Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso ended a two-day trip to Beijing Thursday. Both countries affirmed their desire to cooperate but avoided troublesome topics.
BEIJING – I attended Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso’s press conference at the end of his 24-hour trip to China out of a sense of curiosity.
For this short visit, the two countries had stuck to relatively uncontroversial areas of cooperation – the economy, swine flu, global warming, youth exchanges. They did not dwell long on tenser topics like North Korea’s nuclear threat.
Since nothing of note had emerged from the trip, how would Mr. Aso make it seem to have been worthwhile?
In truth, the real story was not what Aso did while he was here, but rather the mere fact of his presence in China. Tokyo and Beijing have such a tortured history of enmity, brutality, and mistrust that simple exchanges like a quick trip by the prime minister are important in their own right.
In any case, I need not have feared for him. To start with, the Japanese prime ministerial press apparatus allowed only four questions.
Two were from Japanese reporters who asked domestic political questions of no relevance to the China visit. One was from the correspondent of the Chinese Communist Party organ, the People’s Daily (which Aso characterized as “the most disorganized question I have ever heard at a press conference”).
The last was from Dow Jones about Japanese-Chinese economic cooperation. (You will not be any more surprised than I was to hear that “I agreed with President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao that Japan and China will cooperate in addressing the global economic and financial crisis.”)
Aso really had nothing to say, but at least he was honest about why not: He began his opening comments by recalling that, last year, he and Mr. Hu had “agreed that the leader of each country would visit the other each year.”
So if he hadn’t come, the press would be asking why not, and what it meant for the two countries’ still-fragile relations.
Aso could almost certainly have done all his business by telephone. But then the world would not have seen Sino-Japanese relations normalizing, visit by visit.
China, Japan to cooperate on economic crisis, flu BEIJING (AP) -- Japan and China will join efforts to combat the spread of swine flu and agreed that boosting domestic demand is the best way to address the global financial crisis, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said Thursday. continued ...
China postpones controversial IT security product info system BEIJING -- The Chinese government will postpone the introduction of a mandatory disclosure of IT product information by foreign companies that export products to China, it has been announced. continued ...
Aso, Wen agree to respond calmly after North Korea threatens nuclear test Prime Minister Taro Aso and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao agreed during talks on Wednesday to respond calmly following North Korea's threats to conduct missile and nuclear tests unless the U.N. apologizes for criticizing its April 5 rocket launch. continued ...
Mr. Takashi Kawamura, a former Democratic Party of Japan member of the Lower House who gave up his seat to run in Sunday's Nagoya mayoral election, trounced a candidate supported by the prefectural chapters of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito.
DPJ leaders, who supported Mr. Kawamura's candidacy, believe the victory will have a favorable impact on DPJ leader Ichiro Ozawa's decision to stay on as party head, but a close look at the election suggests that it only gives the DPJ and Mr. Ozawa a brief respite from a political donations scandal involving his chief aide. Various polls reveal that a majority of people are critical of his decision to continue as DPJ leader.
During his campaign Mr. Kawamura called for a 10-percent cut in municipal taxes and the Nagoya city government's personnel expenses. This campaign promise alienated some DPJ city assembly members, the All-Japan Prefectural and Municipal Workers Union and the Aichi chapter of the Japan Trade Union Confederation. The latter two are important supporters of the DPJ.
Rather than relying on the DPJ machine, Mr. Kawamura utilized his supporters' associations. He canvassed around Nagoya city by bicycle every day and spoke to voters in the local dialect. Even when DPJ acting leader Naoto Kan came to Nagoya to help his campaign, Mr. Kawamura chose not to campaign with him. Mr. Ozawa visited Mr. Kawamura's campaign office briefly but didn't even meet him. It is clear that Nagoya citizens voted for Mr. Kawamura because of his style and campaign promises, not because of his ties with the DPJ.
The DPJ recently won three of four mayoral contests in smaller cities against LDP-supported candidates, but it lost in the Akita and Chiba gubernatorial elections. The DPJ leadership should realize that the road ahead is bumpy. For his part, Mr. Kawamura will likely face strong resistance from the city assembly when he tries to make good on his campaign promises.
26. NATIONAL NEWS :: Aso-Wen talks flu-, Yasukuni-focused April 30, 2009 BEIJING (Kyodo) Tokyo hopes to cooperate with Beijing to prevent the swine flu epidemic from spreading further and also wants to help the world overcome the economic crisis, Prime Minister Taro Aso told Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday, according to China's state-run media. continued ...
29. EDITORIAL :: A respite for the DPJ April 30, 2009 Mr. Takashi Kawamura, a former Democratic Party of Japan member of the Lower House who gave up his seat to run in Sunday's Nagoya mayoral election, trounced a candidate supported by the prefectural chapters of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. continued ...
There seems to be no end to scandals over shady political funds of Diet members. Behind every disgraced Diet member is a group of political aides. Irregularities and acts of corruption by lawmakers, therefore, can almost certainly be assumed to involve the secretaries who handle their affairs.
Currently, each Diet member is allowed to hire three government-paid secretaries--a policy-planning secretary and first and second secretaries. The system is needed to support the political work of lawmakers.
I have served as policy secretary to lawmakers of both the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and opposition Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) for nearly 10 years through 2008. During that time, as far as I know, many of the government-funded secretaries were absent from the Diet.
Instead, they were busy in their bosses' electoral districts dealing with support group affairs, petitions, ceremonial functions such as funerals and weddings of constituents, and political fund raising. In other words, they were engaged in activities aimed at getting their lawmakers reelected. The trend was all the more prominent with elections approaching. The fact is that taxes are being used for reelection activities of lawmakers.
Under such circumstances, candidates who are trying to win Diet seats for the first time and former lawmakers who are hoping to make a comeback after losing their seats in previous elections are at a disadvantage. They are not in a position to use tax-funded aides for their own election campaigns. In short, the situation gets in the way of political rejuvenation.
The way the system works is also troubling. There are no official qualifications or standards that first and second secretaries are required to meet. Given that aides are government employees, this is abnormal. It means the people who fill these positions often have insufficient knowledge of the Political Fund Control Law and Public Offices Election Law, which are indispensable for dealing with the financial and legal affairs of lawmakers.
This situation is one of the reasons for a number of irregular practices by lawmakers and the decline in the quality of politicians.
Because there are no restrictions on the hiring of first and second aides, lawmakers are free to hire or dismiss them at their discretion. That gives rise to a situation where lawmakers have unfettered control over their underlings, making it difficult for the aides to adequately perform their checking function. It has also become a common practice for lawmakers to virtually force their aides to make donations out of their government-funded wages.
By contrast, policy secretaries are required to meet certain qualifications and standards. While their main duty is to help lawmakers formulate policies, the lack of clear stipulations in the law concerning their status and job means that many of them cannot concentrate on policymaking and tend to engage in election campaigns in the lawmakers' constituencies instead.
