposed to criticism from local 
governments, as one senior member said. 
 
(3) Consumer minister to be appointed in April 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Excerpts) 
January 19, 2008 
 
The government yesterday determined the outline of a system to 
promote consumer affairs administration, as declared by Prime 
Minister Fukuda in his policy speech the same day. With the aim of 
establishing a new body to promote the unification of consumer 
affairs administrative functions, the government intends to submit 
related bills to the regular Diet session in 2009. Meanwhile, the 
government plans to appoint a new minister in charge of consumer 
affairs in April. Some speculate that State Minister for Okinawa and 
People's Life Kishida is likely to be asked to carry an additional 
portfolio. 
 
As a new body, there is the plan of creating a consumer agency in 
the Cabinet Office. In the case of an agency, some hundreds of staff 
members are needed. Some persons warn that the plan may go against 
the government's streamlining efforts through administrative reform. 
Given this, some persons propose setting up a very independent 
committee with strong authority based on the National Government 
Organization Law, like the Fair Trade Commission. The government 
plans to recruit personnel well-versed in consumer affairs 
administration from such relevant government agencies as the 
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry and the Health, Labor 
and Welfare Ministry. 
 
What form the new body should take and other details will be 
discussed at the Council for Social Policy, an advisory panel to 
Prime Minister Fukuda. The government intends to conduct discussion 
in March based on recommendations from the council and determine and 
specify the structure of the new body in its annual economic and 
fiscal policy guidelines due out in June. 
 
The government plans to submit a bill amending the Cabinet Office 
Establishment Law and install a consumer affairs minister in April. 
It is looking into granting the minister with the strong power to 
appoint. 
 
(4) Chinese military experts discussing sending troops to North 
Korea to deal with a collapse of Kim Jong Il regime 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Abridged slightly) 
January 22, 2008 
 
TOKYO 00000161  004 OF 013 
 
 
 
Satoshi Saeki, Beijing 
 
Should North Korea's Kim Jong Il regime face an imminent collapse, a 
large number of not only civilians but also armed military troops 
and security personnel might become refugees, too, and flock to the 
northeastern part of China bordering with North Korea, flowing out 
into China. Alarmed at such a possibility, experts of the Chinese 
People's Liberation Army and others are discussing a contingency 
plan to send troops to North Korea with the aim of restoring law and 
order and controlling nuclear weapons, a source familiar with 
China-DPRK relations revealed yesterday. 
 
Although China thinks that the situation in North Korea will be 
stable for the time being, it seems to be expediting efforts to draw 
up emergency measures against unexpected events. 
 
According to the source, the stance of the experts and others is 
that a decision on whether to dispatch troops following certain 
contingencies in North Korea, such as Kim Jong Ill's sudden death 
and a coup d'etat, will be made based on approval by the UN Security 
Council. They are also considering dispatching troops independently 
in the event an inflow of refugees is imminent. The Chinese 
leadership, which has yet to make a final decision on the matter, is 
expected to make a cautious decision by giving consideration to 
relations with the United States and other factors. 
 
Since the nuclear test in October 2006 by North Korea, concern has 
been growing in China over control of nuclear weapons during a 
national contingency. Another source underlined the need for study, 
saying: "The UN Security Council must discuss how nuclear weapons 
must be controlled multilaterally in case not only North Korea but 
also other unstable countries, such as Pakistan, fall into chaos." 
 
As a fruit of discussions with Chinese experts last year, the U.S. 
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has released a 
report touching on the idea of dispatching Chinese troops to North 
Korea in the event of a contingency there. As purposes for sending 
troops, the report mentions: (1) humanitarian duties, such as 
supporting (civilian) refugees, (2) peacekeeping, and (3) security 
of nuclear weapons and materials. A Chinese Foreign Ministry 
spokesman, however, has denied the existence of such a concept. 
 
(5) Think-tank headed by Yoshiko Sakurai: Delisting North Korea as 
state sponsor of terrorism will undermine Japan's confidence in 
U.S. 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
January 22, 2008 
 
The Japan Institute for National Fundamentals (JINF), a 
private-sector think-tank established last December, yesterday held 
a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan. 
Journalist Yoshiko Sakurai is executive director of the think-tank. 
JINF aims to contribute to building a self-sustaining nation and to 
study basic issues that Japan is facing. With its first press 
conference, the group began full-fledged activities. 
 
At the press conference, JINF announced a proposal opposing the 
delisting of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, citing 
that such a move undermines Japan's confidence in the United 
States. 
 
