Japanese PM plagued by US base conflict, corruption scandal

By Japan Bureau Chief Michiyo Ishida
Posted: 31 March 2010 0026 hrs

TOKYO : Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama appears to be a besieged man lately.

He is facing pressure to make a decision on the crucial relocation of the US base in Okinawa, the Cabinet is clashing over postal reform, and a political funds scandal is hurting his approval ratings.

But analysts said it's not the end of the road for PM Hatoyama and his government.

The future of the Futenma Air Base in Okinawa is never far from the news these days.

Everyone is watching for the Japanese PM's decision on where to relocate the base.

Mr Hatoyama had wanted the base relocated outside of Okinawa, which is not realistic for Washington.

According to media reports, he is now hoping to move out a portion of the military function to Tokunoshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture.

But strong protests were heard over the weekend.

"By mistake, they introduced this problem in Japanese political sphere. But every participant in the discussion understands the importance of US-Japan relations. Anyway, they have to settle this problem until the end of May. So this is a very critical moment," said Jun Iio, VP and Professor of Government, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.

Another problem plaguing the PM is the political funds scandal.

Prosecutors have demanded that Keiji Katsuba, Mr Hatoyama's former chief accountant, be sentenced to 2 years in prison for mishandling of political funds. That includes the mishandling of Mr Hatoyama's allowance given from his mother which is 15 million yen a month. The verdict is expected to be handed down in late April.

"Hatoyama's secretary problem is very stupid. We should criticize him. But the trouble has already been settled.

"Prosecutors found out that the prime minister himself is innocent and his political secretary himself (did) the wrong things. So probably this problem will end in a month or so. As a matter of fact, Hatoyama's cabinet has successfully set up a new year's budget, and successfully passed the Diet. So basically Hatoyama's Cabinet is going well," said Iio.

Professor Iio believes Mr Hatoyama has a chance to regain public support after resolving the US base relocation issue, and by introducing a new financial plan and pension system as promised.

Analysts also said it is too soon to rate the current government which took power in August. They added it should be given at least one year to see through its policies. - CNA /ls

Japan PM to make world debut in NY, hints at assertive stance on US ties

By Channel NewsAsia's
Japan Bureau Chief Michiyo Ishaida |
Posted: 21 September 2009 1717 hrs

TOKYO : Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who took office on September 16, will make his international debut in New York.

He left Tokyo on Monday to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, where all eyes will be on the controversial figure, who has already caused a stir in Japan.

Hatoyama's essay titled "My Political Philosophy" left many people perplexed. He hinted that Japan should seek political and economic independence, in a world stuck between the US and China.

Since World War II, Japan has been the US strongest ally.

Japan is ruled by a pacifist constitution, and is protected under the US nuclear umbrella.

But now, PM Hatoyama wants to scale down Japan's military operations, and work more closely with its Asian neighbours.

The Democratic party of Japan (DPJ) wants to withdraw the Self-Defence Force from its refuelling mission in the Indian Ocean after its January deadline.

It also wants to reconsider the arrangement with the US, particularly in Okinawa, where it has its largest military presence in Asia.

The memory of crimes committed by US servicemen on Okinawa lingers on. And many locals oppose the presence of American military bases there.

"Past governments have been rather lenient on that issue. The new government wants to be more strict and assertive, taking national sovereignty in criminal cases. That may be good for the nation. But it will irritate the Americans," said Masashi Nishihara, president of the Research Institute for Peace and Security.

While in the US, Hatoyama will meet President Barack Obama for the first time.

There is speculation what the new Japanese prime minister will offer, to mark the beginning of a new relationship.

"Instead of saying the government would want to withdraw its ships from the Indian Ocean, it should also come up with alternatives to Japanese contribution to Afghan issue. Since US allies are having a hard time in Afghanistan, it should offer some kind of help so that alliance can be maintained," said Nishihara.

The UN General Assembly will be a platform for Prime Minister Hatoyama to elaborate on Japan's new foreign policy.

World leaders will also be keen to find out about his plans for Japan on the international scene. - CNA /ls

Japan to overhaul its relationship with US

By Channel NewsAsia's Japan Bureau Chief Michiyo Ishida | Posted: 17 September 2009 2206 hrs

TOKYO: Japan's new DPJ-led government is looking to overhaul its relationship with the United States.

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada has signalled that it would renegotiate an agreement on US military bases in Japan.

The United States has 47,000 troops stationed in the country, more than half of which are on Okinawa island.

Japan's support for US-led operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan are expected to come under immediate review.