Those who are hired after passing qualifying exams make up only about 10 percent of all policy aides. A majority of them gain their posts by taking advantage of the system that allows people who work as first or second secretaries for a certain number of years to qualify to become policy secretaries. This is hardly conducive to getting the best people for the job.
In order to make the aide system worthy of hard-earned taxpayer money, we have to demand a basic set of credentials from all publicly funded secretaries. First secretaries should specialize in financial affairs and be required to familiarize themselves with the Political Fund Control Law, while second secretaries should be expected to understand the Public Offices Election Law so that they can concentrate on legal affairs. All policy secretaries should be required to pass a standardized exam.
Furthermore, new legislation is necessary to spell out the legal status of government-funded aides and stipulate the service and ethical regulations that bind them. Policy secretaries should be banned from involving themselves in election campaigns and political fund-raising because such activities run counter to the fundamental purpose of their roles.
I would also like to see a ban on government-funded secretaries making political donations, and the creation of a guilt-by-association system to also punish government-funded aides when their bosses violate laws. In order to dispel public distrust of our political system, an overhaul of the government-funded secretary system is essential.
* * *
The author is a former policy secretary to Diet members.(IHT/Asahi: April 30,2009
Ethics body: NHK's talks with politicians threaten autonomy(4/30) An ethics committee on Tuesday criticized Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) over a meeting between its production staff and a politician before the broadcast of a program about wartime sexual violence. continued ...
Aso, Wen agree wider domestic demand vital(4/30) BEIJING--Prime Minister Taro Aso and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday agreed on the importance of the two nations making every effort to expand domestic demand in response to the global economic crisis. continued ...
EDITORIAL: Nuclear disarmament(4/30) How should Japan support international efforts to realize "a world without nuclear weapons" advocated by U.S. President Barack Obama in his recent speech in Prague? Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone described the government's policies to promote nuclear disarmament in his speech titled "Conditions Toward Zero--11 Benchmarks for Global Nuclear Disarmament." continued ...
POINT OF VIEW/ Takaaki Sasaki: Overhaul the system for tax-paid political aides(4/30) There seems to be no end to scandals over shady political funds of Diet members. Behind every disgraced Diet member is a group of political aides. Irregularities and acts of corruption by lawmakers, therefore, can almost certainly be assumed to involve the secretaries who handle their affairs. Currently, each Diet member is allowed to hire three government-paid secretaries--a policy-planning secretary and first and second secretaries. The system is needed to support the political work of lawmakers. continued ...
EDITORIAL: Growing swine flu scare(4/30) More than 100 people are believed to have died of swine flu in Mexico. Cases of contagion have been confirmed in a growing number of other countries, including the United States and Canada. continued ...
Lower house election schedule might be affected by swine flu (Apr.30) Though the ruling and opposition parties have set up task forces on responding to swine flu amid concerns the disease could spread to Asia, the possibility has arisen that an outbreak in the nation might disrupt future political schedules. continued ...
It isn’t sure exactly how it would work, but Naha City has decided to seek an Unarmed District Declaration, a protocol of the Geneva Convention.
The Unarmed District Declaration has power to prohibit an attack, even when a war or fighting is under way. The declaration is a part of international law under the Geneva Convention, and Naha City has begun the process of demanding it be covered by law. The city’s first step is to stage a petition drive to collect signatures of 5,000 or more citizens, a requirement that calls for obtaining at least 1/50th of the registered voters’ signatures in a one-month period.
Once the signatures are collected, Naha City must take them to the Assembly, where its members must decide to proceed further. Naha City has a number of hurdles to clear, including debate over whether it can actually be done since there are American military bases within its territory. The U.S. bases are, some contend, enough to preclude an ordinance being established.
Naha City officials are also expected to carry its idea to other districts, seeking others to initiate action to sign on to the same declaration. They note the idea of protection under the Geneva Convention Protocol is spreading across Japan, and predict the debate could be ‘interesting’.
KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — An HH-60 helicopter assigned to the 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena Air Base made a precautionary landing Monday on Tonaki Island after the aircraft experienced a fuel imbalance, according to a news release Tuesday.
The helicopter landed on a helipad at Tonaki Island — about 36 miles west of Naha — where it was grounded for four hours before returning to Kadena Air Base, Air Force Lt. Col. Pete Oertel, deputy commander for the 18th Operations Group, said in the release.
The air crew and a second Kadena helicopter were participating in a training mission when a fuel imbalance between the helo’s two fuel tanks was discovered, Oertel said.
No one in the four-member crew was injured. The second helicopter was able to pick up maintenance personnel, parts and equipment from Kadena and return to fix the problem, Oertel said.
Tonaki Mayor Noboru Uehara said he plans to file complaints with Tokyo government agencies next week regarding the U.S. military using airspace around the island, according to spokesman Makoto Toguchi, chief of the Welfare Division office.
Ethics panel criticizes NHK for meeting politicians over 'comfort women' program A committee of the Broadcasting Ethics and Program Improvement Organization (BPO) on Tuesday criticized NHK over a meeting between program production officials and politicians regarding a program dealing with wartime sex slavery. continued ...
Aso arrives in Beijing for visit BEIJING (AP) -- Prime Minister Taro Aso kicked off his first official visit to Beijing on Wednesday, just a week after his gift to a shrine seen as a symbol of Japan's militaristic past drew protests from China. continued ...
13. NATIONAL NEWS :: PAC-3 deployed to Shiga air base April 29, 2009 A Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor battery was deployed Tuesday to the Air Self-Defense Force's Aibano base in Takashima, Shiga Prefecture, the Defense Ministry said. continued ...
15. NEWS BUSINESS :: Key panel OKs expressway work April 29, 2009 A powerful joint panel of Diet members and experts gave the infrastructure ministry permission Monday to build four expressway sections in Tokyo and other areas, signaling a possible revival in large-scale public works. continued ...
20. NATIONAL NEWS :: U.S. to abductees' kin: New sanctions can wait April 29, 2009 WASHINGTON (Kyodo) The U.S. point man on North Korea policy on Monday told relatives of Japanese abducted by North Korea that the United States has no immediate plan to tighten financial and other sanctions against Pyongyang. continued ...
21. NEWS BUSINESS - KAZUAKI NAGATA :: Opposition slams extra budget as short-term election ploy April 29, 2009 By KAZUAKI NAGATA, Staff writer Opposition parties took aim Tuesday at the ¥14.7 trillion extra budget for fiscal 2009 that will finance the ruling bloc's economic stimulus package, calling it a short-term boost to the economy mainly meant to attract voters ahead of the general election that must be held by fall. continued ...
34. EDITORIAL :: New flu fears April 29, 2009 Global health officials are worried about the spread of a new flu that has killed some 150 people in recent weeks and has the potential to create a pandemic. This alarm confirms warnings that have been issued since the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak of 2003 — with two important differences: This disease seems to have originated in Mexico, and is not a variant of the avian flu that has been the focus of epidemiologists for the last several years. This new influenza virus, thought to be a form of swine flu, is a reminder of the need to remain vigilant and to expect surprises in the fight against deadly disease. continued ...
