(* This is a provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only. The original text is in Japanese.)

Press Conference by Minister for Foreign Affairs Katsuya Okada

Date: Friday, December 11, 2009, 4:20 p.m.
Place: Briefing Room, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

Opening Statements
- (1) Visit to Japan by Xi Jinping, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China
- (2) Visit to Japan by the Hon. Mr. Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia
Visit to Japan by Xi Jinping, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China
The Issue of the Realignment of the US Forces in Japan
US-North Korea Consultations
Japan-US Relations
Review of the National Defense Program Guidelines
The Whaling Issue

1. Opening Statements

(1) Visit to Japan by Xi Jinping, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China

Minister:
My first announcement is on the visit to Japan by Mr. Xi Jinping, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China. The Vice President will be visiting Japan from Monday, December 14 to Wednesday, December 16 as a distinguished guest of the Government of Japan. During the visit, the Vice President will have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, and hold talks with Prime Minister Hatoyama and myself. His other plans include having talks with leading figures of various circles and visiting Kyushu. His visit to Japan will be part of a series of high-level exchanges between the two countries, and I hope it will serve as an opportunity for Vice President Xi Jinping to deepen his understanding of Japan, so as to reinforce the foundation for further development of the bilateral relationship.

(2) Visit to Japan by the Hon. Mr. Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia

Minister:
My second announcement is on the visit to Japan by the Hon. Mr. Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia. Prime Minister Rudd will visit Japan on Tuesday, December 15, on his way to the COP15 meeting. On the same day, Prime Minister Hatoyama will hold talks with Prime Minister Rudd to exchange views on climate change, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and bilateral relations. The two leaders will also receive the commission member report from the Hon. Gareth Evans and the Hon. Yoriko Kawaguchi, co-chairs of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament. Prior to the summit meeting, I will pay a courtesy call to Prime Minister Rudd.

2. Visit to Japan by Xi Jinping, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China

Question (Higashioka, Asahi Shimbun):
I would like to ask about the meeting between His Majesty the Emperor and Vice President Xi Jinping that was announced in the opening statement. I heard in the press conference by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirano this morning that the meeting was hastily arranged on the instructions of the Prime Minister. This is an exceptional arrangement given that an audience with the Emperor, as a rule, must be requested at least a month in advance. What led up to this decision and how do you take the criticisms of using the Emperor for political purposes?

Minister:
The Chief Cabinet Secretary has already explained how this decision was made. With regard to the criticism of using the Emperor for political purposes, I do not think His Majesty granting an audience to a foreign guest constitutes a “political use.”

Question (Saito, Kyodo News):
Concerning the audience with the Emperor, the so-called “one-month rule” has thus far been applied strictly as a rule. If the meeting with Vice President Xi Jinping is allowed outside this rule, we speculate that it could invite criticisms for unequal treatment between Vice President Xi Jinping and guests from other countries. What are your thoughts on this point? Could you please tell us your view about whether the rule should be applied strictly or flexibly?

Minister:
I understand the “one-month rule” has been set basically for the sake of His Majesty’s health. The decision this time must have been made within the scope of not causing concern regarding the health of His Majesty. Since the specific moves were made by the Prime Minister’s Office rather than MOFA, I should refrain from making detailed comments myself.

Question (Higashioka, Asahi Shimbun):
Regarding the significance of Vice President Xi Jinping’s visit to Japan, he has been seen as one of the leading candidates to succeed President Hu Jintao, but on the other hand, some point out that he does not have much connection with Japan. Could you please tell us, in the context of the significance of his coming visit, what kind of relationship you would like to build with him as a potential future president?

Minister:
Perhaps he has little or no experience of visiting Japan. I do not know about his early years, but at least I hear that he has not visited Japan since rising to prominence in China. I think this will be a great opportunity for Japan in the sense that Vice President Xi Jinping will spend some time deepening his understanding of Japan. It will also be a valuable opportunity for us to fully understand his personality and way of thinking.

