THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
2010/04/22
Kazuo Shii will become the first chairman of the Japanese Communist Party to visit the United States, whose system of government the party has denounced as practicing "monopolistic capitalism" and "imperialism."
Shii, 55, told reporters Tuesday he will attend the review conference on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty that is to convene May 3 in New York.
"As a political party in the only nation that has suffered a nuclear attack, we want to do our best to help the conference become successful," Shii said.
During his stay from April 30 to May 8, Shii will lead a party delegation that will attend the U.N. conference with observer status and meet U.N. officials and leaders of other governments.
Shii said he plans to visit Washington after the conference, but declined to say if he will meet with U.S. government officials.
In a letter to President Barack Obama last year, Shii said he welcomed the president's keynote pledge in Prague to pursue a world without nuclear weapons.
Shii received an official letter from the U.S. government acknowledging his enthusiasm for the cause.
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