"I am very confident that the strength of our relationship and our alliance will stand the test of any political changes, although there will be new policies and new approaches. I think that's only to be expected," said Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State.

Mr Okada has ordered his ministry officials to re-investigate a secret deal with the US regarding the possibility of US ships carrying nuclear weapons into Japanese ports.

The results of the investigation are expected to be released by the end of November. If the outcome supports the existence of such a secret deal, it would be a violation of Japan's non-nuclear policy and an embarrassment to the former LDP government.

"His style may provide an interesting future, in both positive and negative ways. His positive ways are reflected in his fresh policy towards a nuclear free world. He's been too idealistic," said Masashi Nishihara, president of the Research Institute for Peace and Security.

"He's trying to make score, a good point in the early stages of his tenure," he added.

Mr Okada, known as Mr Clean, also plans to take a tougher stance against North Korea.

He said normalisation of ties would be out of the question, unless long-standing issues - such as abduction of Japanese citizens and nuclear proliferation - are resolved.

- CNA/sc

Japan claims disputed islands

July 3, 2009

TOKYO - JAPAN'S parliament on Friday passed a law asserting sovereignty over four islands at the centre of a dispute with Russia, adding to tensions as the countries' leaders prepare to meet.

A law calling the four Kuril islands an 'integral part' of Japan was unanimously passed by the opposition-controlled upper house after the lower house also approved it in May when the bill sparked a protest from Moscow.

The four islets north of Japan's Hokkaido island - called the Southern Kurils by Russia and the Northern Territories by Japan - have been controlled by Moscow since they were seized by Soviet troops in 1945.

The spat has prevented the two countries from signing a post-World War II peace treaty.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso last month told parliament the islands were illegally occupied by Russia, and Moscow has condemned the lower house vote last month as 'inappropriate and unacceptable'.

The law's passage comes as Aso plans to hold talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the sidelines of a Group of Eight summit in Italy next week, their second meeting this year.

The law says Japan will 'make the utmost efforts to realise the early return of the islands, which are an integral part of our country'.

It also aims to promote visa-free exchange programmes between the island's Russian residents and their Japanese former inhabitants and their families.

No breakthroughs were achieved at Medvedev's last meeting with Aso or in talks Aso held with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin last month. -- AFP

Japanese PM battles dwindling public support with cabinet reshuffle

By Channel NewsAsia's Japan Bureau Chief
Michiyo Ishida |
Posted: 02 July 2009 2138 hrs

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has sworn in two new cabinet ministers, appointed on Wednesday. It is the first cabinet reshuffle for Mr Aso, who took office in September last year.

It comes amidst dwindling public support and growing pressure to call for new elections.

The new Minister of Economic and Fiscal Policy, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said: "He told me that I should work hard on my task and set a roadmap with a mid- to long-term perspective in this severe economic situation."

Mr Hayashi takes over from Kaoru Yosano who was forced to wear three hats after former finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa stepped down, following a sloppy news conference in Italy. Mr Yosano is still the finance and financial services minister.

The other new minister, Motoo Hayashi, takes over the national public safety commission portfolio from Tsutomu Sato, who was also the internal affairs minister.

The two Hayashis are not related.

It is believed that Mr Aso made the decision to reshuffle the cabinet after advice from Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) heavyweights such as former prime ministers Shinzo Abe and Yoshiro Mori.

Some members of the ruling LDP have been calling for Mr Aso to step down and to hold a party presidential election.

Opposition party leader Yukio Hatoyama is also facing troubles of his own – it has come to light that his political fund statement was falsified.

- CNA/so

Japan's LDP backs pre-emptive strike capability against North Korea

Posted: 04 June 2009 0357 hrs

TOKYO: The defence panel of Japan's ruling party on Wednesday said that despite its pacifist constitution, it should be able to launch a pre-emptive strike against North Korea to stop any imminent attack.

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)'s defence policy committee also argued Japan should develop new spy satellites to provide advance warning of a missile launch without having to rely on US or other allies' intelligence.

The defence debate - sensitive in Japan and East Asia because of Japan's past wartime aggression - follows communist North Korea's latest nuclear and missile tests, which have sharply heightened tensions in the region.

Japan faces elections by October, and Prime Minister Taro Aso's conservative LDP has indicated it plans to make security a key campaign issue.

"North Korea may obtain nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles," former defence chief Gen Nakatani said after the meeting.

"Naturally, we need to be able to strike enemy bases within the realm of the self-defence of our country."

