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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 TOKYO 002686 
 
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 11/20/09 
 
INDEX: 
 
(1) Interview with Ambassador Roos: Nago is the best Futenma 
relocation site; Japan, U.S. to cooperate for Six-Party Talks on 
DPRK issues; disagrees with talk of deterioration of alliance (Tokyo 
Shimbun) 
 
(2) Editorial: President Obama's tour of Asia - U.S. will be tested 
over North Korea's nuclear issue (Mainichi) 
 
(3) Seiron: Reflecting "principle" in foreign, security policies 
dangerous (Sankei) 
 
(4) Prosecutors seek three-year prison term for former Chinese 
husband for kidnapping and keeping two daughters in China for about 
10 years (Yomiuri) 
 
(5) Political Cartoon (Asahi) 
 
ARTICLES: 
 
(1) Interview with Ambassador Roos: Nago is the best Futenma 
relocation site; Japan, U.S. to cooperate for Six-Party Talks on 
DPRK issues; disagrees with talk of deterioration of alliance 
 
TOKYO SHIMBUN (Page 3) (Full) 
November 20, 2009 
 
U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos, 54, gave an interview to Tokyo 
Shimbun in Nagoya on Nov. 19. He discussed the relocation of the 
U.S. forces' Futenma Air Station (in Ginowan City, Okinawa) and said 
that "the two governments are aware of the importance of reaching a 
conclusion expeditiously," indicating he is confident that the issue 
will be settled at an early date. On the abductions (of Japanese 
nationals) by North Korea, the Ambassador stated: "The U.S. 
government will give support and cooperate in a variety of ways." He 
spoke positively about the recent Japan-U.S. summit, regarding this 
as a "powerful start toward the deepening of the Japan-U.S. 
alliance." 
 
Q: The cabinet-level working group on the Futenma issue has kicked 
off but the gap between the two countries remains wide. 
 
Roos: President Obama respects the process taking place in Japan. 
The two leaders agreed to reach a conclusion as soon as possible. 
The working group was created to support this process. 
 
Q: What if a conclusion is not reached before the end of 2009? 
 
Roos: The U.S. has never set a deadline and has no intention to do 
so. The important thing is that the two sides hold close discussions 
in good faith to reach a conclusion. 
 
Q: Does the U.S. insist on the coastal area of Camp Schwab (in Nago 
City, Okinawa) as the relocation site, in accordance with the 
Japan-U.S. agreement of 2006? 
 
Roos: The United States' position is clear. The conclusion that we 
reached after a long process of dialogue is the best one. It is a 
feasible option. 
 
Q: Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has announced a total of over 5 
 
TOKYO 00002686  002 OF 006 
 
 
billion dollars (approximately 450 billion yen) in civilian aid for 
Afghanistan as part of the war against terrorism. 
 
Roos: This is very significant not only for the U.S., but also for 
the international community, for the sake of global stability and as 
solution to the problem. The President has expressed his 
appreciation. 
 
Q: On the other hand, the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling 
mission in the Indian Ocean will be terminated in January. 
 
Roos: This is the Japanese government's decision, and the U.S. is 
not in a position to comment on it. The international community has 
certainly appreciated the refueling operations so far. 
 
Q: What is the Obama administration's basic stance on North Korea? 
 
Roos: Japan and the U.S. have a close cooperative relationship on 
this issue. We will consult closely with Japan to prod the DPRK to 
return to the Six-Party Talks. The President made special mention of 
the abduction issue in his Tokyo speech. We will give support and 
cooperate in a variety of ways for the resolution of this problem. 
 
Q: Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the revision of the 
Japan-U.S. security treaty. 
 
Roos: I disagree with the talk of the deterioration of the bilateral 
alliance. The alliance relationship remains strong, and it has 
contributed to stability in East Asia. As we commemorate its 50th 
anniversary, we also need to take up new roles suited to the global 
community while maintaining the alliance's fundamental elements. 
 
Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and global-warming 
countermeasures are some of the areas in which Japan and the U.S. 
can work together. True friendship and partnership must be between 
equals. I think the recent Japan-U.S. summit was a powerful start in 
terms of deepening the alliance. 
 
(2) Editorial: President Obama's tour of Asia - U.S. will be tested 
over North Korea's nuclear issue 
 
MAINICHI (Page 5) (Full) 
November 20, 2009 
 
U.S. President Barack Obama visited South Korea at the end of a 
four-nation tour of Asia that started in Japan, and made an 
announcement there that was suitable for that region. Obama said 
that the government will dispatch Special Representative for North 
Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth to Pyongyang starting on Dec. 8. The 
visit will become a major turning point to determine whether the 
U.S. will be able to bring North Korea back into the Six-Party Talks 
and to resume negotiations toward its denuclearization. 
 
