Press Conference 5 June 2001
- Questions about reports on the Japan-Australia Foreign Ministerial Meeting
- Questions in relation to the Japan-Federal Republic of Germany Foreign Ministerial Meeting
- Questions on a visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Tanaka to the United States of America
- Question on reports concerning North Korean missiles
- Question on the press conference schedule
- Question on a report concerning Vice-Minister Yutaka Kawashima
- Questions in relation to events at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Questions concerning the situation in the Middle East
- Questions on the activities of US forces in Japan
- Questions on the Kasumi Club
- Questions about reports on the Japan-Australia Foreign Ministerial Meeting
Press Secretary Norio Hattori: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
Q: It is very unclear to us what actually transpired at the meetings between Alexander Downer and Makiko Tanaka, and also between Hashimoto Ryutaro and Alexander Downer. Can you clarify what was discussed and what Mr. Downer said, and perhaps point out to us how what appeared in the Japanese media represented what actually happened?
Mr. Hattori: Well, first of all, as you know, diplomatic protocol does not permit us to go into detail about the discussions between foreign ministers, in this case, the discussions between Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Tanaka and Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer of Australia, and also of course the discussions between former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and Foreign Minister Downer. Thus, I am not in a position to get into the details of the conversations that took place in those two meetings.
As you know, there was a statement issued yesterday by Foreign Minister Downer. I do not see any necessity for me to introduce that statement to you. As far as we understand it, it is an undeniable fact that the missile defense program of the United States of America was among the agenda items discussed. We understand that there was a presentation from the Australian side about their position on this issue, and of course Foreign Minister Tanaka presented the already well-known position of the Government of Japan on this issue.
Q: We spoke to Mr. Downer when he was here, and again earlier this week. We understand from the Australian side that the details of those meetings did not come from the Australian side, and we further understand that they did not come from Makiko Tanaka. Why then were these details so freely available to so many different Japanese newspapers?
Mr. Hattori: That is exactly the point that I want to know myself; I have no idea about where that information came from and whether it is accurate or not. I have no authority to confirm the contents of the news that appeared in the Japanese media. I cannot make any other response to your question.
Q: I am wondering, after your last answer, is the Foreign Ministry planning on conducting an investigation as to how this material found its way into the Japanese media?
Mr. Hattori: I do not think it is something that we need to conduct an investigation on. I do not think it is appropriate for us to make any such investigation into that news report.
Q: Can you explain why not?
Mr. Hattori: We are living in a democratic country with a free press, just as Australia. When something like that happens in Australia, the Australian government is supposed to make an investigation into that incident?
Q: There was a very recent example in Australia in which material was leaked from an Australian bureaucracy and the person in charge of that ministry took a $40,000 pay cut to take responsibility for the leaks. There is an issue, surely is there not, that other diplomats, not just Australian diplomats, will come to not trust confidential discussions with Japanese diplomats if they fear that all the confidential details will be immediately handed over to the Foreign Ministry Kasumi Club?
Mr. Hattori: I am quite confident that the confidentiality of the contents of the discussions between the two foreign ministers is kept and will remain that way. In that sense, we are not in a position to make such an investigation.
Q: I am sorry, but I do not really understand. How can you be confident when this week there has been a huge amount of material about very confidential meetings? Surely some sort of investigation is needed to reassure other countries?
Mr. Hattori: There were some identical questions in the Diet committee sessions over the last few days, which were answered by Foreign Minister Tanaka herself. Foreign Minister Tanaka denied the facts as reported in the media. That is the correct answer to the question that you raised, and I have no further points to add.
Q: But is it not true that Mr. Fukuda, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, has confirmed that Ms. Tanaka made the statements about missile defense?
Mr. Hattori: It is true that there was a reference in the press conference given by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda yesterday. It referred, however, to a conversation between Chief Cabinet Secretary Fukuda and former Prime Minister Hashimoto. Therefore, we are not in a position to know the content of the discussion between the two politicians.
Q: To the extent that at least the amount of information that Mr. Fukuda gave yesterday in his press conference confirms some of the details of the discussion, in presumably confidential discussion, we get back to this same point that we do not know how much of the detail is accurate, but we do know that some of the detail is accurate. Therefore, we have no reason to be confident that further diplomatic discussions that are supposed to be confidential will remain confidential?