Calls are growing within opposition Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) for the resignation of scandal-tainted Ichiro Ozawa as party leader.
Kozo Watanabe, a top-level party adviser, has called on Ozawa to go quietly.
Watanabe was busy Monday, conferring with party members.
Before the start of the Lower House plenary session, he met with Koichiro Genba, who is close to party Vice President Katsuya Okada, considered by many as the leading candidate to replace Ozawa as party leader should he step down.
Within the Lower House chamber, Watanabe met with Ozawa for a whispered conversation.
After the plenary session was over, Watanabe met in a room in the Diet building with Secretary-General Yukio Hatoyama and said: "It is now no longer acceptable to receive money from construction companies. Even if Ozawa feels he has a responsibility to explain his position, he won't be able to (under the current political climate)."
Ozawa's state-funded aide was arrested March 3 on suspicion of submitting false political fund reports. Donations that originated from a construction company were listed as coming from political organizations that served as dummy fronts for the company.
While 50 days have passed since the arrest, the public does not appear to be in a forgive-and-forget mood. Ozawa's supporters can try to spin Sunday's election of a former Minshuto Lower House member as mayor of Nagoya positively, but public criticism of the party leader has not abated at the local level.
At a meeting with local constituents over the weekend, a midlevel party member said, "If he continues as party leader and remains a target of attacks and Minshuto is unable to take over government, that will be exactly what prosecutors wanted."
At a public speech, another midlevel party member said, "I am fighting to have Ozawa resign as party leader soon."
Older party members who had supported Ozawa are also slowly distancing themselves.
"If he is going to resign, the sooner the better," one member said.
Minshuto officials are hoping the ban on corporate and group donations as well as the proposed ban on relatives succeeding lawmakers will help restore party fortunes.
However, one Minshuto executive said, "The most important political reform move will be to have Ozawa step down."
Party members are also casting a more critical eye on Okada to determine if he is really fit to lead the party in the next Lower House election that must be held by September.
Okada now heads a party body looking into political reform.
When Okada said last week that a grace period of five years should be instituted before a total ban on corporate donations, some younger party members expressed concerns that voters could question how serious Minshuto was about the issue.
Long knives out for Ozawa (4/29) BY NORIKO AKIYAMA AND HARUKO KAGENISHI, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN Calls are growing within opposition Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) for the resignation of scandal-tainted Ichiro Ozawa as party leader. Kozo Watanabe, a top-level party adviser, has called on Ozawa to go quietly. Watanabe was busy Monday, conferring with party members. continued ...
EDITORIAL: Piracy off Somalia (4/29) Various countries including Japan have sent warships to protect merchant vessels from pirate attacks in waters off Somalia, but these efforts have so far made little headway in curtailing rampant piracy. The international community has finally realized that the only solution to the problem lies in getting the Somali government to shape up, bring order to the troubled nation and crack down on piracy on its own. continued ...
EDITORIAL: Bond-funded budget (4/29) The government on Monday submitted to the Diet a supplementary budget for fiscal 2009 to finance a fiscal stimulus package worth more than 15 trillion yen. The extra spending plan will push the overall government budget for the fiscal year starting this month above 102 trillion yen. It will be the first time the figure has topped the 100-trillion-yen mark. continued ...
WASHINGTON, April 28 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Wallace Gregson, nominee for assistant secretary of defense for Asia and the Pacific, said Tuesday he sees the cost-sharing arrangement between the United States and Japan to pay for the relocation of U.S. forces in Okinawa to Guam as "equitable and appropriate."
Gregson, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general, expressed the view in a prepared testimony for a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to consider his nomination. He is expected to win Senate approval for the senior Pentagon post.
He said the Japanese government "understood the strong desire of Okinawa residents for the relocation of forces from Japan to Guam to occur rapidly and recognized that this move -- which it explicitly sought -- would not happen anytime soon without substantial investment on its part."
To soothe local discontent over the concentration of U.S. bases in Okinawa, 8,000 of some 18,000 U.S. Marines in Okinawa and their 9,000 family members will be moved to Guam by 2014, with Japan footing $6.09 billion, or 59 percent, of the estimated $10.27 billion cost through grants, investments and loans.
Gregson served in Okinawa as the commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force, commander of the Marines Corps Bases, Japan, and commander of the Marine Forces, Japan.
Ex-mayor avoids prison term for rigging bids (Apr.29) OSAKA--The Osaka District Court on Tuesday sentenced Hiroshi Nakatsuka, 53, former mayor of Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, to 1-1/2 years in prison, suspended for three years, for his involvement in rigging bids for a public works construction contract. continued ...
Govt must act now to prevent pandemic (Apr.29) It must be an anguished decision. The World Health Organization on Monday raised its global alert level as a result of swine flu--which has spread from Mexico to other parts of the world--from Phase 3 to Phase 4, one level closer to the highest level of Phase 6, the pandemic phase. continued ...
Panel II of a Hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee
Subject: to consider the nominations of Wallace Gregson to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs; Michael Nacht to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs; Ines Triay to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management; Jo-Ellen Darcy to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works
CHAIRED BY: SENATOR CARL LEVIN (D-MI) WITNESSES: THE NOMINEES TESTIFY
106 Dirksen Senate Office Building 11:15 A.M. EDT, Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Advance Policy Questions for Wallace C. Gregson Nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian & Pacific Security Affairs
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Force Posture in the USPACOM AOR
Perhaps more than with any other combatant command, military exigencies in the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) area of responsibility (AOR) are subject to the “tyranny of distance” in getting forces to points of conflict. Significant changes to the U.S. force posture in the region are planned over the next several years, including movement of Marines from Okinawa to Guam and relocation of U.S. forces within South Korea.
In your view, how important is the forward basing strategy to the ability of USPACOM to execute its operational contingencies?
The United States’ forward-basing strategy is critical to enable USPACOM’s execution of its operational contingencies given the importance of providing capabilities that can be flexibly deployed, employed, and sustained in a timely manner across a spectrum of contingencies.
What do you see as the implications of the proposed force structure changes, particularly in Korea, Japan and Guam, with respect to the Asia-Pacific region in general?
I believe U.S. posture changes in Korea and Japan contribute to strengthening our alliances and better positioning U.S. forces to ensure a more sustainable and capable regional force posture. By relocating U.S. forces, the United States will address longstanding host-nation concerns such as noise and encroachment withoutcompromising their missions. The moves also improve and enhance mutual defense infrastructure in the region, incorporating and executing several large investment projects from the governments of South Korea and Japan. At the same time, the U.S. will make better use of Guam’s strategic advantages by arraying U.S. forces in Asia more effectively for the evolving security environment.
How does the relocation of U.S. forces from Okinawa to Guam improve our security posture in the region?