TOKYO 00000161  005 OF 013 
 
 
 
The proposal stipulates that Japan should clearly express its 
opposition to removing North Korea from the U.S. list of states 
sponsoring terrorism by explaining that: (1) the U.S. government 
should not remove the DPRK from its blacklist before Japan's 
abduction issue is resolved; (2) the U.S. Congress should adopt a 
resolution imposing strict conditions for delisting the communist 
country as a state sponsoring terrorism; and (3) the Japanese 
government and the Diet should inform the White House and Congress 
that delisting will damage Japan's confidence in the United States. 
 
JINF has sent its proposal to Japanese legislators in both houses of 
the Diet, to the members of the U.S. Congress, and to major American 
think-tanks. 
 
Prospectus (gist) 
 
We have an indescribable sense of crisis about the present situation 
for Japan. In contrast to growing tensions and instability in the 
international situation, it seems that Japan's goal of breaking away 
from the "postwar regime" is wavering, and public interest is 
leaning toward immediate issues. 
 
Historical issues exist not only in Japan's relations with 
neighboring countries but also with the United States, as well. Even 
more worrisome than a decline in academic performance and a loss of 
moral education is the serious problem of a lack of national 
awareness of such by the Japanese people. Taking pride in Japan's 
long and unbroken civilization, we want to rethink options for Japan 
from an international point of view. As a completely independent 
private-sector institute, JINF wants to play a role in building a 
self-sustaining country. 
 
JINF directors 
 
Tadae Takubo 
JINF deputy director (visiting professor at Kyorin University) 
 
Shintaro Ishihara 
(Tokyo governor) 
 
Takashi Ito 
(University of Tokyo professor emeritus) 
 
Tomomi Inada 
(Lower House member) 
 
Koichi Endo 
(Takushoku University professor) 
 
Yoshito Ogura 
(Nihon Arco-Iris (TN: phonetic) president) 
 
Tadashi Saito 
(Nikkei Publishing Inc. president) 
 
Katsuhiko Takaike 
(lawyer) 
 
Saburo Tsukamoto 
(Former Social Democratic Party chairman) 
 
 
TOKYO 00000161  006 OF 013 
 
 
Takanori Nakajo 
(Asahi Breweries honorary advisor) 
 
Terumasa Nakanishi 
(Kyoto University graduate school professor 
 
Akihisa Nagashima 
(Lower House member) 
 
Osamu Nishi 
(Komazawa University professor) 
 
Sukehiro Hirakawa 
(University of Tokyo professor emeritus) 
 
Takeo Hiranuma 
(former economic planning agency head) 
 
Jin Matsubara 
(Lower House member) 
 
Taro Yayama 
(Political commentator) 
 
Shu Watanabe 
(Lower House member) 
 
(6) Int'l community beginning to undergo sea change: Morimoto 
 
SANKEI (Page 13) (Full) 
January 22, 2008 
 
Satoshi Morimoto, director of the Overseas State of Affairs Research 
Institute, Takushoku University 
 
The international community will face the biggest watershed in the 
post-Cold War era around 2010, with changes beginning to occur in 
¶2008. In the spring, South Korean, Taiwanese, and Russian leaders 
will change. In summer, Japan will host the Group of Eight (G-8) 
summit at Lake Toya in Hokkaido. After that, there will be the 
Beijing Olympics. In autumn, the United States will have a 
presidential election. These changes will have a major impact on 
international politics and also on the global economy. 
 
Pakistan and Afghanistan are serious issues, as is Turkey's Kurdish 
problem. The war on terror will also face a turning point. 
 
Among other issues are the subprime mortgage fiasco, soaring crude 
oil prices, and climate change. The United States-whatever 
administration may come into office after the presidential 
election-will urge its allies to take on further burdens and will 
become inward-looking with issues at home in order to restore its 
military, hurt in the Iraq war, and turn around its finances. 
 
The United States' economy is deeply interdependent with the global 
economy. Its economic slump and the emergence of anti-U.S. sentiment 
caused by the Iraq war in developing areas have reduced the United 
States' leadership. The biggest fantasy in the post-Cold War era was 
the image of a unipolar world led by the United States. However, the 
image of a multipolarized world is also a misunderstanding. The 
world will not be multipolarized. It will only be of a pluralistic 
structure. 
 
TOKYO 00000161  007 OF 013 
 
 
 
The United States and Russia will come out with their new 
administrations' policies by 2010. China will hold an international 
exposition. Meanwhile, China will outpace Taiwan in their military 
balance. China, backed by its military power, will plot a political 
turn of events for Taiwan. 
 