Japan, under its US-imposed 1947 pacifist constitution, renounced using or threatening the use of force in international disputes and has no aircraft carriers, long-range missiles or other weapons for combat beyond its shores.

The country remains under the "umbrella" of the ballistic missile defence shield jointly developed with the United States, which still has some 40,000 troops based in Japan.

The LDP panel's plan - to be submitted to Premier Aso, the party chief, as early as next week - proposes giving Japan its "own capability of attacking enemy bases under the joint missile defence programme with its main ally the United States," said the chair of the meeting, Hiroshi Imazu.

The plan addressed Japan's general defence posture and did not specify what new weapons systems Japan would need or when it would get them.

Japan now has three spy satellites - one equipped with radar and two with optical cameras, which allow Tokyo to monitor any point on Earth once a day - but they lack infrared sensors that can quickly detect a missile launch. - AFP/de

Aso urged to quit smoking

June 1, 2009

TOKYO - JAPAN'S Prime Minister Taro Aso has struggled with low approval ratings for many reasons and his smoking habit is one of them, a survey by a Tokyo civil group showed on Sunday.

Tokyo's Metropolitan Association on Smoking or Health released its annual survey on celebrities the public wants to see quit smoking to coincide with the World Health Organisation's World No Tobacco Day on Sunday.

Mr Aso was ranked fourth in the survey, collecting 118 votes.

'Whenever I see the creased face and hear the hoarse voice, I cannot help thinking about grim future of Japan,' read one comment on the association's website.

The survey also named US President Barack Obama, ranked 11th, with another comment urging the two national leaders to 'form a non-smoking alliance'.

Oscar-winning Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, whose pictures have earned many fans, many of whom are children, ranked third.

The first and second places were given to Japanese household names, one comic story-teller who hosts an educational health programme and a member of pop-group SMAP (Sports Music Assemble People), Takuya Kimura. -- AFP

Japan will never attack first, says Defence Minister Hamada

Posted: 30 May 2009 1335 hrs

SINGAPORE: Japan would not initiate any hostilities against North Korea but is ready to defend itself, its defence minister said Saturday amid international tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada, speaking at a high-level security forum in Singapore, said Tokyo would be transparent with its military hardware purchases in order to prevent any misunderstanding with neighbours.

"We have mentioned that North Korea is a threat because of what has happened in the past but unless there are other countries moving to us, we will never start an action as such," Hamada told delegates at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue on security.

"In Japan, we have various and numerous constraints and internationally, we have also made clear that we do not use force in order to resolve conflict situations," he said.

He told the forum Tokyo was looking at a range of weapon procurements including the F-22 fifth-generation fighter aircraft but stressed these were "only for the defence of the country as such".

"So we would be making clear our intentions so that there is no room for misunderstanding and we will make sure that we will explain our intentions very clearly to other countries," he added.

Kim Jong-Il's North Korean regime said it staged its second atomic bomb test on Monday and renounced the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953.

Pyongyang fired another short-range missile Friday and US satellite photos have revealed vehicle activity at two sites in North Korea, suggesting the regime may be preparing to launch a long-range missile, two US defence officials said on Friday.

Under its US-imposed 1947 pacifist constitution, Japan renounced using or threatening force in international disputes but it nonetheless has one of the world's best-funded militaries, the Self-Defence Forces (SDF).

The country's military has no aircraft carriers, long-range missiles or other weapons that would enable it to strike far beyond its shores.

- AFP/yt

Japan’s main opposition party chief appoints predecessor to key post

By Channel NewsAsia's Japan Bureau Chief
Michiyo Ishida
Posted: 19 May 2009 2301 hrs

TOKYO: The new leader of Japan's largest opposition party, the Democratic Party, has appointed his predecessor to a key party post.

The DPJ has enjoyed a bounce in the polls since Yukio Hatoyama's election over the weekend, but a decision to put disgraced former leader Ichiro Ozawa in charge of elections may make his popularity a shortlived one.

Yukio Hatoyama, President of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), said: "Naturally, we'll achieve a change of government. In order to achieve a change of government we need to at least win more than one seat from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)."

Until the presidential election on Saturday, it was not Mr Hatoyama but rather Katsuya Okada who was widely expected to take over the presidency from Ichiro Ozawa, as Mr Okada was more popular among the public.

So why did Mr Hatoyama win the post?

Toshio Nagahisa, Member of the Board Director, PHP Research Institute, said: "Basically DPJ was founded by Hatoyama and other people. He is the original member. He gets others to join in DPJ. He has history and networks in DPJ."