This is the most comprehensive package of force posture changes in Japan and Guam in decades, and I believe that these initiatives will further several strategic goals. First, they will strengthen our alliance with Japan by addressing long-standing problems with our presence in Okinawa. Second, they will ensure the continued long-term presence of U.S. forces in Japan and in the Western Pacific. And third, by making better use of Guam’s strategic advantages, they will array U.S. forces in Asia more effectively for the evolving security environment.
What impact, if any, do you expect the proposed changes in our force posture will have on the U.S. ability to defend South Korea and Japan or to react to a crisis in the Taiwan Strait?
These posture changes increase flexibility to respond when and where U.S. forces are needed, and strengthen the United States’ overall capacity to deter coercive and aggressive action in the Asia-Pacific region. Planned posture changes in the region will strengthen deterrent and strike capabilities (i.e., U.S. maritime, air, and deployable ground forces) forward in the Pacific as well as strategic mobility and command and control (C2) support from the United States—all of which are relevant to supporting our allied commitments for self-defense in contingencies. [Pages 14 and 15]
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Is the cost-sharing arrangement between the United States and Japan to pay for the relocation of U.S. forces from Okinawa to Guam and the costs associated with the continued presence of U.S. forces in Japan equitable and appropriate? Why or why not?
I believe the cost-arrangement between the United States and Japan as outlined in the May 2006 Security Consultative Committee (SCC) document known as the Realignment Roadmap is equitable and appropriate. For relocations within Japan, the GOJ is paying the lion’s share of the costs to develop new facilities. The GOJ also understood the strong desire of Okinawa residents for the relocation of forces from Japan to Guam to occur rapidly and recognized that this move—which it explicitly sought—would not happen anytime soon without substantial investment on its part. Spending less than one percent of its gross domestic product on its national defense, yet desiring the continued regional presence of U.S. forces, Japan could also clearly justify financial support for U.S. military construction within a U.S. territory on the grounds that it is making a direct contribution to Japan’s own security and to overall alliance burdensharing. This decision was not without controversy in Japan, as it is highly unusual—perhaps even unprecedented—for a host country to pay for U.S. forces to relocate out of that country. It will be important for the Department of Defense to work closely with the GOJ on project scope, management, and other factors to minimize risks to the efforts. [Pages 28 - 29]
TOKYO, April 28 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada will meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates at the Pentagon on Friday to discuss the future of the bilateral alliance, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
Hamada has been eager to propose announcing a new Japan-U.S. Joint Declaration on Security to cope with global issues and is therefore expected to exchange views with his counterpart on how the two countries can beef up the defense partnership.
The defense minister proposed starting consultations on the new declaration in his talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Tokyo in February because 2010 will mark the 50th anniversary of the revised Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.
But the U.S. withheld its response at the time, according to sources close to the talks.
Hamada will leave for the United States on Thursday and is scheduled to return to Japan on Saturday, the ministry said.
In their first one-on-one meeting as defense chiefs, Hamada and Gates are also expected to discuss the defense secretary's proposal for a major overhaul of the U.S. military as well as the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, which is supposed to be completed by 2014.
The defense chiefs are also expected to discuss further cooperation on maintaining ballistic missile shields in light of North Korea's recent rocket launch that many believe was a test of its long-range ballistic missile technology.
The talks are also expected to cover the two countries' defense strategies as the Japanese government will adopt new National Defense Program Guidelines at the end of the year and the Pentagon is slated to conduct a Quadrennial Defense Review next February.
The original bilateral security declaration was signed in 1996 by then Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and then U.S. President Bill Clinton. It expanded the scope of the Japan-U.S. alliance -- which had hitherto been configured for the Cold War era -- to one encompassing the entire Asia-Pacific region.
A recently issued First Hawaiian Bank Economic Forecast has Guam listed as one place not expected to be hard hit by the economic downturn. The forecast indicates numerous avenues for profit related to the upcoming military buildup. Companies from as far as Switzerland and as close to home as the CNMI are on island to attend Guam Industry Forum III and are eager to take advantage of the military buildup.
Almost 1,400 representatives from companies around the world are attending the third Guam Industry Forum, attempting to gain critical insight in what will be done during the 2010-2014 military buildup. JoeTen Industries out of the CNMI has their corporate hand in every business from real estate, construction material supplies and shipping. Construction Material Supply General Manager, Jesse Sablan says the CNMI based company is looking forward to the economic opportunities available on Guam come time for the buildup.
"If we pull our resources and vector ourselves into an area of the market we are familiar with and also listen to the good, kind advice that people give us," Sablan told KUAM News. "We intend on using that to our advantage and hopefully that will provide some gainful employment for some people who lost their jobs."
Even local companies with home field advantage like Advanced Management Incorporated are looking to forge new relationships with bigger off-island companies because this time around, local companies will have the upper hand. AMI president and CEO Monty McDowell said, "Guam businesses are very much in the know than businesses that have gravitated to Guam before so they're learning from us."
McDowell added, "As we proceed in discussions with them, they see that we have competencies here that can help them, so I think we're going to be good fore each other."
Construction companies and general contractors aren't the only ones wanting to take advantage of the military buildup. According to the economic forecast from FHB, the buildup will be good for Guam's tourism industry, which is already reaping the benefits of events associated with the troop relocation.
Hilton marketing and communications manager Crystal Sablan said, "We've seen an increase as far as travelers coming in from the U.S. mainland side staying with us at the hotel. Hilton is synonymous with hotels back in the U.S. and we've seen an increase in corporate companies heading to Guam to see what's going on with the military buildup."
And as the demand increases for hotels to provide service to people coming in and out of Guam, the demand also increases for airline service providers, something director for Continental Micronesia sales and marketing David Kendell says his company will take advantage of. "From an airline perspective," he said, "We always look for demand and we are wanting to grow, but of course it's all about supply and demand and this military buildup will bring Guam not only the demand, but a lot of opportunities for both the public and private sector and from that you're not only looking at customers flowing into Guam, but also customers flowing out."
GIF 3 continues through Thursday at its trifecta of venues - the Marriott, Hilton and Sheraton hotels.
More than a thousand companies from across the globe are on island to learn more about multitude of business opportunities the pending military buildup affords. Today marks day one of the Guam industry forum three, hosted by Joint Guam Program Office and NAVFAC.
The forum being held at multiple venues will is targeted towards general contractors, specialty subcontractors, designers and those who will support the upcoming design-build and design-bid-build projects for the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam. Companies who are participating hail from various locales such as New Zealand, Philippines, Korea, Kuwait, Japan, Vietnam, Australia, and Taiwan, to name just a few.
Published On Tuesday, April 28, 2009 2:25 AM By TERESA M. COTSIRILOS Contributing Writer
Former Kennedy School Faculty member Kurt Campbell recently became the latest in a litany of Harvard affiliates to be tapped for a position in the Obama Administration.
Campbell, the CEO and Co-Founder of the Center for a New American Security—a moderate national security think tank, has been nominated as the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. His nomination follows the appointments of seventeen members from the Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, according to the Belfer Center’s spring newsletter.
