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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 TOKYO 002359 
 
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 10/13/09-2 
 
INDEX: 
(11) Atomic-bombing victims welcome Obama's winning of Nobel Peace 
Prize as driving force for eliminating nuclear weapons (Yomiuri) 
 
(12) Academic hails awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama 
as show of support for idealistic diplomacy (Asahi) 
 
(13) Researcher obtains U.S. documents on background of establishing 
territorial sea at 3 nautical miles in five straits to allow passage 
of U.S. ships carrying nuclear arms (Akahata) 
 
(14) Foreign Minister Okada visits Afghanistan, tells President 
Karzai of plan to provide vocational training to former Taliban 
soldiers (Mainichi) 
 
(15) Main points from talks between Foreign Minister Okada and 
Afghan President Karzai (Sankei) 
 
(16) FM Okada at political disadvantage being abroad most of the 
time (Nikkei) 
 
(17) JICA President Ogata visits Iraq (Asahi) 
 
(18) Prime minister shows eagerness to sign Japan-China-South Korea 
FTA (Nikkei) 
 
(19) Japan, South Korea confirm cooperation to promote East Asian 
Community plan, but there is far to go before realization (Nikkei) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(11) Atomic-bombing victims welcome Obama's winning of Nobel Peace 
Prize as driving force for eliminating nuclear weapons 
 
YOMIURI (Page 36) (Excerpts) 
October 10, 2009 
 
U.S. President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 9. 
Hearing that news the same day, atomic-bomb victims in Hiroshima and 
Nagasaki welcomed it as great power for eliminating nuclear weapons. 
Some atomic-bomb victims expressed their hopes that Obama will 
seriously tackle global warming. 
 
Hiroshima 
 
Akihiro Takahashi, 78, an atomic bombing victim and former president 
of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, who has sent Obama three 
letters calling on him to visit Hiroshima, said, "The world has now 
acknowledged that eliminating nuclear weapons is absolutely 
necessary for bringing about peace to the world." He then welcomed 
Obama's winning the prize, saying, "I will send the President a 
letter calling for his visit to Hiroshima." 
 
Keiji Nakazawa, 70, who wants to give away the English versions of a 
series of cartoons titled Barefoot Gen, in which he describes his 
atomic bombing experience, to the Obama family, said, "It is not 
that easy to eliminate nuclear weapons. We would like to tell the 
world the horror of nuclear weapons and support the President." 
 
Nagasaki 
 
Hearing the news of President Obama's winning the Nobel Peace Prize, 
 
TOKYO 00002359  002 OF 009 
 
 
Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors Council Secretary General Taku 
Yamada, 78, was overjoyed and also surprised. He said, "(The Nobel 
committee) has chosen the most appropriate person." He reportedly 
will send next week a letter expressing his determination to strive 
to eliminate nuclear weapons to Obama. 
 
In Nagasaki City a civic group collected as of Sept. 16 the 
signatures of 65,000 people calling on Obama to visit Nagasaki. 
Mayor Tomihisa Taue, who suddenly held a press conference, stated: 
"The most suitable person won the prize. His receipt of the prize 
has encouraged Nagasaki as well. I want him not to move away from 
his current policy and or to blur his message." 
 
(12) Academic hails awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama 
as show of support for idealistic diplomacy 
 
ASAHI (Page 30) (Full) 
October 10, 2009 
 
Comments by Fumiko Nishizaki, Seikei University professor 
specializing in American diplomatic history 
 
U.S. President Barack Obama, who called for a "world without nuclear 
weapons" in his speech in Prague in April, has been experiencing 
difficulties in steering U.S. foreign policy due to criticism from 
realists at home and abroad over his lack of achievements. I am 
truly surprised by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to him even as 
the U.S. troops continue to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, 
I fully agree with and support the decision. 
 
Obama is a president who has derived power from ideals and who will 
continue to do so. He gives priority to ideals even though results 
may not be produced in a short time and the realization of the 
ideals will take a long time. For example, Richard Nixon was a 
president who gave top priority to the goal of withdrawing from the 
Vietnam War and who went as far as expanding the battlefront to 
achieve that goal, deceiving the people in the process. But Obama is 
someone who cannot follow such an example. 
 