Question (Saito, Kyodo News):
Going back again to the “one-month rule,” which the Imperial Household Agency (IHA) and MOFA are responsible for applying, could you please also tell us if you think MOFA should adhere to it as a general rule?

Minister:
I understand this to be a principle established by the IHA rather than MOFA. As far as MOFA is concerned, we would be grateful if His Majesty can grant an audience to as many foreign guests as possible as requested. On the other hand, there is a concern about His Majesty’s health, and I think that is why this rule has been established.

3. The Issue of the Realignment of the US Forces in Japan

Question (Uchida, Asahi Shimbun):
I have a question regarding the US Air Station in Futenma. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama stated that he wishes to explain the government’s policy to the United States prior to COP15 and seek their understanding. Has the government’s policy now been determined? If not, how far do you think the discussion has advanced toward the determination of the policy?

Minister:
The policy is now under consideration. People have varying views on the extent to which they think the discussion has advanced, so I will refrain from making comments on specifics. We are seeking to determine the government’s policy as expeditiously as possible.

Question (Mizushima, Jiji Press):
Prior to this press conference, you exchanged views on the Futenma base issue with Prime Minister Hatoyama and Minister of Defense Toshimi Kitazawa. I would like to know what the three of you discussed following the Defense Minister’s visit to Guam. I am also interested to hear your view on the relocation to Guam.

Minister:
It was five of us, including Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Seiji Maehara and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, who exchanged views. We did not discuss the relocation to Guam. It is not appropriate for me to make comments on what I think of the relocation to Guam.

Question (Iwakami, Freelance):
My question is also on the issue of Futenma Air Station. I heard that Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the People’s New Party Mikio Shimoji will leave Japan today for the United States to meet with US officials. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Director of the Office of Japan Affairs of the US Department of State Kevin Maher, and Assistant Secretary of Defense Wallace C. Gregson are among those with whom Mr. Shimoji is said to be meeting with. What do you think of this kind of dual diplomacy within the coalition government, which I assume will have both positive and negative effects?

Minister:
I do not necessarily think that it is dual diplomacy. Mr. Shimoji’s visit to the United States is a personal one; by no means is he visiting there as a special envoy of the government nor in any other official capacities. I, too, frequently visited Washington, D.C., the US Department of State, and the US Department of Defense when I was a member of the opposition party. I think we have freedom to make such visits. People have this liberty. The US side also understands that Mr. Shimoji is not visiting the United States as a special ambassador of the government, nor is he visiting the country to express or exchange the government’s views.

Question (Kaminishigawara, Kyodo News):
This is also related to the issue of Futenma Air Station. In the 2006 United States-Japan Roadmap for Realignment Implementation, Japan and the United States agreed to construct runways aligned in a V shape off the coast of Camp Schwab in Henoko, Nago City. Depending on the negotiation going forward, do you think it is possible that the runways will not be constructed? If the runways were to not be constructed, would it mean the cancellation of the Japan-US agreement? Please tell us of your thoughts on this.

Minister:
We are currently giving consideration to the policy. As such, I should not make comments on specific issues.

Question (Nishizato, ZDF):
Mayor of Ginowan City Yoichi Iha stated earlier in Tokyo on the Futenma base issue that “The entire Marine Corps and most of the operational units will relocate to Guam, will not they? Moreover, the construction of a facility to accommodate approximately 70 helicopters has been completed in Guam.” This is probably speculation, but some media outlets have already started to develop the view that after all that has happened, the Marine Corps will stay in Okinawa only in order to secure “the sympathy budget” for the construction of an alternative base in Guam. What is your understanding on these matters?

Minister:
Mayor Iha told me something like that, and I told him that the grounds on which the Mayor made that claim are not clear to me. Some of the papers that Mayor Iha has compiled described the actual remarks and the person(s) to whom the remarks were addressed. There is no way to verify who said or who did not say what. It is understandable that a facility that you have just mentioned is constructed in Guam for emergency purposes, but that does not automatically mean that there will be no helicopters in Futenma Air Station.

