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RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 2685
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2807

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 003327 
 
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 12/08/08 
 
Index: 
 
Aso in deep trouble: 
1) Asahi poll: Aso Cabinet support rate plummets to 22  PERCENT  in 
only two months since inauguration; Public now DPJ's Ozawa over Aso 
for prime minister  (Asahi) 
2) Mainichi poll: Huge drop in cabinet support rate to 21 PERCENT 
as public rejects Prime Minister Aso for policy confusion, constant 
gaffes  (Mainichi) 
3) Kyodo poll gives Aso Cabinet at 25.5 PERCENT  support rate 
(Tokyo Shimbun) 
4) LDP Deputy Secretary General Ishihara says that party is at the 
brink of disaster  (Mainichi) 
5) LDP General Council Chairman Sasagawa says State Minister for 
Declining Birthrate Policy Obuchi picked because she had given birth 
to a baby  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
Obama fever: 
6) Democratic Party of Japan, seized with President-elect Obama's 
slogan of "change," is studying his election campaign in order to 
apply same tactics  (Yomiuri) 
7) Former Deputy Secretary of State Armitage, attending Tokyo 
symposium, says that Obama as president will be more multilateral 
than Bush  (Yomiuri) 
 
8) Government poll shows 71 PERCENT  do not feel relations with 
China in good shape  (Asahi) 
 
North Korea problem: 
9) Family of missing Japanese suspected of having been kidnapped by 
North Korean agents writes letter to President-elect Obama on the 
abduction issue  (Sankei) 
10) U.S., Japan, South Korea delegates to Six-Party Talks agree to 
press North Korea for nuclear samplings  (Yomiuri) 
11) Japan seeking new route to Pyongyang, possibly through European 
cooperation, in order to find breakthrough on abduction issue 
(Nikkei) 
 
Defense and security affairs: 
12) DPJ head Ozawa says Okinawa does not need so much military power 
stationed there  (Mainichi) 
13) SDF sends support group to Iraq to help ASDF withdrawal  (Tokyo 
Shimbun) 
14) ASDF provided airlifts in Iraq to over 30,000 multinational 
personnel, including U.S. troops  (Tokyo Shimbun) 
 
15) Japan unable to meet new WTO target for tariff reductions on key 
items like agricultural products  (Yomiuri) 
 
Articles: 
 
1) Asahi poll: Aso Cabinet support rate dives to 22 PERCENT  in two 
months; Ozawa seen more fit for prime minister 
 
ASAHI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
December 8, 2008 
 
In a telephone-based opinion survey conducted by the Asahi Shimbun 
on Dec. 6-7, the rate of support for the cabinet of Prime Minister 
Taro Aso was 22 PERCENT , taking a nosedive from the 37 PERCENT 
marked in the previous poll conducted on Nov. 8-9. Responding to a 
question asking who is more appropriate, Prime Minister Aso or 
 
TOKYO 00003327  002 OF 009 
 
 
Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa, to be prime 
minister, only 30 PERCENT  of people picked Aso, a huge drop from 
last survey's 49 PERCENT . Ozawa outscored Aso for the first time at 
35 PERCENT , jumping up from 23 PERCENT . With the prime minister's 
advantage as the leading figure for the next election completely 
evaporated, the Aso administration, only two months after its 
establishment, appears to have reached a terminal stage. 
 
The support rate for the Aso cabinet has now plummeted to the about 
same level as the closing days of the cabinet of Aso's predecessor, 
Yasuo Fukuda. The disapproval rating soared to 64 PERCENT  from the 
previous survey's 41 PERCENT . As the main reason, 63 PERCENT  of 
people cited the cabinet's policies. The rate of support among LDP 
supporters was 54 PERCENT  (72 PERCENT  in the previous survey), 
indicating that core supporters, too, are drifting away from Aso. 
The rate of support among unaffiliated voters also dropped to 11 
PERCENT  from 26 PERCENT . 
 
Some 21 PERCENT  of people said that Aso had the capability to 
implement policies, whereas an overwhelming majority -- 68 PERCENT 
-- answered that they did not think so. Shortly after the Aso 
cabinet was launched, positive answers accounted for 54 PERCENT  and 
negative ones 28 PERCENT . 
 