Such is the essence of his foreign policy, and the Nobel Prize 
committee probably perceived the fact that international public 
opinion is in the process of moving toward the direction of giving 
importance to the respect for ideals. It tried to give Obama, who is 
facing great hardships, what might be termed support from the 
sideline. This may also be a sign that Europe, where the committee 
is based, welcomes Obama diplomacy. 
 
Obama diplomacy consists not only of the Prague speech appealing for 
a "world without nuclear weapons". His Cairo speech calling for 
dialogue with Islam and other actions show a consistent pattern of 
upholding dialogue and non-military methods. There has not been a 
president like him in the United States, a country that consistently 
boasted of its military power during the Cold War era and after. 
 
One decisive factor is that although Obama argues for the need for 
American leadership, he has never claimed that America is always 
right. He has clearly taken an attitude of listening to dissenting 
opinion in the international community. Considering even Bill 
Clinton had said that America was "on the right side of history," 
Obama has certainly taken an epoch-making stance. 
 
For example, when Obama talks about ideals, he talks about them in 
 
TOKYO 00002359  003 OF 009 
 
 
the context of history even when he discusses "American ideals". 
World history has not been America-centered, and even within 
America, history has been complex. I think he not only has ideals, 
but such is also his wisdom. His statements have come from a world 
view nurtured by his background of having an African father and 
growing up in Indonesia. 
 
The above is also true for the word "freedom," a term that 
symbolizes America. Bush's freedom was defined unilaterally by 
America and was a mere ideology. But Obama's freedom is unmistakably 
shared universally by the people of the world. That is a true ideal. 
I believe we will be able to identify with Obama's tortuous pursuit 
of his ideal even if the road ahead is treacherous. 
 
(13) Researcher obtains U.S. documents on background of establishing 
territorial sea at 3 nautical miles in five straits to allow passage 
of U.S. ships carrying nuclear arms 
 
AKAHATA (Top play) (Full) 
October 12, 2009 
 
Even though the Japanese government set its territorial seas at 12 
nautical miles (approximately 22 kilometers) under the 1977 
Territorial Sea Law, at five straits - Soya, Tsugaru, East and West 
Channels of Tsushima, and Osumi - it reduced its territorial waters 
to 3 nautical miles (approximately 6.5 kilometers). Shoji Niihara, 
an international affairs researcher, has obtained a set of 
declassified U.S. documents showing that behind this was U.S. 
pressure demanding the "free passage" and "unimpeded passage" of 
U.S. nuclear-powered submarines carrying nuclear arms. 
 
Niihara obtained copies of the annual bulletins of the U.S. Pacific 
Command and cables of the U.S. Embassy in Japan. 
 
If Japan's territorial waters were set at 12 nautical miles, all the 
five straits would be part of Japan's territorial waters, where free 
passage would not be possible. For this reason, the Pacific 
Command's annual bulletin, "Command History," for 1972 pointed out 
that Tsugaru, Soya and other straits were "important for U.S. 
national interests," and if free passage of submarines were impeded, 
this would have a "direct impact" on plans for nuclear war against 
the Soviet Union and China, known as the SIOP (Single Integrated 
Operational Plan). 
 
In light of this, the United States persistently demanded from the 
Japanese government free passage through the straits. 
 
A cable dated June 29, 1974, from the U.S. Department of State to 
the Pacific Command indicated there had been sent an aide-memoire 
taking a tough stance, stating that "a law of the sea that does not 
protect the unimpeded passage (through the straits) is 
unacceptable," as per the "president's repeated special order." 
 
At first, there was opposition in the Defense Agency (now the 
Ministry of Defense) to free passage, but in the end the Japanese 
government succumbed to pressure. 
 
The late Seiji Masamori, a Japanese Communist Party House of 
Representatives member, had long ago pointed out at the Lower House 
Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries on April 21, 1977 
the suspicion that "the territorial sea was set at 3 nautical miles 
because (if it were set at 12 nautical miles, the passage of U.S. 
 