Mr. Hattori: I get your point very well, that conversations or consultations conducted between responsible officials, from different countries, should be kept confidential. There is no doubt on any side with regard to that point. In response to the point that you have raised, I am confident, again, that the confidentiality of the conversations between Foreign Minister Tanaka and Foreign Minister Downer will be kept. And it will continue to be like that in the future. There is no doubt about that.
Q: Do you think, in the Foreign Ministry, that there is a wider issue of how close the ties are between the Foreign Ministry Kasumi Club and bureaucrats within the Foreign Ministry? I take your earlier comment on board about a free press being one of the components of a true democracy. However, right here on this floor you have very close access between certain journalists and Foreign Ministry bureaucrats, and you have ostensible evidence of that close contact in the form of ongoing leaks in the media. But still this does not seem to be an issue?
Mr. Hattori: To what extent are you sure that the leakage, if it is a leakage, came from us? Do you have any evidence on that?
Q: It did not come from the Australian side.
Mr. Hattori: Why are you sure that it did not come from the Australian side?
Q: Because we have had the same conversation with the Australian side, and they have produced evidence.
Mr. Hattori: If you say so, I am obliged to say the same thing. We have no evidence to suggest that the information came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Q: Given what Mr. Fukuda said yesterday, I am just wondering if Japan is at all concerned about the possibility that Australia would seek to relay Ms. Tanaka's views on missile defense to Washington?
Mr. Hattori: As the statement issued yesterday confirmed, that kind of discussion or commitment was not made, and I think it is quite natural in terms of diplomatic protocol, even though it is a matter between friendly countries and allied countries.
Q: I am sorry, I did not quite understand. It is diplomatic protocol to what?
Mr. Hattori: I understand from the statement issued yesterday by Foreign Minister Downer that he denied saying something like that to former Prime Minister Hashimoto. And that is quite understandable, and totally appropriate according to diplomatic protocol.
Q: But Mr. Fukuda said he did say that?
Mr. Hattori: Foreign Minister Downer denied the fact.
Q: This morning, Foreign Minister Tanaka said, on the issue of the discussion with Mr. Downer, that it was troublesome that this happened. And I think she referred to the bureaucrats in the Foreign Ministry and their obligations to keep secrets. But you said that you were confident that no leakages were from the Foreign Ministry. I think the Foreign Minister's comments contradict the comments you made. Do you have any comment on that?
Mr. Hattori: To my understanding, I do not think that Foreign Minister Tanaka, in her responses in the Diet, has made some sort of confirmation that the information came from this ministry. I would like to say that I hope the information did not come from this ministry. At this point in time I would like to be confident in that, and so I do not think that there is any contradiction between what Foreign Minister Tanaka has said and what I have said.
Q: Given your confidence and your hope on this matter, that it is not from the Foreign Ministry, we are then left in the position where media reports over the last few days have been, in the words of Mr. Downer, "fabrications," or in the words of some others, clearly misrepresenting what was going on. But the net result of that is damage to the international reputation of Japanese diplomacy. Firstly, do you think there is serious damage here? And secondly, what do you think needs to be done about it?
Mr. Hattori: I hope that the incident has not damaged Japanese diplomacy and, in particular, the relationship between Japan and Australia, because we are so close and have such friendly relations that it is absolutely necessary for us to make the relationship even smoother and stronger.
Related Information (Japan-Australia Relations)
- Questions in relation to the Japan-Federal Republic of Germany Foreign Ministerial Meeting
Q: This morning the Kyodo agency reported that Ms. Tanaka talked to her German counterpart during the ASEM Foreign Ministers' Meeting, almost the same content of the discussion that she had with Mr. Downer, that it is undesirable for Japan to stay under the nuclear umbrella of the United States, so Japan could stand alone. Can you confirm that report?
Mr. Hattori: As far as the report by Kyodo this morning, I have to repeat the answer that I gave to the gentleman earlier regarding Foreign Minister Tanaka's meeting with Foreign Minister Downer. I am not in a position to make any comments on the contents of the bilateral discussions.
Related Information (Japan-Germany Relations)
- Questions on a visit by Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Tanaka to the United States of America
Q: Foreign Minister Tanaka said that she is still interested in visiting the United States. What are the possibilities you have made for her? Have you made contacts?
Mr. Hattori: We are now working together with the US side to realize that visit by Foreign Minister Tanaka; the coordination is underway.
Q: What are the possibilities prior to the Prime Minister's visit?