2) Mainichi poll: Aso cabinet support rate drops to 21 PERCENT  due 
to gaffes and policy flip-flops; Ozawa outperforms Aso in party head 
ability 
 
MAINICHI (Top play) (Excerpts) 
December 8, 2008 
 
Mainichi Shimbun conducted a nationwide telephone opinion survey on 
Dec. 6-7. The results showed that the rate of support for Prime 
Minister Taro Aso's cabinet was 21 PERCENT , a decline of 15 
percentage points, and the disapproval rate was 58 PERCENT , up 17 
percentage points from the pervious poll conducted in October. To a 
question asking who -- Prime Minister Aso or Democratic Party of 
Japan President Ichiro Ozawa -- is more fit to be prime minister, 
the two traded places for the first time, with Aso marking 19 
PERCENT , down 21 percentage points, and Ozawa recording 21 PERCENT 
, up 3 percentage points. PM Aso, who assumed office as party's 
standard bearer for the next election and as a capable party head, 
is certain to find it even more difficult to steer his 
administration. 
 
The support rate of 21 PERCENT  is even lower than the former Abe 
cabinet's lowest rating of 22 PERCENT , marked in a survey conducted 
in August 2007 shortly after the LDP suffered a crushing setback in 
the House of Councillors election. Abe announced his resignation a 
little over one month later. The rate was similarly low at 18 
PERCENT , recorded in May 2008, and at 21 PERCENT  and 22 PERCENT 
in June and July, respectively, under the former Fukuda 
administration. 
 
As the reason for supporting the cabinet, 19 PERCENT  of people, 
down 14 percentage points from the previous survey, said they pinned 
hopes on the prime minister's leadership. As the reason for not 
supporting the cabinet, 27 PERCENT  of people, up 14 percentage 
points, said they could not pin hopes on the prime minister's 
leadership. The administration that has followed a wild path in 
determining policies and the prime minister's gaffes seem to have 
taken a toll on the support rating. 
 
TOKYO 00003327  003 OF 009 
 
 
 
In response to a question about the prime minister's inadvertent 
comments and his blunders in reading kanji, 48 PERCENT  of people 
said they doubted Aso's qualification to be prime minister, while 42 
PERCENT  said such things were minor. To the question asking who is 
more suitable for the top job, the answer "neither is suitable" 
increased 14 percentage points to 54 PERCENT . Those who used to 
pick Aso seemed to have joined this group. 
 
3) Cabinet support rate plummets to 25.5 PERCENT  in national 
telephone-based poll 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 1) (Excerpt) 
December 8, 2008 
 
Kyodo Wire Service carried out a nationwide telephone-based opinion 
survey on Dec. 6-7 and found that the support rate for the cabinet 
of Prime Minister Taro Aso has unusually plummeted 15.4 points from 
the last poll to 25.5 PERCENT . The non-support rate soared 19.1 
points from last time to 61.3 PERCENT . In response to the question 
about who is more appropriate to be prime minister, Prime Minister 
Taro Aso or Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa, 34.5 
PERCENT  picked Ozawa (10.1 PERCENT  higher than last time), while 
33.5 PERCENT  chose Aso (a drop of 17.5 points). For the first time, 
the two have traded places in that category. 
 
4) LDP's Ishihara feels crisis coming on: LDP, Aso administration on 
brink of disaster 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
December 6, 2008 
 
At a fund-raising party yesterday in a Tokyo hotel, Nobuteru 
Ishihara, senior deputy secretary general of the ruling Liberal 
Democratic Party (LDP), expressed a strong sense of crisis about 
holding the next Lower House election under Prime Minister Taro Aso. 
He said: 
 
"As many as 70 PERCENT  to 80 PERCENT  of LDP lawmakers are wary of 
whether the party can remain in the ruling camp if the election is 
held under the Aso administration. Both the LDP and the Aso 
administration may be on the brink of disaster." 
 
Ishihara ran against Aso in last September's LDP presidential 
election. He is now in charge of the urban electoral districts for 
the next Lower House election. He said: "I assume that 60 PERCENT 
to 70 PERCENT  of the population probably are willing to let the DPJ 
hold the reins of government at least once." 
 