After the Democrats presidential election, major daily Mainichi Newspaper conducted a public opinion poll. And the result - support for the Democrats rose by 11 points to 56 per cent, while support for the ruling LDP was only 29 per cent. And more people prefer Mr Hatoyama as prime minister than Taro Aso.

Other media polls reported similar results.

Mr Nagahisa said: "I think public opinion poll was conducted before Hatoyama appointed Ozawa as the acting leader in charge of election. People may see it as disappointing. So I think DPJ may not maintain this popularity."

Mr Nagahisa describes the Hatoyama-Ozawa relationship as similar to that between former Russian president, now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and current president Dmitry Medvedev.

Mr Hatoyama will hold his first debate with Prime Minister Aso next Wednesday. The ruling party expects to grill him on the Ozawa scandal.

- CNA/yt

Japan justice minister denies ordering opposition probe

Posted: 12 March 2009 0144 hrs

TOKYO : Japan's justice minister on Wednesday denied ordering an investigation into the opposition leader's staff in a widening corporate donations scandal rocking the country's politics.

"It's impossible that I, as the justice minister, make instructions in any way for prosecutors to probe individual cases," Eisuke Mori told a parliament committee. "I swear I did not meddle in this case."

The scandal last week led to the arrest of a close aide to opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa on suspicion of taking illegal donations from contractor Nishimatsu Construction.

Prosecutors allege the company was seeking lucrative public works contracts through apparent front groups.

The resulting fall-out has damaged Ozawa, who had been seen as likely to unseat Prime Minister Taro Aso in elections this year and end half a century of nearly unbroken rule by Aso's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

But allegations that politicians illegally took money from the building company have also widened to Aso's LDP, several of whose lawmakers said they also took donations.

The justice minister said: "I am annoyed by various comments made so far arguing the probe was politically motivated."

Local media reported Wednesday that prosecutors had questioned one of the lawmakers of Ozawa's Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), after last week's arrest of the opposition leader's chief aide.

Prosecutors questioned Tomohiro Ishikawa, a DPJ lower house member who once managed Ozawa's fund-raising organisation, Kyodo News reported, quoting unnamed investigative sources.

On Tuesday, Ozawa apologised for being at the centre of the scandal but said he still wants to lead his party to victory.

- AFP /ls

Japan opposition leader says won't quit in donations row

Posted: 04 March 2009 1029 hrs

TOKYO: Japan's opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa, whose party is favourite to win elections this year, dismissed calls on Wednesday for his resignation a day after a close aide was arrested in a donations scandal.

"I don't have anything to feel guilty about, and my aide acted legally based on the law controlling political funds," the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) told a press conference.

Asked whether he planned to resign, he replied: "I'm not taking any action because of this matter."

The aide was arrested on Tuesday on charges of receiving illegal political donations from a construction company.

The arrest is a blow to the DPJ, which opinion polls show is well ahead of the government of embattled Prime Minister Taro Aso, who must call a general election by September.

Ozawa stressed he had done nothing wrong, saying the investigation "lacks fairness."

"It is impossible in a normal democratic country that the political powers carry out this kind of unfair investigation," he added.

"As I have repeatedly said, we have done nothing that we must feel guilty about. I have reported political funds quite openly, so I don't understand at all why the arrest and the probe occurred."

Under Japanese law, companies can donate money to political parties but not to individual politicians or their fund-raising groups.

- AFP/yb

China expresses relief over Clinton visit

Posted: 23 February 2009 1252 hrs

BEIJING: Hillary Clinton's trip to Beijing has come as a relief to China after the US secretary of state steered clear of human rights and other sensitive issues to focus on cooperation between the world powers.

The official English-language China Daily published an enthusiastic editorial, saying Clinton's visit to China - part of her first overseas trip that also took in Japan, Indonesia and South Korea - reassured Beijing.

"Many had waited anxiously for the new administration's China overtures, wondering if the precious signs of stabilisation in bilateral ties at the end of the Bush years could survive the new White House resident's ambitions for change," it said.

"With Clinton in town highlighting common concerns, they finally received the much sought-after relief."

China's communist leaders had initially given a nervous welcome to US President Barack Obama, fearing the Democrat leader would press them harder on human rights and trade issues than his predecessor, George W. Bush.

But Clinton, who wrapped up her trip on Sunday, sought repeatedly to reassure her hosts she wanted to spend her 40 hours in Beijing focusing on ways to work together, not debating their differences such as on human rights.

Clinton did meet with Chinese women's rights advocates at the US embassy and said she raised the issue in private with China's leaders.