The President's trip to Asia was naturally based on his grand scheme 
for Asia policy. He spelled out the scheme in his speech in Tokyo 
last week. The speech has been translated into Japanese, Chinese, 
South Korean, and Indonesian and made available on the official 
website of the White House. This reflects Washington's eagerness to 
expand its influence in the Asia-Pacific region. 
 
The President already achieved this aim in Singapore, which he 
visited after Japan. The main purpose of his Asia tour was to attend 
 
TOKYO 00002686  003 OF 006 
 
 
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders meeting. 
Besides that meeting, the U.S. held the first summit with the 10 
countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at 
which Washington's policy switch to start talks with the Myanmar 
military junta was welcomed. 
 
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono particularly expressed 
a feeling of intimacy toward President Obama. Obama expressed his 
desire to visit Indonesia, where he spent his boyhood, together with 
his family. In response, Yudhoyono said: "You are a friend of 
Indonesia." 
 
In China, however, the situation was slightly different. A meeting 
for dialogue between the President and students was held in 
Shanghai, but many of the questions posed by participants were 
convenient to the Chinese government. They were probably selected by 
the government. Obama also made a critical comment on the Chinese 
government's regulations regarding the use of the Internet, but the 
meeting was televised not nationwide but by a local TV station. 
 
Although Obama reportedly referred to the human rights issue during 
a meeting with President Hu Jintao in Beijing, since the comment was 
not publicized, conservatives in the U.S. have criticized his stance 
as more weak-kneed than those taken by former President Bill Clinton 
and previous President George Bush when they visited China. It can 
be said that the power relationship between the U.S. and China has 
shifted. 
 
Obama also said in China: "There are few global issues that can be 
settled even without agreement between the U.S. and China." This 
view probably is behind his remark in the Tokyo speech: "The U.S. 
will not contain China." To be sure, China is a major player in 
dealing with such issues as the global economic crisis, global 
warming, natural resources, and security. China must be the core of 
Washington's new policy toward Asia. 
 
The question is what China should do. First, China should make 
contributions to resolving North Korea's nuclear issue. Since China 
chairs the Six-Party Talks and also controls the lifeline of North 
Korea by providing it with food and energy, it can exert strong 
influence over the North. By indirectly supporting Bosworth's visit 
to North Korea, China should strongly urge the North to return to 
the Six-Party Talks. 
 
(3) Seiron: Reflecting "principle" in foreign, security policies 
dangerous 
 
SANKEI (Page 7) (Excerpts) 
November 18, 2009 
 
By Toshio Watanabe, president of Takushoku University 
 
Few results produced in Japan-U.S. summit 
 
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and U.S. President Barack Obama met on 
the evening of Nov. 13, but few results were produced in the 
meeting. They issued only joint statements - one pledging to aim at 
attaining the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 
PERCENT  by 2050 and another on realizing a world without nuclear 
weapons. It is true that these are the most crucial issues for this 
century, but both statements include only normal, common proposals. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002686  004 OF 006 
 
 
I wonder if it is proper for such (global) issues to be discussed in 
a bilateral summit meeting. Even if Japan, which has no nuclear 
weapons, calls for a "nuclear-free world," the call is just a "paper 
pellet." It is good for the leaders to discuss an outline of the 
benchmark for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But since 
its roadmap has yet to be presented, it is hard for us to believe 
the attainability of the goal in 40 years. The prime minister 
probably easily agreed on the target out of diplomatic courtesy to 
preserve President Obama's honor. 
 
Why did Hatoyama refrain from taking up an imminent issue pending 
between Japan and the U.S.? Why has Japan stopped working on its 
national security, although ensuring national security is vital for 
the nation? The imminent issue I point out is whether to implement 
the accord reached between the governments of Japan and the U.S. in 
May 2006 to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station to a 
coastal area of Camp Schwab in Nago City. Unless the accord is 
implemented, other existing plans will never be translated into 
action, such as the transfer of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam 
and the overall return to Japan of six facilities located in the 
southern part of Okinawa's main island. 
 
Disguised agreement 
 
It is necessary for Japan and the U.S. to reduce the burden on 
Okinawa while maintaining the current level of military deterrence 
in the Far East region. To attain these goals simultaneously and in 
a well-balanced way, there should be no other option at the present 
time but to implement the 2006 agreement. In the latest Japan-U.S. 
summit meeting, the two leaders reportedly agreed to set up a new 
ministerial-level bilateral panel and aim at bringing about an early 
solution to the base issue. This is an apparently "disguised" 
agreement. 
 