Meanwhile, former Administrative Reform Minister Yoshimi Watanabe of 
the LDP, pointed out on a radio program on Dec. 5: "No matter which 
party, the LDP or DPJ, wins, political realignment is unavoidable." 
He then added: "(For economic recovery) a crisis management cabinet 
should be formed." 
 
5) Sasagawa: "Obuchi chosen as minister for declining birthrate only 
because she has a child" 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 2) (Full) 
December 7, 2008 
 
Takashi Sasagawa, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's General 
 
TOKYO 00003327  004 OF 009 
 
 
Council, said yesterday that LDP Lower House member Yuko Obuchi was 
chosen as state minister in charge of the declining birthrate 
because she gave birth to a boy. He said in a speech at a party in 
Matsue City: "Why was she chosen as the minister? That is because 
she had a baby. If an unmarried woman with no child assumed the 
post, people would question how she could really understand how to 
tackle the declining birthrate." The controversial remark could be 
taken as meaning that whether or not a person has a child can be 
used as a criterion for appointment to an official post, so Sasagawa 
might come under fire. 
 
Sasagawa also said: "I could have assumed the post, as I have 14 
grandchildren." Keeping the declining population of Shimane 
Prefecture in mind, he added: "The population will not increase 
without effort. Recent young people have not made enough effort." 
Later, he said in an interview with Kyodo News: "I did not mean that 
a person without children cannot assume the ministerial post. I just 
mean it would be more persuasive if a person who has a child, like 
Ms. Obuchi, assumes the post." 
 
6) DPJ holds Obama-style study sessions in order for party to 
"change," too 
 
YOMIURI (Page 4) (Full) 
December 7, 2008 
 
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the largest opposition party, 
is now trying to introduce election methods and policy measures that 
are similar to those used by U.S. President-elect Barack Obama too 
during his election campaign. Following the example of Obama, who 
won a landslide victory in the presidential race with "change" as 
the slogan, the DPJ appears to be aiming at similarly taking the 
reins of government. 
 
Obama reportedly succeeded in expanding grassroots' networks, as 
well as collecting funds by taking advantage of cell phones and 
other methods. He has a reputation for his oratory skills. 
 
In order to learn such points, the DPJ has held so far two study 
sessions, mainly by the national movement panel (headed by Sakihito 
Ozawa). The panel invited the party's Upper House member Kuniko 
Tanioka, whose secretary worked as a volunteer for Obama during the 
campaign and who also studied Obama's election campaign, and 
Kazuhide Nishikawa, a part-time lecturer and the author of the book 
titled Obama's Narrative Technique and Maneuvering to Win, as 
speakers. 
 
In the study sessions, one speaker reportedly said: "It is believed 
that pointing one's finger toward another person is a bad behavior, 
but Mr. Obama does it often. That behavior has an effect to impress 
the other side." One participant said: "I want to learn quickly Mr. 
Obama's verbal skills that accentuate his differences with rivals. I 
also want to carry out campaigning without depending on the party, 
such as by using more volunteers." 
 
In the wake of Obama's "green new deal" concept of creating jobs by 
using natural energy sources, the DPJ intends to come up a Japanese 
version of a "green new deal" notion to create new jobs for 2.5 
million people. The party is now looking into coming up with a plan 
before the next Lower House election and submitting a bill to the 
Diet after the election. 
 
 
TOKYO 00003327  005 OF 009 
 
 
7) Armitage: President-elect Obama's administration to stress 
multilateralism in diplomacy 
 
YOMIURI (Page 9) (Excerpts) 
December 6, 2008 
 
A symposium to discuss the direction of the U.S. administration 
expected under President-elect Obama titled, "Continuity and Change 
in America, (sponsored by the America Studies Program at Keio 
University and supported by the Yomiuri Shimbun) was held in at Keio 
University in Tokyo's Minato Ward on December 5.  Japan expert 
Richard Armitage, a former deputy secretary at the U.S. State 
Department, gave the keynote speech. In it, he pointed out that the 
foreign policy of the administration of President-elect Obama "will 
place emphasis on multilateralism and use of the United Nations." 
 