But her comments that she would not let human rights stand in the way of co-operation on issues of major global importance, such as the economic crisis and climate change, drew criticism from activists in China and abroad.

Other points of dispute, such as US accusations of Chinese currency manipulation and Washington's arms sales to Taiwan, were also off the public agenda.

Xin Qiang, deputy director of the Centre for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said the Chinese government would have welcomed Clinton's conciliatory stance.

"Beijing doesn't want to hear any criticism on these issues, and now Beijing will be much relieved and happy that human rights and issues on Tibet and Taiwan have not been raised by Secretary Clinton," he said.

On the specific issue of Clinton not pressing hard on human rights, Xin said: "Beijing will take it as a good and friendly gesture extended by Washington."

The Global Times, another state-run newspaper, said Clinton's attitude towards China on human rights was "realistic."

"In the future, the United States will sooner or later raise the issue of human rights in China, but it might not be too extreme," it cited a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, which operates under the guidance of the government, as saying.

"This type of realistic attitude could be followed by other Western leaders."

Other state media said Clinton's visit had revealed a distinct change in relations between the United States and China, with the power imbalance between them evening out.

"Whether it is in methods of contact or how issues are formulated, everything is very different from before," the Beijing News said in a comment piece.

"On a diplomatic level, China and the United States are becoming quite balanced."

Xin made similar remarks, pointing to Clinton apparently not mentioning the currency row between the two nations, after US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner accused China in January of manipulating the yuan for a trade advantage.

"The United States have realised that you cannot criticise China unilaterally while you are also trying to get help from Beijing," he said.

- AFP/yb

Japan PM wins coveted first Obama invitation

Posted: 22 February 2009 1025 hrs
Channel News Asia

WASHINGTON: Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso wins the honor of becoming the first foreign leader to visit Barack Obama's White House on Tuesday as the new administration moves to ease the key ally's worries.

The leaders of the world's two largest economies are expected to look at ways to fight the worsening global slowdown amid another round of bloodletting on stock markets.

But experts believe Obama's invitation to Aso is largely symbolic -- designed to relieve concerns in Japan that the United States is overlooking its longtime ally in light of China's rapid growth.

"They heard the alarm bells that had been ringing that Japan needs to be reassured about the strength of the alliance," said Ralph Cossa, head of the Pacific Forum of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"Everybody talks about China, but Japan is still the world's second largest economy. Japan is where the money is and if you want to deal with the international financial crisis, you've got to have the US and Japan in synch."

The trip comes as Aso faces dismal poll ratings and speculation mounts that he will soon have to call a high-risk general election. But experts say the invitation is more about US commitment to Japan, not Aso.

Aso -- visiting Washington a week before close ally Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown -- will hold talks at the White House hours before Obama gives his first address to a joint session of Congress.

Aso's trip was announced by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who also made Tokyo her first foreign destination after taking office.

"The bilateral relationship between the United States and Japan is a cornerstone in our efforts around the world," she said in Tokyo.

For the Japanese, the remarks were particularly welcome coming from Clinton. She sparked concern as a presidential candidate when she wrote that the United States and China will have "the most important bilateral relationship in the world in this century".

Some Japanese policymakers also have less than fond memories of her husband Bill Clinton, the last US president from Obama's Democratic Party, who pressed Tokyo hard on trade issues during Japan's recession and flew over Japan on a major visit to China in 1998.

While Japanese leaders had overall good relations with Obama's predecessor George W. Bush, tensions grew last year as the United States pushed ahead with a denuclearization deal with North Korea.

The United States removed North Korea from a blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism -- a step opposed by Japan, which is pressing Pyongyang to reveal more about Japanese civilians the communist regime kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s to train its spies.

Joseph Nye, a prominent Harvard University professor who may be tapped as the new US ambassador to Japan, wrote in an opinion piece last year of a sense of "malaise" in relations between Tokyo and Washington.

Nye argued that the new administration should work to make Japan "a much more equal and important ally" by focusing on non-military ways they could work together, such as fighting climate change and pandemics.

Under Bush, the United States encouraged Japan to take a greater role in global security and Tokyo sent troops to Iraq -- a landmark step for a nation officially pacifist under its post-World War II constitution.

Robert Dujarric, head of Temple University's Institute of Contemporary Japanese Studies, said Japan's main issues with Obama will be economic -- but that the invitation to Aso was mostly a matter of good manners.

"It costs nothing to show 'respect' to the Japanese. It's not like the Chinese care if Clinton stops in Tokyo before Beijing or if Aso gets to the White House first," he said.