Prior to founding CNAS with Belfer Center colleague Michele Flournoy—the White House’s current undersecretary of defense for policy—Campbell served as an associate professor of Public Policy and International Relations at the Kennedy School. He was also the assistant director of the Belfer Center.
Currently, Campbell holds leadership positions at a variety of prominent political organizations in Washington, including the Aspen Strategy Group, StratAsia, and the Washington Quarterly. He has previously served in government in a variety of capacities, and received the Department of Defense Medals for Distinguished Public Service and for Outstanding Public Service for his contributions.
Campbell received overwhelming support for his nomination from his Harvard colleagues, some of whom have served with him both at the Kennedy School and in Washington for decades.
“[Campbell] has been a thoughtful, reflective student of Asia for two decades,” wrote Belfer Center Director and Kennedy School Professor Graham T. Allison Jr. in an e-mail on Saturday.
Allison, who originally hired Campbell as an assistant professor at the Kennedy School, has known Campbell for 20 years. His sentiments were echoed by Professor Ashton B. Carter, a Belfer Center member who has also known Campbell for two decades and was confirmed as the Pentagon’s Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Sunday morning.
Both professors noted that the challenges of Campbell’s new position would include Asia’s growing role in the global economy and China’s potential future ability to challenge American dominance. They both added that Campbell’s extensive experience, insight, and respect within the region made him more than capable for the job.
“I have the greatest respect for his ability, and also his integrity,” Carter said.
Aso hints he will not dissolve Lower House in May Prime Minister Taro Aso has suggested that he will not dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap general election in May in order to place priority on Diet deliberations on outstanding bills. continued ...
19. NATIONAL NEWS :: Realism urged on disputed islands April 28, 2009 Staff report The government should take a realistic approach instead of demanding the collective return of all four Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, panelists at a discussion said Monday in Tokyo. continued ...
21. NATIONAL NEWS - KAZUAKI NAGATA :: Ruling bloc submits extra budget bill to Diet April 28, 2009 By KAZUAKI NAGATA, Staff writer The government submitted to the Diet Monday the fiscal 2009 extra budget bill, which is expected to become the main focus of confrontation between the ruling bloc and opposition parties as the ordinary Diet session nears its end. continued ...
32. ANALYSIS - KAZUAKI NAGATA :: Nagoya win limited lift for DPJ until Ozawa comes clean April 28, 2009 By KAZUAKI NAGATA, Staff writer Takashi Kawamura's landslide win Sunday in the Nagoya mayoral poll was a much-needed boost for the Democratic Party of Japan, whose image and reputation were badly damaged by the arrest in March of President Ichiro Ozawa's chief secretary over shady political donations. continued ...
44. EDITORIAL :: New law for antipiracy missions April 28, 2009 The Lower House has passed a bill that will enable dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces at any time and anywhere in the world on antipiracy missions. After the opposition-controlled Upper House votes it down, as expected, the Lower House will enact the bill in a second vote. continued ...
Tokyo to host meet on nuclear weapons(4/28) Tokyo plans to host an international nuclear disarmament conference early next year, Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said Monday. Nakasone, who addressed a gathering of the Japan Institute of International Affairs in Tokyo, said that U.S. President Barack Obama's recent announcement that Washington would take "realistic and concrete" steps toward creating a nuclear-free world has added momentum to the drive for disarmament. continued ...
EDITORIAL: Ending bid-rigging(4/28) Earlier this month, the government and ruling camp unveiled a new fiscal stimulus package worth more than 15 trillion yen. The spending plan to turn around the economy is certain to increase the government's outlays on public works projects after years of steady reduction. In such circumstances, public works-related bribery allegations against Chiba Mayor Keiichi Tsuruoka have emerged. continued ...
Imposing restrictions on "hereditary" candidacy has emerged as a contentious issue likely to receive close attention during campaigning for the next House of Representative election.
Significant differences on the issue stem from the fact that the Liberal Democratic Party has a far larger number of hereditary lawmakers compared with the Democratic Party of Japan, adding an extra element of tension to debate over the matter.
The Yomiuri Shimbun defines hereditary candidates or lawmakers as those who inherit a political base or public recognition in the constituency of a relative with a blood relation within three generations, or from their spouse or a relative of their spouse within two generations.
"Such a hereditary system is weakening Japan's democracy," said Katsuya Okada, one of the DPJ's deputy presidents, during a speech in Kikuchi, Kumamoto Prefecture. "Here we can see [one of] the differences between the DPJ, which doesn't tolerate political heredity, and the LDP, which insists such heredity should be recognized as legitimate."
Candidates who have taken over a relative's constituency are seen as having an advantage, since they have acquired from their relatives a support base, or jiban, a base of public recognition, or kanban, and a fund-raising base, or kaban--literally, handbag or purse.
Such hereditary lawmakers lack toughness as they "haven't experienced the hardships that would nurture perseverance within them," according to one observer, who also noted that such candidates have the advantage of time to formulate policies since they do not need to build a support base from scratch. Some observers point out that if the number of lawmakers whose families exclusively pursue political careers increases, it makes it difficult for a sufficiently wide range of talented people from different backgrounds to play a role in the political arena.
According to a questionnaire sent out to DPJ lawmakers by the party's political reform promotion team, which is headed by Okada, 78 percent said they supported the restricting of hereditary candidates. The team therefore plans to stipulate restrictions on such candidates in the party's manifesto for the next lower house election.
Of 111 DPJ lower house members, 16 are hereditary politicians, according to a Yomiuri survey. Though 10 others are scheduled to run in the next lower house election, the party is determined to emphasize the difference in the degree to which this practice takes place in the DPJ, compared with the LDP.
"They [restrictions] would cause little damage [to our party]," DPJ Acting President Naoto Kan said.
DPJ President Ichiro Ozawa's father was a construction minister, and the father, grandfather and great grandfather of Yukio Hatoyama, the party's secretary general, served as a foreign minister, prime minister and lower house speaker, respectively.
The party is not expected to include in its manifesto any restrictions on incumbent hereditary lawmakers in the next general elections.
Hatoyama's younger brother, Kunio Hatoyama, who is an LDP member and the current internal affairs and communications minister, poured scorn on the DPJ's move.
"It's like stuffing your own belly while at the same time telling your children they can't have another bowl of rice because there's a critical food shortage," Hatoyama said.
===
One-third of LDP seats 'family-owned'
Meanwhile, LDP Election Strategy Council Deputy Chairman Yoshihide Suga, who leads efforts within the LDP to introduce hereditary restrictions as an election campaign pledge, plans after the Golden Week holidays in May to set up a study group to discuss how such restrictions should be imposed.
Suga, who worked throughout his college career and under a lawmaker as secretary before eventually being elected to the lower house, openly expressed concern over the proportion of hereditary lawmakers in the party--107, or one-third, of the LDP's 303 lower house members.
"The public dislikes this aspect of the party," he said.
Some LDP senior officials and LDP junior lawmakers have expressed support for his stance. Some of them said the party should restrict people standing in the same constituency as one of their relatives.