TOKYO 00002359  004 OF 009 
 
 
military vessels) would constitute a violation of the three 
non-nuclear principles of not producing, possessing, and introducing 
nuclear weapons." This allegation has been substantiated by U.S. 
documents for the first time. 
 
The reason the government bowed to U.S. pressure was because it was 
bound by the secret agreement allowing the U.S. to bring nuclear 
arms into Japan signed at the time of the conclusion of the present 
Japan-U.S. security treaty in 1960. 
 
A cable dated Dec. 30, 1975, from the U.S. Embassy in Japan to the 
State Department related that Foreign Minister Kiichi Miyazawa told 
Ambassador James Hodgson: "The government is looking for ways to 
provide for the right of free passage at certain straits along with 
setting territorial seas at 12-nautical miles," adding that "the 
question is how to overcome the strong protests from the opposition 
parties that such legislation violates the three non-nuclear 
principles." This conveyed the government's predicament with regard 
to how to paper over the contradiction between the secret nuclear 
agreement and the three non-nuclear principles. The result of this 
episode is the territorial waters in 
five Japanese straits were set at 3 nautical miles, which is a rare 
case in the world. 
 
(14) Foreign Minister Okada visits Afghanistan, tells President 
Karzai of plan to provide vocational training to former Taliban 
soldiers 
 
MAINICHI (Top play) (Abridged slightly) 
October 12, 2009 
 
Shinichi Kurita, Islamabad 
 
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada made a surprise visit to the Afghan 
capital of Kabul on the morning of Oct. 11 (on the afternoon of Oct. 
11, Japan time). He arrived in Afghanistan via Dubai after visiting 
Beijing. In his meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Okada 
announced a plan to offer vocational training to former Taliban 
soldiers as a new measure to support the reconstruction of 
Afghanistan. Karzai praised Okada's proposal as a measure resulting 
in reconciliation with the Taliban. 
 
Okada indicated to reporters that the government would not 
necessarily come up with assistance measures before U.S. President 
Barack Obama's visit to Japan on Nov. 12. 
 
Okada arrived in Pakistan's capital of Islamabad on the night of 
Oct. 11 after spending about seven hours in Afghanistan. Okada 
briefed the press on his talks with Karzai. 
 
According to the briefing and other sources, Okada in his talks with 
Karzai announced a plan to provide vocational training to former 
Taliban soldiers, saying, "Providing assistance for the 
reconstruction of Afghanistan is vital." Karzai praised the plan, 
saying: "It is conceivable to make peace with those who are 
connected with the Al-Qaeda or the Taliban but have no ideology. It 
is very important to give vocational training to earn bread and 
butter. 
 
Karzai also expressed his gratitude, saying, "Japan has been on the 
frontline of assistance to Afghanistan." He further expressed strong 
expectations for civilian support and contributions to peace, 
 
TOKYO 00002359  005 OF 009 
 
 
noting: "We need assistance especially in the areas of electric 
power, higher education, and agriculture. In addition to assistance 
in those areas, I would like to see Japan play a role in promoting 
the peace process." 
 
With regard to the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission 
in the Indian Ocean under the Antiterrorism Special Measures Law, 
which is to expire next January, Okada told the reporters: "We will 
not simply extend the mission; no more, no less." Neither Okada nor 
Karzai referred to the refueling mission during their talks, Okada 
said. 
 
Okada is the first Japanese foreign minister to visit Afghanistan 
since former Foreign Minister Koumura in May last year. He is also 
the first minister of the Hatoyama administration to visit the 
country. Okada's itinerary was not announced in advance due to the 
precarious security situation. Okada met with Foreign Minister 
Rangin Dadfar Spanta and former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, 
in addition to Karzai. 
 
Okada is scheduled to hold talks with Pakistani President Asif Ali 
Zardari and others on Oct. 12. He is slated to return home on Oct. 
15 after visiting Indonesia on Oct. 13 and an earthquake-stricken 
area off Sumatra on Oct. 14. 
 