Armitage, commenting on equipping East Europe with missile defense 
(MD), which the Bush administration has promoted, predicted, "Mr. 
Obama will slow the process down a bit." On Russia, with which 
relations have worsened over the Georgian dispute, he stated: "He 
will respect is as a major power and likely listen to its views." He 
also stressed that "there is no more important place right now in 
the world than Pakistan." In addition, he said, "There is fear that 
the people there might become immediately radicalized," since the 
government there is not giving consideration to the nation's 
livelihood. He expressed concern that there could be an impact on 
the war on terror in Afghanistan. 
 
8) Government poll: 71 PERCENT  of Japanese do not feel that 
relations with China are good, possibly reflecting food poisoning 
cases 
 
ASAHI (Page 1) (Abridged slightly 
December 7, 2008 
 
Over 70 PERCENT  of the Japanese people believe that relations with 
China are not good, the highest figure ever in a government poll on 
diplomacy released on Dec. 6. The answer, "I do not feel friendly 
toward China," also was a record high in the poll. The Foreign 
Ministry believes the figures resulted mainly from the recent 
food-poisoning cases involving China, including pesticide-tainted 
imported frozen dumplings. 
 
The survey has been conducted annually since 1975. This year, the 
poll was conducted in October on 3,000 people across Japan, with 
1,826 people responding with valid answers. 
 
Asked about Japan's relations with China, 71.9 PERCENT  of Japanese 
answered that they did not feel they were good. This is up from last 
year's 68.0 PERCENT . The answer had hovered around 50 PERCENT  up 
until 2003, and surpassed 60 PERCENT  in 2004. Over the last three 
years, the rate has run around 70 PERCENT . Only 23.7 PERCENT  said 
bilateral relations were good, down from last year's 26.4 PERCENT . 
 
People who feel no affinity toward China also increased to 66.6 
PERCENT  from last year's 63.5 PERCENT . The rate of those feeling 
friendship toward China was the lowest ever at 31.8 PERCENT , down 
from 34.0 PERCENT . 
 
Asked about Japan-U.S. relations, 28.1 PERCENT  of Japanese, the 
highest rate since 1998, said they did not feel they were good, up 
from last year's 20.4 PERCENT . Meanwhile, 68.9 PERCENT , the lowest 
 
TOKYO 00003327  006 OF 009 
 
 
rate since 1998, felt they were in good shape. But last year's rate 
was higher: 76.3 PERCENT . 
 
Asked about relations with South Korea, 49.5 PERCENT  considered 
them were good (49.9 PERCENT  last year), and a record 57.1 PERCENT 
(54.8 PERCENT  last year) said they felt friendly toward that 
country. 
 
A Foreign Ministry source said: "We think the trend is ascribable to 
improved bilateral relations since the inauguration of President Lee 
Myung Bak and expanded exchanges on the private level." 
 
Asked about economic cooperation toward developing countries, 30.4 
PERCENT  of people said it should be promoted actively, up nearly 6 
percentage points from last year. 
 
9) Family member of missing person suspected of having been abducted 
to North Korea to write letter to President-elect Obama 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
December 7, 2008 
 
A family member of Takako Ikushima in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo (31 years 
old at the time), a missing person suspected of having been abducted 
by North Korea, will send a letter to U.S. President-elect Obama, 
seeking cooperation for and understanding of the abduction issue and 
hoping for help to reach a settlement. Amid concern that the new 
U.S. administration will be inclined toward a dialogue policy toward 
that nation, with Japan-North Korea talks at an impasse, the 
victim's elder sister Keiko (68) will write a letter to the 
president-elect to argue for help to rescue the abduction victims. 
 
Takako, who disappeared from her home in November 1974, is one of 
the persons whom the Specified Missing Persons Issue Research Group, 
chaired by Kazuhiro Araki, believes was abducted. One North Korean 
defector in the summer of 2004 provided a reported of sightings of 
Takako. 
 
However, there is growing concern that since she has not been 
officially recognized by the Japanese government as an abductee, the 
governments of Japan and the U.S. might not address her case once 
the U.S. Democratic Party takes power in January, as Keiko noted. 
 
10) Japan, U.S. South Korea agree to continuously urge North Korea 
to agree on codifying sampling 
 
YOMIURI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 8, 2008 
 
(Takeo Miyazaki, Jun Kato, Beijing) 
 
Chief envoys of the six party talks on North Korea's 
denuclearization from Japan, the U.S., and South Korea met at the 
U.S. Embassy in Beijing on the afternoon of Dec. 7 to coordinate 
views on the eve of their next round to be resumed on the 8th after 
a lapse of five months. 
 