"[Former Chinese leader] Deng Xiaoping once said, 'A cat that catches mice is a good cat, regardless of whether it's black or white,'" said Masahiko Komura, former foreign minister whose father was a lower house member. "A politician who does the people good is a good politician, regardless of whether he or she is a second-generation politician or worked his or her way up [to become a lawmaker]."
Some lawmakers fear their election campaigns might be affected by the fact they are hereditary lawmakers, while others say that stipulating restrictions on future candidacies as a party campaign pledge would be preferable to fend off criticism at this stage.
Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe expressed concern over the issue. "It doesn't sit well with me to make it an election issue to compete for popularity," he said at a press conference on Friday. "Voters judge politicians on their qualities. We're no longer in an age when the jiban, kanban and kaban have any significance."
Space policy to shift focus to practical use (Apr.28) A panel of experts reporting to the government's space development policy team approved Monday a draft basic plan on space development, in which they call for a shift of focus from research to practical use. The draft of the basic plan, the first to be devised since the Basic Law on Space took effect in August, also proposes the development of an early warning satellite system capable of detecting the firing of a missile, a proposal that comes in the wake of North Korea's recent missile launch. continued ...
Dynastic politics at issue in poll / DPJ to point out many LDP lawmakers 'inherited' their seats (Apr.28) Imposing restrictions on "hereditary" candidacy has emerged as a contentious issue likely to receive close attention during campaigning for the next House of Representative election. Significant differences on the issue stem from the fact that the Liberal Democratic Party has a far larger number of hereditary lawmakers compared with the Democratic Party of Japan, adding an extra element of tension to debate over the matter. continued ...
Dual-use satellite system should be promoted (Apr.28) A draft of the nation's first basic plan for space development emphasizes the policy of using space development to further national security and as a diplomatic tool. The draft compiled by the government's space development strategy panel, headed by Prime Minister Taro Aso, outlines specific measures to be taken in the next five years, while setting goals to be accomplished 10 years from now. continued ...
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Political Reform Promotion Headquarters has decided to establish a party bylaw restricting hereditary succession of politicians, and plans to incorporate it into the party's manifesto for the next general election.
Even within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), of which approximately one-third of its legislators are hereditary politicians, there has been a push from Yoshihide Suga, vice chairman of the party's election strategy committee, among others, to include restrictions on hereditary politicians. We welcome the effort to attract talented men and women to politics, and hope that voters will take a careful look at what this all means.
There are three "ban" that are said to be absolutely necessary to win an election: "jiban" (turf) or electoral base, "kanban" (trade sign) or high profile, and "kaban" (bag) or political funds. Hereditary politicians are able to inherit these three "ban" fairly easily. What's more, LDP personnel decisions have traditionally been based on the number of times a politician has been elected, placing hereditary politicians who have been elected to office from a young age at an advantage.
Since the LDP regained leadership of the government in 1996, all of Japan's LDP prime ministers have been hereditary politicians, with the exception of Yoshiro Mori. Moreover, the two most recent second-generation prime ministers stepped down about a year into their term, which resulted in a surge of criticism toward hereditary politicians. In one survey, nearly 70 percent of respondents said they believed hereditary politics to be problematic.
It is in response to such public sentiment that the DPJ has taken steps to restrict hereditary politics. Determining that of the abovementioned "ban," a legal argument could be built against "kaban," or the inheritance of political funds, specific measures targeting the practice have been in the works. It has heretofore not been uncommon to see politicians arrange for funds collected by their parents' fundraising organizations and other political organizations to be donated to their own. The DPJ, in an effort to put an end to this practice, is considering the mandatory dissolution of fundraising organizations and the donation of remaining funds to public service organizations when a politician dies or retires from public office.
It would be constitutionally impossible to prohibit the inheritance of the two remaining "ban," electoral power base and name visibility. The DPJ, as a countermeasure, has decided to ban DPJ candidates from running in the same electoral district as their parents previously had, and will state this new regulation in their manifesto. It appears that a "hereditary" relationship in this case will be defined as that among relatives three times or fewer removed.
Meanwhile, Suga, the LDP's leading proponent for restrictions on hereditary politicians, is enthusiastic. "If we can't show the public how far the LDP is willing to go, we won't be able to win the election," he says. Still, there are deep-seated objections, especially among hereditary politicians. Prime Minister Taro Aso has said that "it must be discussed further." It doesn't look like an agreement will be easily reached within the party.
Post World War II, people from various backgrounds set out for careers in politics in both the ruling and opposition parties. In addition to party politicians and former bureaucrats from the pre-war era, prominent journalists and former business executives joined the conservative predecessor parties of the LDP. But since the 1990s, we have seen a rise in hereditary politicians.
A collapse of the bubble economy and the subsequent recession has led us to place even more value on political leadership. The expansion of human resources must be undertaken with urgency. Placing a restriction on hereditary politics is unavoidable if we are to accumulate large numbers of capable politicians. The LDP must step up to make its own counterproposal, and make the issue a major point of debate in the coming election.
Gov't approves record 13.9 trillion yen additional budget The government submitted a fiscal 2009 supplementary budget draft to the Diet Monday, setting aside a record 13.9 trillion yen in extra spending to help pull Japan out of the global financial crisis. continued ...
Japan, Russia agree on Northern Territories visits without immigration cards The Japanese and Russian governments have agreed on a system permitting groups to visit the disputed Northern Territories without presenting embarkation and disembarkation cards, Japanese and Russian diplomatic sources said. continued ...
DPJ-backed Kawamura wins Nagoya mayoral race NAGOYA -- A former legislator backed by the largest opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) has won the local mayoral election, beating a ruling coalition-supported candidate. continued ...
Editorial :: Time for restrictions on hereditary politics The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Political Reform Promotion Headquarters has decided to establish a party bylaw restricting hereditary succession of politicians, and plans to incorporate it into the party's manifesto for the next general election. continued ...
5. NATIONAL NEWS :: U.S. in '71: Let Japan join UNSC April 27, 2009 WASHINGTON (Kyodo) The United States supported Japan's entry into the United Nations Security Council as a permanent member in a policy report in 1971 to curb the nation's growing nationalism, a declassified diplomatic document showed Saturday. continued ...
6. NATIONAL NEWS :: Fukuda exit snagged Nago overture April 27, 2009 The government tried last year to heed local requests to build a U.S. Marine Corps air base runway farther out on a cape in Okinawa than was planned under a 2006 U.S.-Japan accord, former Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said Saturday. continued ...
12. NATIONAL NEWS - KAZUAKI NAGATA :: Hereditary politicians a fact of life April 27, 2009 Some in LDP call for curbs on blue bloods By KAZUAKI NAGATA, Staff writer What does Prime Minister Taro Aso have in common with predecessors Yasuo Fukuda, Shinzo Abe, Junichiro Koizumi and Yoshiro Mori, and others who came before them? They are all political blue bloods whose fathers, grandfathers or other close relatives were political notables, some prime ministers. This trend is especially conspicuous in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. continued ...