The Korean Peninsula is highly likely to show a big change by that 
time. The six-party talks will develop into a regional framework for 
East Asia. In that process, the truce will turn into a peace pact. 
Actually, inter-Korean reunification is highly likely to be on the 
agenda. There is no doubt that the United States will choose China 
over Japan to get over issues in Asia. 
 
Lately, Japan and the United States are not getting along well in 
their alliance. Japan says it will strengthen its alliance with the 
United States. However, Japan is still holding on to its 
conventional policy standpoint based on its constitutional 
interpretation. Japan is trying to be a free rider in its security 
arrangement with the United States. In the United States' eyes, 
Japan is neither ready nor effective as an ally. The alliance is now 
at a crisis. The question is how to overcome it. It is about time 
for Japan to decide on what to do. 
 
The biggest problem for Japan's domestic politics is the Diet's 
current lopsidedness, with the ruling coalition holding a majority 
of the seats in the House of Representatives and the opposition 
parties dominating the House of Councillors. Last year's election 
for the House of Councillors ended in the ruling coalition's rout 
with no public appreciation of the Abe cabinet's job performance. 
However, the Fukuda cabinet is also in a fix due to the balance of 
strengths in the two Diet chambers. Public dissatisfaction, mainly 
in outlying areas, remains undissolved. The rate of public support 
for the Fukuda cabinet is on the decline. The government is 
therefore promoting policy measures with emphasis on public life. 
This is understandable. However, there is still no way out of the 
current political deadlock, resulting in stagnated foreign, 
security, and defense policies. This will lead to serious damage to 
Japan's national interests. 
 
One possible way for Japan's domestic politics to function is to 
form a coalition of the ruling and opposition parties or hold policy 
talks between the ruling and opposition parties. Before that, 
however, the ruling and opposition parties may change places. A 
coalition of the ruling and opposition parties would not last long. 
Political realignment is also conceivable. 
 
Meanwhile, the United States and its European allies see Afghanistan 
as the main theater of their antiterror operations. They may pull 
their troops out of Iraq. However, they tend to reinforce their 
military presence in Afghanistan. Japan will now send Maritime 
Self-Defense Force vessels back to the Indian Ocean. Then, the 
question is if it is all right for Japan to only provide fuel and 
water in its Afghan aid. The Diet, in its extraordinary session to 
be called this fall, may repeat what it did last year over a newly 
enacted antiterrorism special measures law as temporary legislation 
with a one-year time limit. In addition, the United States may 
pressure Japan to cooperate and send ground troops to Afghanistan. 
There is a limit to the option of repeating such temporary 
legislation. 
 
That is why some insist on the necessity of establishing a permanent 
 
TOKYO 00000161  008 OF 013 
 
 
law to send the SDF overseas. This also could trigger political 
realignment. At any rate, Japan, in its current status, cannot be a 
major power in East Asia. 
 
The United States will choose China over Japan and is now about to 
build a security framework for Northeast Asia while acknowledging 
North Korea as a nuclear power. The question is whether Japan should 
strengthen its alliance with the United States or whether it should 
otherwise explore its own security and defense policies in the 
belief that the Japan-U.S. alliance has now come to the end of its 
life. One other question is whether Japan should choose to maintain 
its national stability in its partnership with China while depending 
on a regional framework. The Japanese people must decide what Japan 
should do. 
 
The most effective option for Japan is to change its bilateral 
alliance with the United States into a positive asset. To do so, 
Japan will have to be prepared to pay necessary costs and make 
sacrifices. Japan cannot entrust its national security to a security 
framework for Northeast Asia. Discussing permanent legislation for 
Japan to send the SDF for overseas missions is to opt for Japan's 
own fate at a crossroads. 
 
(7) U.S. FDA declares safety of beef from cloned cattle: Cloned 
pigs, goats also safe; Voluntary shipment restraint to be kept in 
place 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
Evening, January 16, 2008 
 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has examined the safety of 
food products made from cloned cattle, pigs and goats and their 
offspring and released a final safety assessment report noting that 
meat and dairy products from cloned animals are as safe as that from 
their counterparts bred the old-fashioned way. Following the 
decision, the U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) plans to create a 
system that will enable food products from cloned animals to be 
smoothly accepted by the market. As a transitional measure, the 
livestock industry will continue its voluntary shipment restraint, 
which was started in 2001, for some time to come. 
 
In making a safety assessment, the FDA analyzed the health condition 
of cloned animals. As a result, it has reached the decision that 
many cloned animals die before they are born, but those that have 
grown big enough for food use are normal in terms of not only 
physical conditions but also reproductive capability and behavior. 
The FDA also analyzed the constituents of meat and dairy products 
from cloned animals and reached the decision that the data show that 
the safety of food products from cloned animals is indistinguishable 
from their counterparts bred the old-fashioned way in all aspects. 
Regarding other animals, such as sheep, the FDA stopped short of 
reaching a decision, citing that there are no sufficient data 
available. 
 