Focusing on improvement in the weapon system and geopolitics in the 
Asia-Pacific region, the U.S. laid out a U.S. force realignment 
strategy for the region, taking sufficient time. It therefore is 
inconceivable for the U.S. to accept the conditions that will 
inevitably undermine this strategy. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama 
and Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada must be aware of the position of 
the U.S., but they supposedly want to save the Democratic Party of 
Japan's (DPJ) honor by giving priority to its campaign pledge for 
moving a military base out of the prefecture or the nation. It 
should not be bad for a political party to try to persist with its 
principles. 
 
When it comes to national security, however, it is dangerous for a 
political party to try to reflect its principles in its policies. 
Responding to the rapidly changing international political 
environment in a flexible manner is important. North Korea is 
expected to declare in the future about its possession of nuclear 
missiles. Someday we may see China complete producing an aircraft 
carrier and hold command of the East China Sea. 
 
If the Japan-U.S. alliance does not properly function at such 
crucial moments, Japan will inevitably suffer a diplomatic defeat. A 
diplomatic approach should be flexible. Only this principle, 
"diplomacy is aimed to protect the lives and assets of people," 
should not be changed. Japan must hold firmly to this principle. If 
so, the nation should not be upset by such criticism as weak-kneed 
or tough, or even as being a renegade or a coward. 
 
 
TOKYO 00002686  005 OF 006 
 
 
Measures necessary to have Japan-U.S. alliance function 
 
In the Sino-Japanese War, Japan fought in a friendless isolation. 
The U.S., which was the world's largest hegemonic country, is now 
Japan's ally. Countries surrounding Japan have taken an aggressive 
diplomatic approach and have deployed nuclear weapons or missiles 
targeted at Japan. Under such circumstances, it is necessary for 
Japan, which has taken a defense-only policy, to make efforts to 
solidify the Japan-U.S. alliance. 
 
An alliance must be between one country and another. Japan was 
defeated in World War II and consequently was on the brink of ruin. 
The original reason for this crisis is the abolishment of the 
Japan-Britain alliance. The Japan-Britain alliance contributed to 
ensuring Japan's national security during a period of 10 years 
before the end of the Meiji Period (1868-1919) and in the Taisho 
Period (1912-1926). The U.S., a hegemonic nation, pressed Japan and 
Britain to scrap their alliance after the end of World War I, with 
the aim of weakening Japan, another hegemonic nation. The U.S. 
strategy worked successfully. Instead, Japan concluded an alliance 
with Britain, the U.S. and France, but this alliance never 
functioned. 
 
Two countries that share common interests conclude an alliance. This 
is proved by the fact that Japan's security was perfectly protected 
under the Japan-Britain alliance and the Japan-U.S. alliance. The 
DPJ government appears to have taken the view that a multinational 
security system is superior to a bilateral alliance, as seen from 
its advocacy for establishing an East Asian Community. But Japan's 
contemporary history teaches us that such an approach is 
ineffective. 
 
(4) Prosecutors seek three-year prison term for former Chinese 
husband for kidnapping and keeping two daughters in China for about 
10 years 
 
YOMIURI Tama Version (Page 35) (Full) 
November 18, 2009 
 
It became clear on Nov. 17 that the Akishima Police Station has 
arrested Qin Weijie, 55 -- a company employee from China with no 
fixed address -- on suspicion of kidnapping his eldest and second 
daughters from his former wife for the purpose of transferring them 
to another country and other charges. Qin allegedly kept his two 
daughters in China for about 10 years after taking them away from 
his former wife when they were still in elementary school. A trial 
was held on Nov. 17 at the Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District 
Court where prosecutors sought three years in prison for Qin, 
maintaining that it was a premeditated act that took place while the 
divorce proceedings were underway. The court ended with the defense 
team's request for a suspended sentence, claiming that Qin did not 
take the daughters away against their will and it was not a vicious 
act. The court will hand down its decision on Dec. 3. 
 
According to the indictment and other materials, Qin, who was 
planning to take the two daughters to his mother country of China, 
approached them near their school in Akishima City on June 8, 1999, 
saying, "Can you spend the day with me?" and kidnapped them by car. 
He then allegedly flew from Kansai International Airport to China's 
Hong Kong International Airport with them. The two daughters were 
taken into protective custody when they arrived in Japan to renew 
their passports in January this year, and Qin was also arrested this 
 
TOKYO 00002686  006 OF 006 
 
 
past September when he arrived in Japan. 
 
According to the opening statement and other materials, in order to 
escape from Qin's violence, his ex-wife moved out of the house with 
their daughters in 1998. That year she filed for divorce with the 
Tokyo Family Court's Hachioji branch. In October 1999, the court's 
Hachioji branch made a decision to hand over the two daughters to 
the ex-wife as their custodian, and the former wife filed a 
complaint with the Akishima Police Station in April 2004. In 
response to questions at the court, Qin said, "I took them to China 
because I thought the children's lives would be unstable (under the 
custody of my former wife)," and, "The children said that they were 
willing to live in China." 
 
ROOS