14. NATIONAL NEWS :: DPJ pick next mayor of Nagoya? April 27, 2009 NAGOYA (Kyodo) Takashi Kawamura, backed by the Democratic Party of Japan, won Sunday's Nagoya mayoral election. The win by Kawamura, a 60-year-old former House of Representatives member, is a relief for the DPJ and its leader, Ichiro Ozawa, who has been hit by a fundraising scandal, ahead of a general election that must be called by the fall. continued ...
18. SENTAKU MAGAZINE :: Investigation into DJP aide raises many questions April 27, 2009 Were the public prosecutors politically motivated when they arrested and indicted a top aide to the leader of the No. 1 opposition party for seemingly minor charges? Why were the actions taken at a time when Ichiro Ozawa, the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan, is said to have a fair chance of leading his party to victory in the upcoming general election and becoming the next prime minister? continued ...
24. EDITORIAL :: 'We don't torture' April 27, 2009 That was then U.S. President George W. Bush's emphatic response in 2005 when asked about how his government questioned terrorist suspects in U.S. custody. The release of four previously secret memos by the U.S. Justice Department reveals — in excruciating detail — just what U.S. interrogators were doing to get information from those detainees. It is not pleasant reading. The techniques that were permitted seem to meet most definitions of torture. Equally troubling, however, is the assertion that such behavior is justified if it provides needed information. That logic is a disturbing rationalization, and threatens to undo the principles that underpin our basic understanding of human rights and justice. continued ...
Kawamura wins in Nagoya(4/27) NAGOYA--Takashi Kawamura, a former Lower House member supported by Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan), looked set Sunday to become Nagoya's next mayor.
Kawamura, 60, was well ahead of three other candidates including Masahiko Hosokawa, a 54-year-old former head of the Chubu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, backed by the prefectural branches of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito, and Yoshiro Ota, 65, a business group leader in Aichi Prefecture, supported by the Japanese Communist Party.(IHT/Asahi: April 27,2009) continued ...
Govt to provide 4 bil. yen for antipiracy efforts (Apr.27) The government is likely to incorporate about 4 billion yen into the fiscal 2009 supplementary budget, which is to be endorsed at a Cabinet meeting Monday, to fund antipiracy operations off the coast of Somalia. With the number of incidents in the region increasing significantly compared with last year, the government has decided to make funds available to restore safety and improve maritime security for other countries in the Gulf of Aden region. continued ...
Kawamura wins Nagoya mayoral race (Apr.27) NAGOYA--Former House of Representatives member Takashi Kawamura, an independent candidate backed by the Democratic Party of Japan, won the Nagoya mayoral election Sunday. Kawamura, 60, in his first bid for the mayoralty, beat three other first-time independent candidates, including Masahiko Hosokawa, 54, a former head of the Chubu Bureau of the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry who was backed by the Liberal Democratic Party's Aichi prefectural chapter and New Komeito's Aichi prefectural headquarters. continued ...
U.S. said studying ground-based SM-3 missile system (Apr.27) WASHINGTON--The U.S. Defense Department's Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has started studying a new missile defense system capable of launching the Standard Missile-3 from the ground, it was learned Saturday. The SM-3 is an antiballistic missile system currently deployed on the Aegis-equipped destroyer. continued ...
TOKYO (AFP) — Nicknamed "Mr. Clean" for his battle against corruption in Japan's scandal-hit politics, Katsuya Okada is widely seen by the public as a potential future candidate for the country's leadership.
At 56, Okada is known for refusing all types of gifts, from large donations by lobbyists to chocolates on Valentine's Day.
The vice president of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), Okada has been described as the white knight who could still save his party's reputation after its president Ichiro Ozawa was recently embroiled in a corruption scandal.
Photo: The vice president of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Katsuya Okada
Only months from a general election that could see the DPJ snatch power from the conservative ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the opposition chief -- once widely tipped to be the next premier -- is in hot water.
While Ozawa has said he would fight on after the indictment of a top aide for allegedly accepting illegal funds from a public-works company, his reluctance to step down has jeopardised the party's popularity.
But Okada, who himself was the party's head in 2004 and 2005, refuses to discuss whether Ozawa may eventually resign, a move that majorities of up to 80 percent of voters have supported, according to opinion polls.
"Everyone in the party needs to support the leader whom we elected. We need to use all our efforts to persuade this 80 percent of Japanese," he told AFP recently in his Tokyo office.
Okada equally refused to speculate on his eventual nomination as party chief if Ozawa steps down -- a scenario which would make the party's popularity shoot up, according to political analysts.
He admits nonetheless that having elections very soon would complicate the chances for a DPJ victory, although the opposition has clamored for Japan to go to the polls before a September deadline.
"I think that it's preferable to have more time," he said.
Only Japan's conservative premier Taro Aso has the authority to dissolve the lower house and to call elections.
His public support rate has fallen sharply since his nomination last September. Aso has been criticised within his party, which worries it may lose the almost uninterrupted grip on power it has held for the past half a century.
Okada laments that the Japanese public has been increasingly disaffected with a political system they regard as tainted with money.
"I have been fighting for transparency for 20 years. I think many things have changed, but it's still insufficient," he said.
Disillusioned Japanese voters have frequently opted to vote for independent candidates, the so-called "tarento," a term for comedians and television hosts.
"It's one symptom of the Japanese people's deception," Okada said, while noting that some "tarento"-turned-governors had done their jobs well.
Okada, a charismatic man who keeps fit with several gym visits a week, is the opposite of a "tarento." Reserved, he is tight-lipped about commenting on his private life and family.
His father is the founder of Aeon, which in 50 years has become the second largest retailer in the country. But Okada denies being rich.
"When I was five years old, my father had only one store. He taught me to respect ordinary people, because they were clients. That's why, contrary to Mr. Aso or Abe, I did not go to private schools, but only public schools."
Aso and former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who stepped down in 2007 after only one year in office, are both from families that have been wealthy for several generations.
Loyal to his principles, the only gifts Okada keeps are the ones he buys for himself -- frog figurines that he has collected since his teens and which decorate his office.
"Some were offered to me, that's true. But practically all are souvenirs from my trips," he said. "Why frogs? I don't have a particular reason, but don't you find them cute?"
6. MEDIA MIX - PHILIP BRASOR :: Media silence on first lady's school visit shows Japan's education gap April 26, 2009 By PHILIP BRASOR Earlier this month, while her husband, the president of the United States, met with other world leaders at the G20 summit, Michelle Obama visited a school for "disadvantaged" girls in North London and was moved to tears by the students' hard work and talent. In an emotional speech, she hailed the young women as the future of the world and identified with them, pointing out that she herself was not raised "with wealth or resources or any social standing to speak of." continued ...
10. THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK - HIROAKI SATO :: Recalling 'the fall of the Yasuda Auditorium' and the end of Japan's student movement April 26, 2009 By HIROAKI SATO At a friend's Easter Sunday dinner party, I asked, "What do you think the student movement of the '60s in the U.S. accomplished?" One guest answered, "Obama's election." Unexpected but true: in this country, the opposition to the Vietnam war went hand in hand with the movement that culminated, in federal legislation, in U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson's Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. continued ...