The FDA says that it will be unnecessary to label food products from 
cloned animals as such. In that case, chances are that beef from 
cloned cows could be exported to Japan the same as products from 
cows bred the old-fashioned way. However, should that happen, 
consumers might shy away from U.S. meat as a whole. As such, the 
USDA's stance on such issues as labeling is that it depends on the 
market's requirement. 
 
 
TOKYO 00000161  009 OF 013 
 
 
The FDA released the safety assessment results with the same 
conclusion as this time in late 2006. However, since consumer 
anxieties about and opposition to food products from cloned animals 
were deep-seated, many leading food companies declared that they 
would not use such products, even if they were approved. 
 
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 
(MAFF), 535 cows cloned from somatic cells were born in Japan as of 
the end of September 2007. Clonin technology in Japan is very close 
to perfection. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW)'s 
research team in 2003 released a report noting that it is hard to 
think that the safety of meat from cows cloned from somatic cells is 
undermined. However, MAFF ordered a voluntary restraint on the 
distribution of products from cloned cows. 
 
However, since there are no legal grounds for banning imports of 
products from cows cloned from somatic cells, there is the 
possibility of U.S. meat from cows cloned from somatic cells or 
their offspring imported, contained in ordinary meat shipments. 
 
Japan's Food Safety Commission has yet to release a safety 
assessment report on food products from cows cloned from somatic 
cells. Provided that their safety is confirmed, in how such products 
can be distributed on the domestic market is unclear, because the 
production cost of cloned cows is high and it is not known whether 
consumers will accept such products. 
 
(8) Editorial: If cloned beef is marketed, labeling requirement 
should be imposed 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
January 21, 2008 
 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its report that 
declared that "meat and milk from cloned cattle are as safe as that 
from conventionally bred adult cattle." 
 
The FDA also regarded milk and meat from cloned pigs and goats as 
safe to eat. But on cloned sheep, the agency said that it is 
impossible to make a judgment due to a lack of data. 
 
In part because of opposition from consumer and other groups, 
products from cloned cattle and their offspring will unlikely land 
on grocery shelves immediately. Even so, since such products may be 
brought into Japan in the future, the government should prepare what 
response it should make to such products. 
 
Cloning is to produce an identical copy of an animal using the 
genetic material of the original. The cloning process is 
accomplished through implanting nuclei of an adult somatic cell from 
the preferred donor animal into eggs whose nuclei have been removed 
and placing the produced cell - similar to a fertilized egg - into 
the uterus of the female. Since the sheep Dolly was created through 
this process, various kinds of cloned animals have been produced. 
 
In Japan, the first cloned cow was born in 1998. Attention was paid 
to the creation as a technology to make it possible to mass-produce 
cattle whose meat is delicious and which has plenty of milk. 
 
The creation of such animals without the sexual reproduction 
process, though, requires much caution in ascertaining whether their 
products are safe for human consumption. In Japan, 535 cloned 
 
TOKYO 00000161  010 OF 013 
 
 
animals were produced by the end of last September. Of them, 30 
PERCENT  were born dead or died after they were born. Experts 
attribute this high mortality to the imperfection of the initiated 
cell. 
 
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) released 
a report in 2003 noting: "In an experience in which animals are fed 
products from cloned cattle, there was no major difference observed 
from when they were fed with products from cattle raised through 
ordinary methods." A research team of the Ministry of Health, Labor 
and Welfare also announced its report in 2003 stating: "It is 
inconceivable that products from cloned cattle as foods will pose a 
health risk to humans." Nonetheless, these are not their final 
conclusions. MAFF is calling on industries to exercise 
self-restraint on shipments. Meanwhile, the meat of cloned cattle 
made from a fertilized egg has already been marketed. 
 
The FDA concluded, as a result of studying how cows cloned from 
somatic cells were raised and what ingredients are included in their 
meat and milk, as well as the outcome of an experience of using 
rats, that meat and milk products from animal clones are no 
difference from that from conventionally bread cattle. The agency 
said it would allow the meat and milk of these cloned animals and 
their offspring to be sold without any special labeling. This stance 
makes us feel uneasy. 
 
Even though there are many points that are common to animals raised 
in ordinary breeding methods, since cloned animals are bred with a 
special technology, importance should be placed on consumers' right 
of choice. To that end, it will be necessary to require an 
identifying label o cloned food products. 
 