(15) Main points from talks between Foreign Minister Okada and 
Afghan President Karzai 
 
SANKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
October 12, 2009 
 
Takeshi Kasahara, Islamabad 
 
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada: Providing reconstruction assistance 
to Afghanistan is a vital matter. Japan's assistance is tantamount 
to assistance by the people of Japan, and I want the Japanese people 
to understand why Japan needs to provide assistance to Afghanistan. 
 
Afghan President Hamid Karzai: Japan has been on the front line of 
aid to Afghanistan. Reconstruction of Afghanistan began with the 
International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan 
held in 2002 in Tokyo. I am deeply grateful for Japan's generous 
assistance. Please convey my heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister 
Yukio Hatoyama and His Majesty the Emperor. International assistance 
has contributed to the reconstruction of Afghanistan. But we need 
further assistance in such areas as education, public health and 
local development. Electric power, higher education, and agriculture 
are particularly in need of assistance. In addition to assistance in 
such areas, I want to see Japan play a role in promoting the peace 
process in Afghanistan. 
 
Okada: For the reconciliation and reintegration of Afghanistan, we 
have a plan to give job training to the poor so that they can 
acquire skills. 
 
Karzai: Job training will be significant. 
 
(16) FM Okada at political disadvantage being abroad most of the 
time 
 
NIKKEI (Page 39) (Full) 
October 10, 2009 
 
TOKYO 00002359  006 OF 009 
 
 
 
At the Japan-China foreign ministerial meeting in Beijing on Oct. 9, 
PRC Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi smiled wryly when Foreign Minister 
Katsuya Okada, 56, said to him: "Last time we had a candid exchange 
of views." Eleven days ago, when Yang tried to drive home the point 
that the issue of poisoned Chinese-made gyoza dumplings "should not 
be made a political issue" in Shanghai, Okada did not give in. This 
took the Chinese by surprise. At the meeting on Oct. 9, Okada 
pressed again for a solution to the issue, explaining: "Gyoza 
dumplings are included as a dish in children's boxed lunches." 
Okada ordered an investigation into the alleged "secret agreement" 
with the U.S. allowing the introduction of nuclear arms into Japan 
on the day he took office. He goes on overseas trips every week. He 
pays no attention to the criticism that "he is not satisfied unless 
he does everything by himself" and did not forget to stuff his bag 
with documents relating to FY2010 budget requests on his trip to 
Beijing. 
 
What drives Okada is the lesson learned from the change of 
administration 16 years ago. The cabinet became dysfunctional then 
because the Hosokawa administration maintained a dual structure of 
power. Ichiro Ozawa, 67, was the real power holder in the ruling 
parties. Ozawa used to be a senior of Okada by many years in the 
Liberal Democratic Party's Takeshita faction, and Okada referred to 
him as "political father." When the faction split into two, Ozawa 
had also told his close aides: "I want to make a full-fledged 
politician out of Okada. Teach him the filthiness of politics." 
 
However, Okada came to have doubts about Ozawa's judgments that led 
to the collapse of the Hata administration. His break with Ozawa 
became decisive in December 1997 when Ozawa suddenly decided to 
disband the New Frontier Party. Okada regarded this as a "betrayal 
of the voters" and was unable to restrain his anger at the gap 
between the ideal of creating a party capable of taking over power 
and reality. 
 
On the eve of the inauguration of the new administration, when 
Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima, 53, kept insisting 
on the creation of a consultative body outside the cabinet, Okada 
told her: "There is no use repeating the same theoretical argument" 
and cut the meeting short. At that time, he had also wanted to keep 
his job as Democratic Party of Japan secretary general in order not 
to repeat the mistake made by the Hosokawa administration. 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, 62, later decided to pick Ozawa as 
the new secretary general and summoned him to the party 
headquarters. At the same time, Okada, who missed one phone call 
from Hatoyama, was asked to become the foreign minister in a second 
phone call. Okada did not give an answer right away and asked to be 
given some time to think about the offer. 
 