29. BOOK REVIEWS - MARK SCHREIBER :: North Korea: Even facts read like fiction April 26, 2009 By MARK SCHREIBER BAMBOO AND BLOOD by James Church. New York: Thomas Dunne, 2008, 294 pp., $23.95 (cloth) NORTH KOREA KIDNAPPED MY DAUGHTER by Sakie Yokota. New York: Vertical, 2009, 208 pp., $16.95 (paper) During the shooting of the 1946 Humphrey Bogart film "The Big Sleep" — a noir movie notorious for its convoluted plot — director Howard Hawks cabled Raymond Chandler, author of the book on which the screenplay was based, to ask if Owen Taylor, the chauffeur, was murdered or committed suicide. "Dammit I didn't know either," Chandler was said to have replied. continued ...
39. OPINION - JONATHAN HOLSLAG :: Why China will continue to back Pyongyang April 26, 2009 By JONATHAN HOLSLAG BRUSSELS — In another move to raise the stakes, the dictator of Pyongyang has just decided to restart his nuclear program. And who is going to stop him, now that his long-range rocket can hit parts of the American West Coast? At least in theory. During the recent test, it took him days to prepare the vehicle on its launch pad. During the takeoff there were once more problems with the liquid fuel system and the guidance configuration. continued ...
Ministries, agencies meet to discuss swine flu threat (Apr.26) The government held a meeting of ministry and agency section chiefs Saturday and plans to hold a ministerial-level meeting Sunday to discuss its response to an outbreak of a virulent strain of swine flu in Mexico and the United States. continued ...
Road to economic recovery a rocky one (Apr.26) Is the pace of the global economic downturn really slowing? "Economic activity should begin to recover later this year," finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven industrial powers said in a joint communique issued after their meeting held Friday in Washington. This was the first time for G-7 finance chiefs to predict when the global economy will recover since the financial crisis pushed the world into recession last autumn. The statement indicates participants in the G-7 meeting found hope in signs of a modest slowdown in the pace of the economic decline. continued ...
NAGOYA, April 26 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Voting is under way Sunday in the Nagoya mayoral election with four independent candidates running, including candidates supported by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan.
A rough outcome would likely be known Sunday night in the nation's fourth-largest metropolis. The election is also seen as a test for the fate of the DPJ and its leader Ichiro Ozawa, who has been hit by a fundraising scandal, ahead of a general election to be called by the fall
The four candidates include a former House of Representatives member Takashi Kawamura, 60, recommended by the DPJ, and Masahiko Hosokawa, a 54-year-old former head of the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry's Chubu Bureau, who is supported by the local chapters of the LDP and the New Komeito party.
The other two candidates are Yoshiro Ota, 65, a local businessman backed by the opposition Japanese Communist Party, and a former office worker Katsuaki Kuroda, 36.
This is the first election in the city since 1977 and has actually been a contest between the ruling camp and the largest opposition party.
Since the 1981 mayoral election, both sides joined hands and fielded one candidate against another candidate who was put up by the Japanese Communist Party.
The election is to choose the head of a city that has a population f 2.25 million, fourth largest after central Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka. Its eligible voters number 1.8 million.
The city and its surrounding areas are host to a range of automobile and manufacturing firms, which had kept the region buoyant until the financial crisis and the economic recession ate away at their revenues.
TOKYO, April 25 (AP) - (Kyodo) — The government tried last year to reach an early settlement by indicating concessions to local requests on where to build a runway at a proposed U.S. military airfield in Japan's southernmost prefecture, a former chief government spokesman said Saturday.
Nobutaka Machimura told Kyodo News that last year's resignation by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, for whom he served as chief cabinet secretary, had dashed Tokyo's hopes of settling the relocation issue while George W. Bush was in office as U.S. president.
"We had handled the issue with the intention of building a consensus with Okinawa, but Fukuda's sudden departure (last September) made it impossible to proceed with the plan," said Machimura, who held his post in the Fukuda administration for a year from September 2007.
Machimura made the remarks after his successor, Takeo Kawamura, said on April 8 that the administration of Prime Minister Taro Aso will "handle the matter sincerely" if opinions are given by the Okinawa governor.
Kawamura's comment is seen as the most positive to date by a senior central government official regarding the possibility of building the runway further offshore in the coastal area of Nago than the location agreed on by Japan and the United States.
The Okinawa prefectural government has asked that the runway be located further offshore, citing local residents' concerns about problems of safety and noise that could arise after the facilities open.
Machimura said in his interview with Kyodo that he told Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima while in office that the government (of Fukuda) would not stick to what he called the impractical idea of "not moving the facilities by 1 centimeter."
He also said he noted in the same meeting with Nakaima that the Foreign Ministry "can negotiate with the United States if there is no need to conduct additional environmental assessments and a new proposal is within the scope of Japan's sovereignty and discretion."
Under a 2006 Japan-U.S. agreement on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, the airfield functions of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station in Ginowan is supposed to be relocated to the proposed airfield by 2014.
Obama nominee is consummate Asia insider By FOSTER KLUG, AP 2009-04-25 08:02 AM » » »CST: 10:02:00 a.m. Saturday April 25, 2009 http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=930208&lang=eng_news
Kurt Campbell nominated for vice secretary of state By William Lowther Saturday, Apr 25, 2009, Page 1 » » »CST: 03:00:00 a.m. Saturday April 25, 2009 http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2009/04/25/2003442000
President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts (Editor's Note: This statement was provided by the White House on April 23, 2009.) 07:00:00 a.m. Friday April 24, 2009 http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/04/president_obama_announces_more_key_administration_7.php
Subcommittee On Insular Affairs: Oversight Hearing On "U.S. Military Buildup On Guam And Challenges Facing The Community"
August 13, 2007
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CAPT R. Hemstreet
Deputy Commander for Operations
Naval Facilities Engineering Command SAME Forum
May 2007
Installation Management Programs
RDML Mark Handley
Director, Ashore Readiness Division
Deputy Commander, Navy Installations Command
4 April 2007
ADMIRAL WILLIAM J. FALLON
U.S. Navy Commander, U.S. Pacific Command
Before the House Appropriations Committee
Subcommittee on Military Construction
on Military Construction in U.S. Pacific Command
7 MAR 07
Lt Col Kevin Wong, USAF
U.S. Pacific Command
28 Feb 07
U. S. Pacific Command:
Perspective of the Pacific
Joint Guam Program Office
SAME International Business Opportunity Workshop
22 February 07
Mr. David Bice
Executive Director, Joint Guam Program Office
CAPT R. Hemstreet
Deputy Commander for Operations
Naval Facilities Engineering Command
SAME: Navy's Construction Program: Pacific
21 February 2007
By Peter Ford | Staff writer 04.30.09
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