In actuality, it costs a lot of money to produce cattle cloned from 
somatic cells, so their offspring are likely to be targets for 
distribution. MAFF is now engaged in work to compare cloned cattle's 
offspring and ordinary cattle. We should also pay attention to the 
outcome of this study. 
 
It is also necessary to have the Cabinet Office's Food Safety 
Commission assess the safety of cloned food products. On that 
occasion, a labeling requirement should also be discussed. 
 
(9) TOP HEADLINES 
 
Asahi: 
Japan Paper Association admits to falsifying recycling data 
 
Mainichi: 
NHK Chairman Hashimoto to resign to take responsibility for insider 
trading scandal 
 
Yomiuri: 
Social Insurance Agency to review pension record probe system 
 
Nikkei: 
52 PERCENT  of elderly welfare recipients remain without pension 
benefits 
 
Sankei: 
Diet battle over gasoline tax: Views calling for passing annual 
revenue-related bills within January 
 
 
TOKYO 00000161  011 OF 013 
 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
Chuetsu Pulp and Paper president aware of falsified recycling data 
one year ago 
 
 
Akahata: 
Antipoverty movements to stop decline in standards for welfare 
benefits 
 
(10) EDITORIALS 
 
Asahi: 
(1) Diet debate: Competition for persuasive power 
(2) Iwakuni mayoral election: Policy of using carrots and sticks 
being questioned 
 
Mainichi: 
(1) Diet interpellations: Is waste of public funds a DPJ proposal? 
(2) U.S. economic measures not good enough to break out of the 
vicious cycle 
 
Yomiuri: 
(1) DPJ's claims at Diet leave many questions 
(2) Need for looking at "negative aspects" of 100 million cell 
phones 
 
Nikkei: 
(1) Conclusion on provisional tax rates should be reached before end 
of March after thoroughgoing debate 
(2) Transparent rules necessary for next generation network 
 
Sankei: 
(1) Gasoline Diet: Do not repeat needless confrontations 
 
Tokyo Shimbun: 
(1) Start of Diet debate: Focus on gasoline and pension issues 
(2) Emission trading: It better to start early 
 
Akahata: 
(1) Demand for easing arms embargo is dangerous idea to facilitate 
conflicts 
 
(11) Prime Minister's schedule, January 18 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 19, 2008 
 
09:01 
Cabinet meeting at the Kantei. Environment Minister Kamoshita 
remained. Then met with Foreign Ministry Economic Affairs Bureau 
Director General Obabe and Assistant Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Ando. 
 
09:58 
Met with Financial Services Agency Sato and Supervisory Bureau 
Director General Nishihara. 
 
11:30 
Plenary meeting of LDP members of both chambers of the Houses. Then 
attended a lawmakers' meeting. Then met with Secretary General Ibuki 
and Diet Policy Committee Chairman Oshima. 
 
 
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12:02 
Lower House plenary session. 
 
12:08 
Arrived at the official residence. 
 
15:46 
Upper House plenary session. 
 
17:21 
Monthly economic report-related cabinet ministers meeting at the 
Kantei. 
 
18:02 
Met with Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) Chairman 
Mitarai, chairman of the Japan-China Culture and Sports Exchange 
Year Implementation Committee. Then met with Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Machimura, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Iwaki, Special Advisor to 
the Cabinet Nishimura and Assistant  Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary 
Saka. 
 
19:22 
Met with Finance Ministry International Bureau Tamaki. 
 
20:33 
Arrived at the official residence. 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, January 19 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 20, 2008 
 
Spent the day at the official residence. 
 
18:23 
Dined with Secretary Fukuda, his eldest son, at a Chinese restaurant 
in Higashi-Azabu. 
 
20:13 
Arrived at the official residence. 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, January 20 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 21, 2008 
 
09:18 
Returned to his private residence in Nozawa. 
 
13:06 
Arrived at the official residence. 
 
Prime Minister's schedule, January 21 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Full) 
January 22, 2008 
 
10:00 
Met with Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Ono at the Kantei. 
 
11:45 
Met with Okuda and Kurokawa, special advisors to the cabinet. 
 
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13:02 
Lower House plenary session. 
 
16:24 
Met with Machimura at the Kantei. 
 
17:00 
LDP executive meeting in the Diet. 
 
17:29 
Met with Vice Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Erikawa and 
Internal Affairs Ministry Administrative Evaluation Bureau Director 
General Seki. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Futahashi was present. 
Then met with National Police Agency Director General Yoshimura. 
 
18:22 
Met with Machimura, Iwaki and Nishimura. 
 
19:57 
Arrived at the official residence. 
 
SCHIEFFER