Press Conference 27 September 2002
- Statement on the territorial issue between Belize and the Republic of Guatemala
- Itinerary of the investigation team to North Korea
- Questions concerning the Senkaku Islands
- Questions on US security policy
- Questions concerning travel advisory warnings
- Questions concerning North Korea
- Statement on the territorial issue between Belize and the Republic of Guatemala
Press Secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima: Good afternoon, and thank you very much for coming to this briefing. I would like to share two pieces of information with you this afternoon.
Firstly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the territorial dispute between Belize and the Republic of Guatemala yesterday, under my name, in which it stated that the Government of Japan welcomed the recent submission of the Belize-Guatemala Territorial Differendum Proposal by the Organization of American States (OAS), and the Government of Japan commends the parties concerned. It was also stated that the Government of Japan hopes that Belize and Guatemala solve this dispute peacefully through negotiation, based on the OAS proposal.
Related Information (Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Territorial Dispute between Belize and Guatemala)
- Itinerary of the investigation team to North Korea
Mr. Takashima: Secondly, I would like to share with you some information about the itinerary of the Japanese Government mission to North Korea to conduct a probe on the abduction cases.
The team will depart from Narita late this afternoon, and after making an overnight stay in Beijing they will arrive in Pyongyang tomorrow afternoon. They will conduct their investigation for three days from this Saturday, 28 September, until Monday, 30 September, and will then return to Narita from Pyongyang on Tuesday, 1 October.
Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
- Questions concerning the Senkaku Islands
Q: There was a press report from Taiwan that former President Lee Teng-hui indicated that the Senkaku Islands are the territory of Japan. What is the Japanese Government's view on this?
Mr. Takashima: We recognize that there was such a press report and we understand that it was a private citizen's comment on this issue. The Government of Japan's position remains unchanged: that is, that the Senkaku Islands are Japanese territory, historically, based upon international law. There is no change in our position because of that private citizen's remark.
Q: On the same issue, there is an editorial piece in the Sankei today. What is the Japanese Government's response to Mr. Lee's comments?
Mr. Takashima: Again, we know that there was a press report to that effect, and we also understand that that was a private citizen's remark on the Senkaku Islands. It does not at all affect the Japanese Government's position on these islands, which is that the Senkaku Islands are Japanese territory, as recognized by international law; this private citizen's remark does not at all alter the basic position of the Japanese Government.
Q: Are you surprised that Mr. Lee made this remark? Is the Japanese Government not a little surprised at his remark at all?
Mr. Takashima: As I said, it was a private citizen's remark. There was no official status to it, and we do not think we need to respond to it one way or another. We just recognize that there was that press report, and our position remains unchanged.
Q: What is your reaction to the Sankei piece?
Mr. Takashima: Our stand is firm, and we have been stating our position openly, widely, on various occasions. There is no change; we maintain the position that the Senkaku Islands are Japanese territory.
Q: Are you surprised that only the Sankei reported it? I really do not feel that there has been a lot of reaction in the Japanese press. His remark is pretty useful. I mean he is taking the Japanese side's position; however, there are not many reports. Are you surprised by the fact that they are not creating an issue here?
Mr. Takashima: As I have said, we recognize that there was the press report as such, and I would add that Japanese newspapers carried that story, and it was widely reported in Japan.
Related Information (Japan-Asia Relations)
- Questions on US security policy
Q: My question is in regard to the new Bush-US Government doctrine of preemptive military strikes. What is the opinion, or stance, of the Japanese Government regarding this issue?
Mr. Takashima: We recognize that the US Government has issued a new strategy, based upon US legislation which requires the Government to issue an annual report on that subject, in which the word preemptive is used several times.
Our position is that if there is imminent threat to one country, a preemptive strike or preemptive attack is allowed under the UN Charter, and we are carefully studying the content of the new US strategy, or doctrine, to find out if there is any change or departure from the basic position. Moreover, we understand that the United States will not exercise a preemptive strike in violation of any international law.
Q: Under the current circumstances, if the United States conducted a preemptive strike against Iraq, would you protest that or would you support that?
Mr. Takashima: Our understanding is that the United States is also seeking action in the UN framework. Actually, it is in the midst of drafting a resolution. Therefore, what we have to do right now is to find out the outcome of the international effort to get the resolution drafted and, if it is the case, passed. And we must also find out the reaction from the Iraqi side. I understand that there has been no decision made by the US administration as to whether they will go into military action against Iraq.
Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
- Questions concerning travel advisory warnings
Q: Last year there were changes to the Foreign Ministry's travel advisory warnings. Previously, five levels of warning were issued, and the warnings were issued for package tours, but now there are four levels, and the warnings are issued for individuals. Firstly, can you tell me anything about how the travel advisories have changed? Also, readers request that this information should be in English, but it is issued in Japanese. Do you have any idea to translate this information into English in the future?
Mr. Takashima: My understanding is that travel warnings are issued to individuals wishing to travel in the region concerned, and the classification has been changed from five categories to four categories, but this does not change the basic thrust of the warning or advisory. As for your other question, I will look into that.
- Questions concerning North Korea
Q: I know that it is still very early and that talks on the normalization of ties with North Korea will be a very long process, but I am just wondering, in ball park terms, what type of ODA might North Korea expect to get from Japan? I have heard figures of about US$10 billion. Is that roughly the type of aid that might be available if normal economic ties are established in the future?
Mr. Takashima: As you have rightly said, it is still very premature to discuss the actual size of the aid or the size of the assistance because we have not yet started normalization negotiations, and economic assistance to North Korea is one of the main point to be discussed through the course of the negotiations for the normalization of relations between our two countries.
The Pyongyang Declaration stated that the economic assistance would be in various forms, including yen credit and also some loans through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC). What sort of assistance will actually be given is, however, yet to be decided through the negotiations, and I do not have any figure to give you at the moment.
Q: Has the Foreign Ministry put any thought into the issue of bad loans that North Korea has with Japanese companies and trade insurance? Are these also things that you think will be discussed in the talks?
Mr. Takashima: That is a question that is under consideration by various agencies of the Japanese Government right now, but I have no further comment other than to say that there are some problems.
Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)
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