Top > Announcement > Press Conference by Foreign Minister > November 16, 2012

(* 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 Koichiro Gemba

Date: Friday, November 16, 2012, 9:46 a.m.
Place: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Main topics:

  1. Dissolution of the Diet and a general election
  2. Japan-North Korea Director-General-level consultations
  3. Realignment of U.S. Forces Japan
  4. Japan-North Korea Director-General-level consultations
  5. Dissolution of the Diet and a general election
  6. TPP

1. Dissolution of the Diet and a general election

Inaoka, TBS: Today is the Day 2 of the Japan-North Korea consultations. We hear that in-depth discussions were held yesterday. What do you see in the situation?

Minister Gemba: I think it is good that both parties were able to discuss in a candid manner for a long time, but it is the final outcome of the consultations that matters at the end of the day. The meeting is still going on today and I want to be briefed in detail on what was discussed when my staff come back to Japan. In any case, we cannot predict the final outcome and we need to take cautious steps in negotiating with North Korea. All I can say is that we need to be persistent.

2. Japan-North Korea Director-General-level consultations

Inaoka, TBS: Today is the Day 2 of the Japan-North Korea consultations. We hear that in-depth discussions were held yesterday. What do you see in the situation?

Minister Gemba: I think it is good that both parties were able to discuss in a candid manner for a long time, but it is the final outcome of the consultations that matters at the end of the day. The meeting is still going on today and I want to be briefed in detail on what was discussed when my staff come back to Japan. In any case, we cannot predict the final outcome and we need to take cautious steps in negotiating with North Korea. All I can say is that we need to be persistent.

3. Realignment of U.S. Forces Japan

Toiyama, Ryukyu Shimpo: As the election is drawing near, you face many issues related to Okinawa, which you have been actively working on, and you are required to make decisions in December, including on the plan to return the land south of Kadena and the return of Futenma Air Station. People in Okinawa feel that they may be left behind on these issues due to the election. Could you comment on how you will work on the reduction of the burden of people in Okinawa and on how the election might influence the U.S. base issues in Okinawa?

Minister Gemba: We should not slow down the resolution of these issues. So I will talk with my staff on these issues today. In particular, I have dedicated my energy to the return of the land south of Kadena. I plan to give instructions to make our plan proceed according to schedule.

I am from Fukushima Prefecture, and some people wonder if the reconstruction of the prefecture will be impacted by a political vacuum. However, the Japanese Government always functions as it should. As I said a while ago, we need to make sure that we will maintain our full sense of urgency all the time and steadily proceed with what we are required to do.

Toiyama, Ryukyu Shimpo: About a month has passed since U.S. servicemen committed an indecent act against a woman in Okinawa. You have repeatedly commented that it is essential to implement fundamental changes for the prevention of similar incidents. Could you comment on how the Japanese Government should act on this issue?

Minister Gemba: This is an issue we need to work on. I am planning what I should do. I will grab an appropriate opportunity to issue or summarize some plan.

4. Japan-North Korea Director-General-level consultations

Ikeda, Kyodo News: Let me ask you about the consultations with North Korea. You just said that it is the final outcome that matters, but the Prime Minister has announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which is actually dissolved today, before the consultations were held between Japan and North Korea. How will this influence the consultations? Do you think that Japan can actually achieve concrete results from this meeting?

Minister Gemba: We cannot predict the outcome of the consultation The current discussions held between Japan and North Korea will be continued as they should whichever party takes power as a result of the election. We do not know what results we will see after the election. So, we need to do what we need to do at the current stage.

5. Dissolution of the Diet and a general election

Nikaido, Asahi Shimbun: You just mentioned a political vacuum. I think you will work on your political campaign too, as the campaign period begins. How will you spend the coming month given your responsibilities as the Minister for Foreign Affairs?

Minister Gemba: I do not intend to spend many days in my constituency. I have my job as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and have already received some requests from the party headquarters to support some other candidates. So I need to work on those issues. In that sense, I gave my instructions to my staff yesterday that at any single time, either Parliamentary Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs or me at least should be working in the Ministry and delivering on our responsibilities.

Ito, Yomiuri Shimbun: You used the phrase “a dissolution out of too much honesty” to describe the current political situation. First of all, I want to ask you who actually came up with this term. Second, some members of the DPJ announced their intention to leave the party after the Prime Minister mentioned his intention to dissolve the House of Representatives at the debate held two days ago. What do you think of the expressions of those members’ intention to leave the party as a DPJ member?

Minister Gemba: Some in the media described the current situation as “a dissolution out of too much honesty.” I attended a party held by a colleague yesterday and was told to give some words on that occasion. So I used these words yesterday. The Prime Minister made this decision although many of his party members were against it. I was impressed by his remarks when he said that he has been taught not to tell a lie since his childhood. The Prime Minister said that his father once commended him for being overly sincere and honest. Based on this, I used the phrase “a dissolution out of too much honesty.”

Some of the members of my party are leaving. Statesmen should never take actions out of simply minding their own interests. They should act not to protect self-interest or the interests of their party but to secure the interests of the country. In particular, what Japan has been facing is a changing power balance on a global scale. As we have experienced more than two decades of economic recession and clearly entered the era of a super aging society with a declining birthrate, what is in question above all is our national strength. To build up our national strength, partisan differences and political bickering do not make any sense. Each one of us should sincerely think about what we can do to enhance our national strength and deal with the current political situation and the national crisis. It is unfortunate that some politicians are worried about winning or losing the coming election and take only the actions that benefit themselves. As a politician myself, I cannot endorse that type of people.

6. TPP

Yoshida, Nishinippon Shimbun: The other day, Prime Minster Noda said that he would mention the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in the party manifesto. The party is not totally clear-cut in its stance on the TPP though. Do you believe that the DPJ should clearly mention its intention of promoting the TPP in the manifesto?

Minister Gemba: Prime Minister Noda said in his general policy speech that he would simultaneously promote the Japan-China-ROK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the TPP. I think the phrase he used in his remarks is fine the way it is. I do not think we have to change the description.

Yoshida, Nishinippon Shimbun: However, the current description will not clearly differentiate the DPJ from the LDP, won’t it?

Minister Gemba: Many members of the LDP do not support the TPP. To put it bluntly, they should further clarify their stance. They seem calculating to me. Their current stance makes me feel that the party is trying to gain votes from Japan Agricultural Cooperatives and farmers, and at the same time gain votes from industries by letting them feel that the party will join the TPP once it is in power. I sense too much political calculation in their current actions. I think it is desirable for the LDP to further clarify their stance for the benefit of our citizens.

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