Mr. Hattori: As I said, we are coordinating with the US side to realize the visit.
Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
- Question on reports concerning North Korean missiles
Q: Can you confirm the report that the Foreign Minister of Japan is considering the purchase of North Korean missiles? Korean newspapers carried this story.
Mr. Hattori: Those reports are totally groundless.
Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
- Question on the press conference schedule
Q: We read in a Japanese newspaper that there would be no press conferences for the time being, so actually it was a surprise that I received a notice this morning that you were going to have this conference. Do you think these conferences will be continued?
Mr. Hattori: Yes, of course. I am giving a conference today, and I would have done the same last week, except that, unfortunately, none of you came last week. I also gave a conference to the Japanese press last week, and I will give one to the Japanese press tomorrow as scheduled. This conference is a good occasion for us to communicate with each other. There is no reason for us to stop holding this conference.
Related Information (Press Conference by The Press Secretary of MOFA)
- Question on a report concerning Vice-Minister Yutaka Kawashima
Q: About this morning's report in the Japanese media, which said that the Foreign Minister asked Vice-Minister Kawashima to hand in a resignation, is it true?
Mr. Hattori: I do not know.
- Questions in relation to events at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Q: I just wonder why these kinds of negative incidents are occurring recently? I would like to get your idea on why these kinds of negative events are occurring.
Mr. Hattori: That is difficult for me to answer, and I do not know if the series of things happening are all negative or not. I think such things are not uncommon to any organization or institution that has a long history, in terms of the background and its place in the society. When we welcome a new minister, each minister as a politician has a different style, a different ideology, and different policies maybe. To me it is rather natural for all of us to take some time to settle into a smoother way of working. Maybe we are still in the process of doing that.
Q: Do you believe that it is an obligation of each member of this Foreign Ministry to support the Minister?
Mr. Hattori: Of course it is an obligation; it is our duty to support the boss, in our case the Foreign Minister. There is no doubt about that.
- Questions concerning the situation in the Middle East
Q: I read your statement on the weekend about the bombing in Tel Aviv, and you expressed condemnation against the Palestinians and you praised the Israeli government. Could you please elaborate the background of your stance?
Mr. Hattori: The background to Japan's stance is quite clear in the statement to which you refer.
Q: Do you have any proof about who did the bombing?
Mr. Hattori: Whoever committed the act, that kind of atrocity should be condemned. The background of our statement is that fact; we have to condemn all such acts.
Q: But there were similar atrocities against the Palestinians, but you never condemned them, but expressed hope that the situation would improve.
Mr. Hattori: I am not a specialist on the issues of the Middle East, but to my understanding I think the position of the Government of Japan regarding this issue is quite well balanced, and what we have said to the Israelis, when there has been a need to do so, we have said the same thing to the Palestinians. Japan's position is to keep the balance.
Related Information (Japan-Middle East Relations)
- Questions on the activities of US forces in Japan
Q: I have a story from an American publication that says parts of the US forces stationed at the Misawa airbase are launching operations that included bombing Iraqi targets. Does that kind of activity fit with the Japanese Constitution, that forces based in Japan are bombing other countries?
Mr. Hattori: I am not in a position to confirm the actions or activities that you referred to by the US forces based at Misawa. I cannot make any comment on that.
Q: In principle what is the Japanese Government's policy?
Mr. Hattori: I am not in a position to answer on the basis of hypothetical questions.
Q: Your policy states that Japan should not involve, participate, or help launch a war, etc. Do you think this kind of incident violates the Constitution?
Mr. Hattori: As I said, I cannot confirm such activity was being carried out, and so I cannot answer your questions.
Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
- Questions on the Kasumi Club
Q: When Governor Tanaka of Nagano opened up the press conferences in his prefecture and overturned the status of the press club, he made available certain figures about the cost to the taxpayer of having these press clubs. I wonder if you have similar data on the Foreign Ministry Kasumi Club, such as the number of personnel, the cost to the Japanese taxpayer of maintaining these facilities here? Obviously, I do not expect for you to have it at your fingerprints, but I wonder if it is possible to get that sort of information?
Mr. Hattori: This is the first time for me to receive such a question. I do not know if such information can be made available.
Q: Presumably, there would be an element of taxpayer funding. That part of it would be publicly available. I have no idea myself, obviously, but I wonder if you could look into that?
Mr. Hattori: Of course I am prepared to look into that, but I cannot say whether it can be made available.
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