U.S Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill detailed his 
meeting with North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan in 
Singapore on Dec. 4-5 to Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian 
Affairs Bureau Director General Akitaka Saiki and South Korean 
Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry's Director of Korean Peninsula 
 
TOKYO 00003327  007 OF 009 
 
 
Peace Negotiations Kim Sook. According to Hill, the gap remained 
wide in the U.S.-North Korea talks over the issue of putting an 
accord on the sampling of nuclear materials into writing. They 
reaffirmed they would to continue to urge the North to respond to 
their call. 
 
The three chief negotiators also agree on the view that the three 
countries in close cooperation should discuss when to complete the 
second phase of the disabling of existing nuclear facilities, which 
includes codifying sampling, the North's denuclearization, and 
energy aid to the North. Coordination is likely to be carried out 
mainly on the idea of ending the second phase by March 2009. 
 
Saiki told reporters after the trilateral meeting: 
 
"Tough negotiations are expected as the gap remains big between the 
U.S. and North Korea. ... We would like to create a verification 
framework that will not allow various interpretations afterward." 
 
11) Six-party talks to resume today; Government eager to search for 
new route to break impasse on abduction issue 
 
NIKKEI (Page 2) (Slightly abridged) 
December 8, 2008 
 
The six-party talks on North Korea's denuclearization will resume in 
Beijing on Dec. 8. No progress has been made on the issue of 
Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents, and the 
government has begun to search for new routes to break the impasse 
in an attempt to seek cooperation from European countries that have 
established diplomatic ties with North Korea and by other means. 
Japan is trying to contact North Korea in the six-party talks this 
time and urge it to immediately launch a reinvestigation into the 
whereabouts of the abduction victims. 
 
In Japan-North Korea talks in August, North Korea promised to 
complete a reinvestigation to the extent possible by fall, but it 
has delayed the reinvestigation while citing such reasons as the 
Japanese political situation. Foreign Ministry Asian and Oceanian 
Affairs Bureau Director General Akitaka Saiki told reporters in 
Beijing on the 7th that Japan has urged the North to respond to 
Japan's call for bilateral talks. 
 
A senior Foreign Ministry official said: "We will ask the U.S. to 
push the North to agree to hold talks with Japan." But a ruling 
party member commented: "It is uncertain how effectively pressure 
from the Bush administration in its last days will work." 
 
The government dispatched in mid-November Kyoko Nakayama, special 
advisor to the prime minister on the abduction issue, to Britain and 
Germany, both of which have diplomatic ties with North Korea. 
 
Nakayama had visited Asian countries that have diplomatic relations 
with North Korea, such as Mongolia, but she had never visited 
European countries on her mission before. The aim of the visit was 
"to rebuild the net around North Korea in cooperation with European 
countries, which take a strict stance toward human-right issues," 
according to a government source. 
 
In a conference of the Abduction Issue Taskforce held at the Prime 
Minister's Office in late October, with the participation of 
representatives from the relevant government agencies, Deputy Chief 
 
TOKYO 00003327  008 OF 009 
 
 
Cabinet Secretary Uruma, who used to be a member of the National 
Police Agency, emphasized the need to increase contact points with 
North Korea. He said: "It is imperative to consider how to explore 
routes to have Japan's messages conveyed to a special agent directly 
connected with the party and the military, which conducted the 
abductions." 
 
A government source analyzed the Uruma remarks: "It would be 
desirable to set up another supplementary route to diplomatic 
routes, which are the basis of negotiations." The government intends 
to work on the North Korean military, but there is the danger of 
Japan's approach fall into dual diplomacy unless both sides make 
close contact. 
 
12) DPJ President Ozawa: Large military force unnecessary in 
Okinawa 
 
MAINICHI (Page 2) (Full) 
December 6, 2008 
 
When asked by the press corps about his view on the realignment of 
U.S. bases in Japan, centering on the relocation of the Futenma Air 
Station (Ginowan City in Okinawa Prefecture) to land inside Camp 
Schwab (Nago City), Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) President Ichiro 
Ozawa said on Dec. 5 in Haebaru-cho, Okinawa: 
 
"I think the presence of U.S. military in the Far East is necessary. 
But I don't think a large-scale military is needed in Okinawa. We 
must make efforts to resolve this issue through talks between the 
two countries." 
 