Both George W. Bush and Clinton met with Canada's prime minister as their first White House guest. Obama flew to Ottawa on Thursday on his maiden foreign trip.

The first president Bush on taking office in 1989 met first with the Japanese prime minister, Noboru Takeshita. In a potential omen for Aso, Takeshita was forced out of office within months.

- AFP/yt

Philippine court says US rapist must leave embassy

Posted: 11 February 2009 1600 hrs

MANILA : The Philippine Supreme Court Wednesday ruled that a US Marine convicted of raping a Filipina must be transferred out of his detention facility in the US embassy, a court official said.

The official, who asked not be identified, said the court had decided Lance Corporal Daniel Smith should be detained in a facility under the Philippine government's control and that the US embassy did not qualify as such a place.

Smith was sentenced to 40 years in jail in 2006 for raping a Filipina after military exercises north of Manila in 2005.

Photo: US Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith

He was initially detained at a local jail pending an appeal, but was later transferred to a detention facility inside the US embassy.

Smith's conviction prompted Washington to threaten to call off large-scale exercises with Manila until Smith was transferred to the detention centre within the sprawling embassy compound on Manila Bay.

The rape case has outraged nationalist and leftist groups, who are demanding that Smith be held in a local jail.

Despite two years in detention at the US embassy Smith is still waiting for his appeal to be heard.

The court said that under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) governing the presence of US forces in this country, US servicemen convicted of crimes in this country should be held by Philippine authorities.

- AFP/vm

Japan's PM faces political storm after Davos

01 February 2009 1602 hrs (SST)

TOKYO : Japan's embattled Prime Minister Taro Aso on Sunday prepared for tough questioning in parliament over the ailing economy and upcoming polls as he returned home from the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Aso - who took office in late September and has seen his approval rating plummet since to less than 20 percent - has repeatedly rejected calls for snap polls from the opposition, which controls the upper house of parliament.

The opposition has denounced a stimulus package which the prime minister pushed through parliament last week to revive Asia's largest economy, calling it a waste of taxpayers' money that will not save Japan from the depths of recession.

Local media criticised Aso for his performance in Davos, where he pledged 1.5 trillion yen (17 billion dollars) in aid to other Asian nations.

Aso fumbled his keynote speech in Switzerland and referred to former British premier Tony Blair several times as "Tony Brown" - an apparent mix-up with current Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

"The premier remained the same in that he lacked carefulness," the Fuji TV network said.

"Prime Minister Aso is expected to remain in a situation which does not warrant optimism in both domestic politics and foreign affairs," TV Asahi noted.

The conservative Sankei was a bit more charitable, saying in its Internet edition that Aso may simply have become mixed up due to the fact that he was only in Switzerland for seven hours.

On Monday, Aso will answer questions in the upper house of parliament, where the opposition's calls for snap polls are mounting.

Aso's Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling coalition is expected to lose its majority in the lower house when Japan goes to the polls. The prime minister must call a general election by September.

The government's controversial economic stimulus package includes a plan to give the public two trillion yen in a bid to kickstart domestic spending, but the opposition says the coalition is trying to buy votes ahead of the elections.

The plan still needs to be backed by a separate bill to provide funding for the handout.

In Davos, Aso highlighted Japan's efforts to increase domestic demand with stimulus packages worth a total of 75 trillion yen, calling for other nations to adopt similar economic policies.

"I would like to close my remarks today by reiterating my strong belief that with firm will any difficulties can be overcome," Aso said.

But the influential Asahi newspaper said: "The gap between the premier's words and the plight of the Japanese economy is conspicuous." - AFP/ms

Japan says Obama, Aso agree to work on NKorea

29 January 2009 1116 hrs (SST)

TOKYO: US President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso agreed Thursday to cooperate on North Korea's abductions of Japanese, an issue that has caused a rift between the allies, Tokyo said.

Obama and Aso held a 10-minute telephone conversation, their first since the US president took office last week, and discussed a range of matters including the global economic crisis, the Japanese foreign ministry said.

"Prime Minister Aso and President Obama agreed to work hand in hand" in "securing peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region," a ministry statement said.

Photo: A photo exhibition in Tokyo in 2006 shows Megumi Yokota before she was abducted by North Korea in November 1977.

The leaders agreed to address "North Korean issues including the abduction issue and to further strengthen the Japan-US alliance," it said.

kidnapped by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s to train its spies in Japanese language and culture.

Aso, a conservative who is struggling in opinion polls, faced opposition criticism last year for failing to stop the United States from removing North Korea from a blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism.