He reportedly bit his lips and said: "I am not sure if it's okay 
that I am not in Japan most of the time in a year. I would have 
wanted to be by Mr. Hatoyama's side." Over a month since then, right 
at the moment Okada was meeting the foreign ministers of China and 
South Korea in Shanghai, a meeting between the government and the 
ruling party leaders was being held hastily in Japan, and Ozawa was 
knocking the door of the Prime Minister's Official Residence. 
 
(17) JICA President Ogata visits Iraq 
 
ASAHI (Page 2) (Full) 
 
TOKYO 00002359  007 OF 009 
 
 
October 12, 2009 
 
Atsuo Hirata, Cairo 
 
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Sadako Ogata 
met with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and Foreign Minister Zebari on 
Oct. 11 in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Ogata and the two Iraqi 
leaders exchanged views on Japan's reconstruction assistance for 
Iraq. Ogata is the first president of JICA, in charge of 
implementing the government's official development assistance (ODA) 
programs, to visit Iraq after the war began there in 2003. 
 
Maliki expressed his gratitude for Japan's assistance and asked for 
cooperation for technical training for Iraqis. In response, Ogata 
said, "Japan is ready to cooperate with your country, in particular 
to improve the civilian sector, including electric power, 
agriculture, and waterworks." She arrived in Baghdad on Oct. 10. The 
Japanese side announced that JICA will implement three ODA projects 
- construction of water supply and sewerage in the mid-western part 
of Iraq, construction of a thermal electric power plant in central 
Iraq, and construction of a hydro power plant in northern Iraq's 
Kurdish area - by using yen loans totaling 87.8 billion yen (978 
million dollars). The Japanese side showed a stance of moving its 
aid program into full gear. 
 
The U.S. government plans to withdraw its troops from Iraq by the 
end of 2011 and shift the axis of antiterrorism measures to 
Afghanistan. Japan aims to demonstrate its international 
contribution by supporting Iraq's reconstruction after the U.S. 
military pulls out from that country. Tokyo also intends to 
strengthen relations with Iraq, a country rich in natural 
resources. 
 
(18) Prime minister shows eagerness to sign Japan-China-South Korea 
FTA 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
October 11, 2009 
 
Tetsushi Takahashi, Beijing 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama at the Japan-China-South Korea summit 
on Oct. 10 expressed his strong eagerness to sign a trilateral free 
trade agreement (FTA). The signing of an FTA with China and South 
Korea will serve as a touchstone for the prime minister, who wants 
to start with the strengthening of economic cooperation in realizing 
his Initiative for an East Asian Community. The three leaders were 
also of the same mind that it is still too early to discuss an exit 
strategy for ending emergency measures for the economic meltdown. 
They clarified the stance of strengthening policy cooperation on the 
macro-economic front. 
 
Emerging from the meeting, Hatoyama told reporters, "I would like to 
see a Japan-China-South Korea investment agreement materialized 
early next year so as to move forward FTA talks among the three 
countries." The trilateral investment talks, which started in 2007, 
are currently under suspension. There are still yawning gaps in 
their viewpoints. Nevertheless, the prime minister referred to a 
specific timeline for the talks, motivated by the desire to foster 
momentum for the signing of an FTA, using the investment agreement 
as the driving force. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002359  008 OF 009 
 
 
If a Japan-China-South Korea FTA is realized, the initiative of an 
East Asian Community will gain a far more realistic prospect than 
ever before. However, the envisaged FTA is still at the stage of 
research by the private sector. 
 
At the summit Hatoyama insisted, "The governments of the three 
countries should discuss the outcome of private-sector research." 
The Chinese Premier replied, "I would like to press ahead with the 
FTA plan through a review by industry, government, and academia. 
South Korean President Lee Mung Bak said, "It is necessary for the 
results of private-sector research to be further discussed by 
academics." The stances of the three leaders thus differ. Putting 
the FTA issue on the agenda of government-to-government talks 
requires even stronger political will. 
 
Concerning macro-economic policies, the three leaders shared the 
stance that their countries should contribute to the recovery of the 
global economy by ensuring growth through the expansion of domestic 
demand. Too much remains unclear about the future of the economies 
of the three countries, whose continued growth has depended on 
external demand. The fact that they shared a perception of the 
situation does not permit termination of a positive fiscal policy, 
and an easy money policy intended to deal with the economic crunch 
is a manifestation of their still harboring anxieties over the 
future of the economy. 
 