Question (Yamauchi, Nikkei):
About the Futenma issue, the Social Democratic Party is calling for its relocation outside of Okinawa or outside Japan or, more specifically, to Iwo Jima or Guam. I understand that the working group has not verified this plan yet. Do you think the plan will be verified in the future?

Minister:
There is no possibility for the working group to verify the plan because it is not what is expected of the working group. What we will do with the plan then concerns the overall policy we are to determine. Therefore, I do think it is appropriate to make comments now.

Question (Kamematsu, J-CAST News):
In relation to the Futenma issue, I would like to ask you about Japan-US relations. Apparently, it is increasingly becoming a dominant view in the media that the United States is developing a sense of distrust over Japan-US relations. I remember that this point was raised previously in your press conference, but once again, could you please tell us of any sense of crisis you have regarding the current state of Japan-US relations?

Minister:
My understanding remains the same as the one I expressed previously; it is essential that we determine the policy as expeditiously as possible.

Question (Kajiwara, NHK):
This is also related to the Futenma issue, but some in the government, the Chief Cabinet Secretary in particular, seem to think that the removal of dangers or the reduction of burdens should take precedence, irrespective of the timing of making a decision on a place to which Futenma Air Station will be relocated. What do you think of this view?

Minister:
That is not something Japan can decide unilaterally; that is my understanding. If we now ask the United States, their response would probably be to ask Japan to comply with its commitment and carry it out. We are discussing our future policy, including the Chief Cabinet Secretary, and what you mentioned in your question can be examined taking that discussion into account.

Question (Uesugi, Freelance):
I cannot quote this accurately as I do not have the qualifications to attend the Chief Cabinet Secretary’s press conference, but the Chief Cabinet Secretary has stated in his press conference the day before yesterday when speaking of the relocation of Futenma Air Station that the relocation of local residents is possible. Has this statement been examined within the government?

Minister:
I am not aware of that.

Question (Jinbo, Video News):
I have a question on the sense of distrust that the United States is said to have developed over its relations with Japan due to the Futenma issue. Could you please elaborate on specific matters over which the United States has developed a sense of distrust? Do you think the United States has developed the sense of distrust because they think the Japanese government is the kind of government that does not carry out a plan that it once committed to carry out? Or do you think they have developed the sense of distrust because they think Japan’s understanding of the Japan-US alliance is different from their understanding of the Japan-US alliance or from what they believed to be agreed upon between Japan and the United States?

Minister:
I believe it is the former case – they demand that commitments be honored, and they doubt that they can trust someone who does not honor commitments.

Question (Jinbo, Video News):
So it is not the latter case.

Minister:
No, it is not the latter case.

Question (Iwakami, Freelance):
In relation to the Futenma issue, Chuokoron, which was published on the 10th of December, carries a memorandum of, or should I say an interview with, the former Vice Minister of Defense Takemasa Moriya. Did you read it or have you heard of what is written in the article? The article is about the history of the Futenma issue in the past 13 years and it claims that the scale of the project was expanding in a murky, patronage-driven manner. Is this matter being verified or examined?

Minister:
First of all, I am not aware of the article in Chuokoron. I have not read the article. I am not aware of former Vice Minister of Defense Moriya’s intentions either. Therefore, I cannot comment on it. I cannot judge how credible the article is considering the fact that Mr. Moriya was directly involved in the project and also considering the situation he is in now.

Question (Kaminishigawara, Kyodo News):
I believe that the government’s policy currently discussed among the ministers concerned was expected to be delivered to the United States by the end of the year; that is, during the Japan-US summit meeting on December 18 on the occasion of the COP15 meeting. The Prime Minister had also expressed his wish to compile the policy by then. Now that the plan has become difficult to carry out, do you still think it is necessary for the government’s policy to be determined, even if not completely, by the end of the year? Do you see the possibility of postponing the decision to next year?

