Press Conference 21 February 2003

1. Visit to Japan by President Hamid Karzai of the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan
2. Visit to Japan by Secretary of State Colin Powell of the United States of America
3. Question concerning Secretary of State Powell's visit to Japan
4. Question concerning possible military action in Iraq
5. Questions concerning North Korean defectors in the People's Republic of China

1. Visit to Japan by President Hamid Karzai of the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan

   Press Secretary Hatsuhisa Takashima: Good afternoon, thank you very much for coming to this briefing. Today I have two announcements I would like to make.

   The first announcement is about the visit of President Hamid Karzai of the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan, as announced earlier this month. President Karzai arrived in Tokyo yesterday and will hold a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi this evening, which will be followed by a dinner hosted by Foreign Minister Kawaguchi. President Karzai will attend the Tokyo Conference on Consolidation of Peace in Afghanistan to be held tomorrow.

   Related Information (Visit to Japan of Mr. Hamid Karzai, President of the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan)
   
2. Visit to Japan by Secretary of State Colin Powell of the United States of America

   Mr. Takashima: The second announcement is about the visit by Secretary of State Colin Powell of the United States of America.

   Secretary of State Powell will meet with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kawaguchi tomorrow, and with Minister of Defense Shigeru Ishiba the day after tomorrow. Foreign Minister Kawaguchi is expected to discuss various issues with Secretary Powell, including the situations in the Republic of Iraq and in North Korea.

   We understand that Secretary Powell will go to the People's Republic of China from Tokyo on Sunday, and then on Monday to the Republic of Korea to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Roh Moo Hyun of the Republic of Korea on Tuesday.

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   Related Information (Japan-Iraq Relations)
   
3. Question concerning Secretary of State Powell's visit

   Q: What do you expect Secretary of State Powell to discuss with each of the Japanese officials he will meet with? Have you heard anything about what the contents of the talks will be or what you would like to bring up with him?

   Mr. Takashima: As I have said and you might expect, the ministers on the Japanese side and Secretary Powell will discuss various issues, but the main focus will be on the situations in North Korea and the Republic of Iraq.

   As far as the North Korean situation is concerned, the Japanese side would like to reiterate its position to maintain unity and solidarity among Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea vis-à-vis North Korea. Since the issue has been reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is now at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), we will discuss how to handle this issue at the UN Security Council. Since Japan is not a member of the UN Security Council at the moment, we will be listening to what Secretary Powell has to say on the possible handling of the issue at the UN Security Council. Of course we will maintain our position that this issue should be addressed with good care and caution, and we will try to resolve this issue diplomatically as well as peacefully.

   On the situation in Iraq, the Japanese side, especially Prime Minister Koizumi and Foreign Minister Kawaguchi, will once again reiterate our position that a new UN Security Council resolution would be desirable before any further action is taken by the United States or other member countries of the international community. The reason we prefer to have a new resolution is to maintain, once again, the unity and solidarity among the international community to urge the Iraqi regime to comply with all the requirements set by the UN Security Council through various resolutions.

   Related Information (Japan-The United States Relations)
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   Related Information (Japan-Iraq Relations)
   
4. Question concerning possible military action in Iraq

   Q: Has Japan been asked by the United States to provide any financing should there be a war in Iraq? Has anything like that been mentioned or discussed so far?

   Mr. Takashima: We have not discussed this kind of topic, and we have been saying that Japan would decide unilaterally and independently what it would do in the case of war or if military action erupts in the region. As far as the Japanese side is concerned, we have been exploring and studying every possibility including the evacuation of Japanese nationals, assistance to neighboring countries, and assisting international organizations to cope with the flow of refugees.

   Q: I know that there are Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force ships in the Indian Ocean and that they were originally sent out to help with the war in Afghanistan. Could they be used to back up the US military effort if there was a war in Iraq?

   Mr. Takashima: The Government of Japan has repeatedly said that these ships are for the war against terrorism, namely, Operation Enduring Freedom. Their operation is limited to the Indian Ocean and has nothing to do with the situation in Iraq. Even if war erupted there, those ships would be engaged in the current ongoing operation of the war against terrorism.

   Q: So they will not be backing up any US military force which is later involved in the war in Iraq? Is it that the line is drawn there for the particular type of activities?

   Mr. Takashima: If war started in Iraq, the operation area would be far away, approximately 2,000 nautical miles from the area where the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels are now operating, so those are clearly different areas.

   Related Information (Japan's Diplomatic Efforts on the Issue of Iraq)
   
5. Questions concerning North Korean defectors in the People's Republic of China

   Q: What is the latest situation involving the four North Koreans at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing?

   Mr. Takashima: My understanding is that they are still at the Consular section of the Embassy of Japan in Beijing and we are still listening to what they have to tell us. Our understanding is that they wanted to go to either Japan or the Republic of Korea. We have been in touch with the Chinese authorities as well as the Korean authorities to inform them of the content of what we have gathered and learned from the inquiry.

   Q: There have been reports that the issue might be resolved by early next week. Are you expecting such a quick resolution?

   Mr. Takashima: I have no idea whether this issue will be resolved early or later next week. First, we have to establish the facts of what happened to these four persons and their intentions, as well as their desires and wishes. We have to take full account of their wishes before deciding where they should go. Furthermore, the Chinese authorities want to have an opportunity to talk to them before establishing whether they would issue a permit for them to leave China. Therefore, it may take time.

   Q: Did the questioning by the Chinese authorities take place at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing?

   Mr. Takashima: I do not think that it has already happened. On the venue, I have no idea.

   Q: Has it already been agreed to send them to the Republic of Korea?

   Mr. Takashima: We have not decided yet because our understanding is that they expressed their desire to be brought to either Japan or the Republic of Korea. Therefore, we have to establish which is their sincere desire. As I have said, we will try to accommodate their wishes as far as possible.

   Q: In this connection, as more and more people defect from North Korea through China and maybe come to Japan, is the Government of Japan going to make some basic rule or measures to screen them? For instance, we understand that basically they are not happy, but if through the screening, it turns out that they have some roots or had relations with Japan previously, then it would be considered to accept them into Japan. Otherwise, they must slowly go to the Republic of Korea. Do you think that the Government of Japan will eventually make some rule or take measures to screen these people?

   Mr. Takashima: We have no intention to adopt set rules to cope with this kind of situation, because each individual case is different and requires utmost care and caution in order to maintain the safety and privacy of those concerned. At the same time, we have been discussing this issue with international organizations, namely, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). On how to handle this kind of incident, we have been discussing this kind of issue with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

   Q: I think the number of these defectors will surely increase. Maybe Japan would have a difficult time screening them without having some basic policy. For case-by-case, it would be too many. Do you not think so?

   Mr. Takashima: What the Government of Japan has in mind as a basic policy is that of the people who have defected from North Korea, if he or she is of Japanese origin or a Japanese national, then we have the obligation to protect them. We will also take special consideration if they have permanent residency in Japan. Beyond that, it should be dealt on a case-by-case basis.

   Related Information (Japan-China Relations)
   Related Information (Japan-North Korea Relations)