(19) Japan, South Korea confirm cooperation to promote East Asian 
Community plan, but there is far to go before realization 
 
NIKKEI (Page 3) (Full) 
October 10, 2009 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and South Korean President Lee 
Myung-Bak agreed in their meeting on Oct. 9 to promote the 
Hatoyama-proposed initiative to create an East Asian Community. But 
they did not step into specifics of the concept, leaving its 
contents vague. They also have different views about which countries 
should join the envisioned community. In addition, there is the need 
to give consideration to the U.S., which is skeptical of the 
initiative. Under such circumstances, the process to translate the 
community plan into practice remains uncertain. 
 
Hatoyama said in a joint press conference after the bilateral 
summit: "Japan and South Korea are the most important neighbors and 
their relationship is a cornerstone in the Hatoyama administration's 
Asia policy and in the initiative of an East Asian Community." He 
thus indicated consideration for South Korea. 
 
Lee has favorably responded to the initiative of creating a 
community led by Japan, China and South Korea, but he has worried 
that South Korea might be overshadowed by the two economic powers - 
Japan and China. Lee, even while expressing to Hatoyama his 
understanding of the community concept, also said: "Considerable 
time might be required because of the need to solve various issues 
to meet prerequisites." 
 
In a speech at the UN General Assembly in September, Hatoyama 
stressed that Japan will become a "bridge" for Asian countries to 
realize the community concept. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) 
in its manifesto for the latest House of Representatives election 
also pledged to establish in the Asia-Pacific region a regional 
cooperative structure covering such areas as trade, energy, 
 
TOKYO 00002359  009 OF 009 
 
 
finances, disaster relief, and the environment. 
 
This idea itself is not fresh. Successive cabinets made efforts to 
enhance cooperation mainly in the economic sector under the slogan 
of placing importance on relations with Asia. Upon clarifying its 
view about Japan's wartime history, the Hatoyama government intends 
to expedite negotiations on economic partnership agreements (EPA) 
and on free trade agreements (FTA) with Asian countries. Hatoyama 
also eyes a long-term security framework. 
 
Even so, the government has yet to determine details of the 
community initiative, in part out of consideration for the U.S., 
which remains cautious about the initiative. Since the 1990s, the 
U.S. has attempted to prevent an economic zone from being created in 
Asia, as seen from its opposition to the East Asia Economic Council 
(EAEC). A U.S. government source voiced apprehension about the 
community plan, remarking: "The Japanese government gave no 
sufficient explanation, so the proposal has created a major stir in 
the U.S. government." 
 
All the more because specifics of the concept have not been 
determined yet. There is discord in the cabinet. Hatoyama has said 
that he has "no intention to exclude" the U.S., but Foreign Minister 
Katsuya Okada has said: "The community should be composed of Japan, 
China, South Korea, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 
(ASEAN) countries, India, Australia, and New Zealand." Regarding 
Hatoyama's proposal for a single currency in the community, too, 
Okada has said that it would be difficult for countries with 
different political systems to introduce a common currency, 
apparently bearing China in mind. 
 
The DPJ's manifesto also specified: "The party intends to conclude 
an FTA with the U.S. and promote liberalizing trade and investment 
between the two countries." The party anticipates that the image of 
excluding the U.S. will be erased and that "balance will be 
achieved" if Japan concludes an FTA with the U.S. However, as seen 
from the fact that in the process of laying out the manifesto the 
party was pressed to revise language in response to strong reactions 
from agricultural organizations, it is not easy to turn this plan 
into reality. 
 
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Japan and China agreed in their 
meeting in Beijing on Oct. 9 to deepen mutual understanding to 
realize the concept of an East Asian Community. Chinese Foreign 
Minister Yang Jiechi stressed that the two countries should enhance 
cooperation in the economic area, including financial services and 
trade, remarking: "Cooperation between Japan and China is imperative 
in East Asia." 
 
ROOS