The United States took the action as part of a denuclearisation deal, but Japan had wanted further movement on the abduction row.

Japanese politicians and media place immense significance on how Washington treats Tokyo compared with emerging powers, with some jittery that the Obama administration is more inclined to work with China than Japan.

Japan-US ties reached new heights during the 2001-2006 premiership of Junichiro Koizumi, who cultivated a close relationship with then-US president George W. Bush and took the landmark step of sending troops to Iraq.

- AFP/yb

Tensions run high at South Korea's parliament sit-in

By Channel NewsAsia's Korea Bureau Chief Lim Yun Suk
Posted: 31 December 2008 1954 hrs

SEOUL: South Korea's parliament remained paralysed on Wednesday, with rival parties failing to agree on what to do with several controversial bills.

The opposition has camped in the main parliamentary chamber since last Friday to prevent the ruling party from passing the bills unilaterally. Riot police are presently on standby to force them out.

Among some 80 bills that need to be passed, two are considered especially contentious.

During the last few days, thousands of union workers from South Korea's major television networks have been out in the streets, protesting a media bill which would allow South Korea's newspapers and conglomerates to get into the television business.

Demonstrators said this would curb independence of the media and allow one or two big players to dominate public opinion.

Photo: 1 day ago: Members of the opposition Democratic Party sleep as they set up barricades of furniture in front of the main hall of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008. The parliament speaker ordered opposition lawmakers camped out inside the National Assembly to end their five-day protest, warning Tuesday he would send in guards to force them out if they refused to leave.

Choi Sang Jae, head, National Union of Media Workers, said: "We're on strike to defend democracy and to expose the dangers of this evil media bill which the ruling Grand National Party wants to pass."

The ruling party said the new media bill is necessary because of changing times and technologies, while the opposition party is on the broadcasters' side.

The ruling Grand National Party holds 172 seats in the 299-member National Assembly, compared with 82 seats for the opposition Democratic Party.

Another controversial bill is the free trade agreement signed between the United States and South Korea.

The ruling party is eager to get it ratified as soon as possible, while the opposition wants to hold off until US president-elect Barack Obama takes office in January.

Many South Koreans are turned off by the long-running stalemate and said they believe there will be more fights and ugly scenes inside the National Assembly over future bills.

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Tensions run high at South Korea's parliament sit-in
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- CNA/so

Some Japanese keep cautious views on ties with US

By Channel NewsAsia's Japan Bureau Chief
Michiyo Ishida | Posted: 07 November 2008 0032 hrs

TOKYO: Japan has been one of the strongest allies of the US on the world stage.

But with a new president taking over at the White House, some Japanese are keeping a cautious view on ties with the US.

There are those who are still haunted by memories of friction the last time America was under a Democratic president.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso has reacted calmly to the victory of Barack Obama in the US presidential election.

He said: "It doesn't matter who the president of the United States of America is. It will be important for us to maintain the long 50-year relationship that we've built up between the US and Japan with the next new president."

Japan-US relations hit a low in the 1990s under Bill Clinton. The US sustained a huge trade deficit with Japan as a result of pro-China policies.

Some economists say it is a different picture now. Japan has created many jobs in the US, with major carmakers such as Toyota and Honda running huge factories there.

Chief economist at Credit Suisse Securities Japan, Hiromichi Shirakawa, said: "I think Japan-US economic relationship is represented by give and take... They (the US) are importing products from Japan.

"Japan is exporting products to the US. That means Japan is exporting capital to the US as well, so Japan is financing part of (the) US trade deficit. Inter-relationship between US and Japan, (as well as) US and China are very strong."

Some analysts say the US will need Japan even more amidst the global financial crisis. After all, it is still the world's second largest economy, and it has overcome its own banking crisis.

There are those who say the US under Mr Obama will expect Japan to play a bigger role in international defence and security.

"For example, Japan must even send its force to Afghanistan. Now, Japan is contributing to support the fuel in the Indian Ocean. That's the minimum thing Japan can do. But Japan should do more in that security area," said a professor of International Security at Aoyama Gakuin University, Jitsuo Tsuchiyama.

But that would also depend on the strength of the mandate of newly appointed Prime Minister Taro Aso.

At this point, Obama's Japan policy is unclear. It is believed the Japanese government is trying to arrange a meeting between Obama and Aso as soon as possible. And the earliest possible date is November 15, when the G20 summit takes place in Washington.