13) ASDF withdrawal from Iraq: Assistance unit to leave for Iraq 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 26) (Full) 
December 6, 2008 
 
In line with the return of an Air-Self Defense Force (ASDF) unit 
engaging in an airlift operation in Iraq before year's end, a 
ceremony for the formation of a unit to assist its withdrawal took 
place at ASDF Komaki Air Base in Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture. The 
unit is called a withdrawal operation unit, consisting of 
approximately 70 ASDF personnel assigned to ASDF bases throughout 
the nation. They will leave Japan on commercial planes on December 6 
and 7. They will engage in such work as removing tents and disposing 
of office equipment and return home next March. 
 
Meeting the press prior to the formation ceremony, Colonel Samugae 
noted, "We would like to perform our duty with the determination 
that we should clean the place up before we leave." 
 
The ASDF, based in Kuwait, has been engaging in the airlift of 
personnel of the UN and multinational forces, including the U.S. 
military, to Iraq since March 2004. An order to pull out of Iraq was 
issued in November this year. The members of the unit will return 
home in late December. 
 
14) ASDF troops in Iraq airlifted approximately 30,000 multinational 
troops 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 26) (Abridged slightly) 
December 6, 2008 
 
 
TOKYO 00003327  009 OF 009 
 
 
The situation of the Air-Self Defense Force (ASDF) unit in Iraq, 
which is to withdraw before year's end, was revealed on December 5. 
The airlift operation it conducted between Kuwait and Iraq beginning 
in March 2004 encompassed 815 flights. About 46,000 personnel and 
671 tons of goods were carried. ASDF Chief of Staff Kenichiro 
Hokazono revealed these figures during a press conference. 
 
He steered clear of revealing the details of the airlifted 
personnel. However, it can be assumed that if the 5,500 Ground 
Self-Defense Force personnel who pulled out of Iraq in 2006 used the 
service to enter and leave the country, the remaining number of 
airlifted personnel would come to 35,000. If the number of UN staff 
members also airlifted by the ASDF is subtracted, based on former 
Prime Minister Abe's Diet reply given last year, the remaining 
30,000 people would have been multinational troops, mainly U.S. 
forces. 
 
15) WTO: Chairman's proposal calls for limiting key items to 4 
PERCENT  of all: Japans' proposal for 8 PERCENT  turned down 
 
YOMIURI (Page 1) (Full) 
December 1, 2008 
 
The chairmen of the agricultural, and mined and manufactured goods 
negotiations groups at the new multilateral trade talks (Doha Round) 
of the World Trade Organization (WTO) released on December 6 their 
proposals, which will serve as working drafts for an framework 
agreement to be reached at an informal ministerial meeting to be 
held possibly in mid-December. The chairman's proposal for the 
agriculture sector limits the number of key items eligible for a 
reduction in the margin of imposed cuts in tariffs to 4 PERCENT  of 
all items -- 1,332. With its request for 8 PERCENT  turned down, 
Japan, which wants to protect its domestic agriculture against 
low-priced imported agricultural goods, has been driven into a 
corner. 
 
The chairman's proposal followed the specifics presented by 
Secretary General Pascal Lamy at a ministerial meeting in July. It 
noted that the ratio of key items, such as rice, can be increased 
from 4 PERCENT  to 6 PERCENT  as an exception, if a compensatory 
measure of increasing an import framework for low-tariff goods is 
taken. 
 
Concerning rice, Japan at present imposes an import tariff of 341 
yen per kilogram. However, if an agreement is reached as proposed, 
it would be mandated to lower the rice tariff to between about 180 
yen and 260 yen. Chances are that rice imports would increase, 
dealing a major blow to domestic farmers. A ministerial meeting to 
discuss the chairmen's proposal is expected to be held before the 
end of December. 
 
Talks at the Doha Round failed to reach a framework agreement in 
July. Out of concern about the rise of global protectionism, an 
early agreement had been sought at the financial summit and the 
Association of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held 
in November. 
 
SCHIEFFER