Minister:
I did not know that the Prime Minister said “by the 18th.” I am quite surprised because the information came out of the blue. I have always been urging the Prime Minister – in fact, I have urged him today too – to determine the policy as expeditiously as possible.

Question (Uesugi, Freelance):
The Chief Cabinet Secretary also touched upon the Futenma issue in his press conference yesterday. According to media reports, he stated that he will review the agenda for the ministerial-level working group for the possible inclusion of non-Futenma issues. As the Minister for Foreign Affairs, could you confirm that the Chief Cabinet Secretary’s statement reflects the discussion within the government?

Minister:
I am not aware of it. In any event, as I have been saying, the working group was established to verify the process in which the current plan came to be adopted. If we were to assign the working group a new role, we would need to have another discussion with the United States, because this is not the kind of issue that Japan alone can decide upon. Assignment of the new role would substantially change the working group’s characteristics. I am not sure if the Chief Cabinet Secretary’s intention was to re-organize the current working group or to establish a new working group. What the Chief Cabinet Secretary is said to have stated would not be feasible should the current situation continue.

4. US-North Korea Consultations

Question (Sudo, Mainichi Shimbun):
I have a question about US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Bosworth’s visit to North Korea. While I do not think this is directly related, I think in principle that the US-North Korea consultations are within the framework of the Six-Party Talks and Japan had a basic policy, separate from this, under the old administration which emphasized the cooperation between Japan, the United States, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) within the Six-Party Talks. As the US-North Korea consultations advance, what do you have planned for cooperation among Japan, the United States, and the ROK in the future?

Minister:
I believe that Japan, the ROK, and the United States are communicating, and cooperating very well on the issue of North Korea, including for Special Representative Bosworth’s visit to North Korea this time.

5. Japan-US Relations

Question (Shinbori, TV Asahi):
Recently we have uncovered in our reporting that US Deputy Chief of Mission in Japan James Zumwalt met with Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) officials such as Chairman of the Diet Affairs Committee Kenji Yamaoka and Acting Secretary General Azuma Koshiishi, and that Ambassador Roos may want to meet Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa. Please tell us whether you are aware of these happenings and what your opinions of them are. Additionally, please tell us what you think of the DPJ’s movements and the DPJ’s diplomatic policy toward the United States.

Minister:
I did not have any prior information regarding this. I am aware from the news reports that Mr. Yamaoka met with Deputy Chief of Mission Zumwalt. That is a decision made by the US Embassy to Japan and I do not feel it necessary for me to comment on it.

6. Review of the National Defense Program Guidelines

Question (Mizushima, Jiji Press):
I have a question about the Cabinet Meeting on the National Defense Program Guidelines. Regarding the fiscal 2010 budget, if a decision has been made, can you tell us how the budget related for the relocation of Futenma and for PAC3 will be treated?

Minister:
I cannot tell you at this time about the budget relating to Futenma. Because a policy has not been decided on yet, how it will be treated in the budget has not been decided either. As for PAC3, I believe a certain direction has been made clear during today’s discussions. However, this should become public with a formal announcement, and I do not think I should touch upon this.

7. The Whaling Issue

Question (Iwasa, Associated Press):
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia stated on a local radio program that if Japan did not stop scientific whaling, he would not hesitate to take legal action. Can you please give us your opinion on this matter?

Minister:
I do not understand what “legal action” means. In my understanding, scientific whaling takes place under an approved framework. As I stated in an interview with some Australian reporters yesterday, food is an element of culture and I believe that to eat whale meat is an aspect of Japan’s traditional culture. Of course I understand that if whales are on the verge of extinction, we should refrain from eating whale meat. However, if this is not the case and people still say to stop eating whale, I think that in principle we must be mutually tolerant and accepting of diverse cultures and ways of thinking.

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