-CNA/yt

South Korea-Japan island dispute heats up online

By Channel NewsAsia's Korea Bureau Chief Lim Yun Suk
Posted: 31 July 2008 2233 hrs

SEOUL : As tension heightens between South Korea and Japan over the disputed islands - called Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japan - the battle has moved on to the Internet.

Netizens from both countries have started to wage war against one another to defend the islets claimed by both sides.

Japanese web users accused the Koreans of claiming the islands illegally, but the Koreans fought back, saying that it was all based on false facts. And Korean netizens said they are not stopping here.

VANK (Voluntary Agency Network of Korea), a civic group with more than 15,000 members in Korea and abroad, is planning to create a handbook explaining the facts and South Korea's views on the disputed island, in several languages.

The handbooks will be distributed for free to all netizens around the world.

"We can reach areas that are not accessible to embassies and diplomats. So we can actively spread the information about Dokdo to more places and people," said Im Hyun Sook, a researcher at VANK.

The South Korean government is being criticised for not doing enough to promote the island as a South Korean territory, and there are rising concerns that Japan is doing a better job in claiming its right to the island.

However, South Korean netizens are determined not to give in, and will keep fighting until they claim victory. - CNA /ls

Pentagon voices concern over China's rising military muscle

Posted: 04 March 2008 0828 hrs

WASHINGTON: An annual Pentagon report on China on Monday said Beijing's lack of transparency posed risks to stability, voicing concern over how it would use its expanding military power.


Photo: The Pentagon, headquarters of the Department of Defence, in Washington DC

China is developing cruise and ballistic missiles capable of striking aircraft carriers and other warships at sea, tested an anti-satellite weapon last year and fielded new intercontinental ballistic missiles, the report said.

The report also cited another growing source of concern – numerous cyber intrusions into US and other computer networks around the world over the past year, apparently from within China.

"I think the biggest thing for people to be concerned about, really, is the fact that we don't have that kind of strategic understanding of the Chinese intentions," said David Sedney, deputy assistant secretary of defence for East Asian affairs.

"And that leads to uncertainty. That leads to a readiness to hedge against the possibility that China's development will go in ways that the Chinese right now say it won't," he said.

The assessment comes despite some progress in US-Chinese military relations, including an agreement last week to open a telephone hotline between their defence establishments and to engage in dialogue on nuclear strategy.

"The lack of transparency in China's military and security affairs poses risks to stability by increasing the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation," the report said.

"This situation will naturally lead to hedging against the unknown."

The Pentagon estimated China's total military spending in 2007 at between 97 and 139 billion dollars, more than double China's declared budget of 45 billion dollars, which rose by 17.8 percent in 2007 over the previous year.

The report said China's military modernization was being driven in the near-term by preparations for contingencies in the Taiwan Strait, including the possibility of US intervention in a crisis.

"However, analysis of China's military acquisitions and strategic thinking suggests Beijing is also developing capabilities for use in other contingencies such as conflict over resources or disputed territories," it said.

Foreign weapons, high rates of investment in defence and science and technology industries, and far-reaching reforms of its military have stepped up the pace and scope of China's military modernization, the report said.

"China's expanding and improving military capabilities are changing East Asian military balances; improvements in China's strategic capabilities have implications beyond the Asia-Pacific region," the report said.

Among other things, the report said the Chinese are developing "counterspace" capabilities to prevent potential adversaries from using space-based assets in a crisis.

As examples, it cited China's use of a ballistic missile to destroy a low orbiting weather satellite in a January 2007 test, as well as civilian space programs with military applications.

In discussing China's cyberwarfare capability, the report said numerous intrusions into computer networks around the world, including US government computer networks, appear to have originated from within China.

"Although it is unclear if these intrusions were conducted by, or with the endorsement of, the PLA or other elements of the PRC government, developing capabilities for cyberwarfare is consistent with authoritative PLA writings on this subject," the report said.

It said China has the most active cruise and ballistic missile program in the world.

It is acquiring large numbers of highly accurate ground- and sea-launched cruise missiles and deploying short-range ballistic missiles opposite Taiwan at a rate of 100 missiles a year, according to the report.

China is also developing a variant of the CSS-5 medium range ballistic missile with a range of 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) "to provide the PLA with the capability to attack ships at sea, including aircraft carriers, from great distances," the report said.

Although the situation in the Taiwan Strait remains stable, the balance of military power continues to shift in China's favour, the report warned.

As of November, China had between 990 and 1,070 short range ballistic missiles deployed to garrisons opposite Taiwan, and it has 490 combat aircraft within un-refueled operational range of the island, the report said.