Japan Brief / FPCJ, No. 0909
February 20, 2009


US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Visit to Japan

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in Japan in the evening of February 16 on her first stop in a four-nation tour of Asia. On February 17, Clinton, who had chosen Japan as the first country to visit following her appointment as Secretary of State, carried out with vigor an extremely busy schedule from early morning to night, meeting in quick succession with Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone, Minister of Defense Yasukazu Hamada, Prime Minister Taro Aso, and the Democratic Party of Japan President, Mr. Ichiro Ozawa. She also met with relatives of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, and held a dialogue with University of Tokyo students. On the morning of February 18, Clinton left Japan for her next port of call, Indonesia.

Confirming the Importance of the Japan-US Alliance

In the talks between Secretary of State Clinton and Foreign Minister Nakasone, it was agreed that Prime Minister Aso and US President Barack Obama would meet in Washington, DC, on February 24. At the press conference following their talks, Clinton said, “This will be the first foreign leader visit that President Obama will be receiving at the White House.” Foreign Minister Nakasone opened the press conference saying he welcomed the fact that Clinton “chose Japan as the destination for her first overseas trip as Secretary of State, because that is an indication that Secretary Clinton and the U.S. Administration attach importance to Japan and Japan-US relations.” Secretary of State Clinton responded, “The alliance between the United States and Japan is a cornerstone of our foreign policy, and working together to deal with the multitude of issues that affect not only Asia, but the entire world, is a high priority of the Obama Administration.”

In his meeting with Secretary of State Clinton, Prime Minister Aso expressed his appreciation for the invitation from President Obama. Noting that “it is to the benefit, and responsibility, of both Japan and the United States to see that universal values take root in the Asia-Pacific region for the building of an affluent, stable, and predictable region,” Prime Minister Aso said that he and Secretary of State Clinton had reaffirmed that the US-Japan alliance would be the cornerstone of policies to address various issues in East Asia. (Mainichi Shimbun, February 18)

Major points of the US-Japan talks

At their meeting, Secretary of State Clinton and Foreign Minister Nakasone discussed a wide range of issues confronting their two countries. The Yomiuri Shimbun (February 18) listed the following items as the most significant outcome of the talks.
 Support for Pakistan: Japan proposed the holding of an international conference in Tokyo to which the US side agreed.
 Japan-US security: It was agreed that the United States would continue to play a role in the defense of Japan, including acting as a nuclear deterrent, and that the realignment of US troops in Japan would continue.
 North Korea: The importance of the six-party talks and Japan-US collaboration was reaffirmed.
 Abduction issue: The US side stated that this issue should be a part of the six-party talks.
 China: It was agreed that China should play a “constructive role’’ regarding various international issues.
 Climate change: It was agreed to accelerate working level talks.
 Economy: Japan-US collaboration was reconfirmed and it was agreed that the issue of protectionism needed to be addressed.
 Measures against piracy: The Japanese side explained that the Maritime Self-Defense Force would be dispatching forces and the US side welcomed this news.

In her meeting with Democratic Party of Japan President Ichiro Ozawa, Clinton noted that next year will mark the fiftieth anniversary of the revised US-Japan Security Treaty of 1960, and she called for cooperation in line with the established Japan-US security arrangement for further strengthening of the Japan-US alliance. Ozawa is said to have responded, “For a long time I have reiterated that the Japan-US alliance is of utmost importance. But an alliance must not be a relationship of subservience. Only when there is an equal partnership can there be a true alliance.”

Major Newspaper Editorials on the Visit of Secretary of State Clinton

The five national newspapers all carried editorials on Secretary of State Clinton’s visit in their February 18 editions. All the editorials covered much the same points, welcoming the Secretary of State’s visit as a sign that the Obama administration places importance on Japan, but also calling for both Japan and the United States to act to strengthen their ties of cooperation.

The Yomiuri Shimbun editorial said, “The important thing is to enhance the Japan-US dialogue and deploy strategic diplomacy. North Korea is the most immediate litmus test,” and continued, “Both Japan and the United States need to work in step with China and South Korea to press North Korea to give an accurate verification of its nuclear plans. Regarding the issue of the Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, Secretary of State Clinton emphasized that ‘the United States should give priority to this issue.’ Japan-US cooperation needs to extend to making concrete progress on this issue, such as by reopening investigations on the abductions.”

The Asahi Shimbun editorial noted that “Viewed from current US concerns, a pressing issue is to enlist Japan’s help in overcoming the global recession. There are many other stiff challenges that demand Japan-US collaboration, including stabilizing the security situation in Iraq and Afghanistan and dealing with North Korea’s nuclear program and missile development, China’s military buildup and global warming,” but in reference to the importance the Obama administration places on Japan, the Asahi predicted that Japan would have to make some hard decisions on its own because, “While the United States stresses the importance of this partnership, it does not mean that, as is often construed from the Japanese term jushi used to describe that weight, Washington will in any way indulge or take special care of Japan. Under this alliance, the United States makes efficient use of Japan for U.S. interests and strategies.”

The Mainichi Shimbun editorial pointed out that “The Obama administration is breaking away from the Bush administration’s unilateralism and pursuing a diplomatic policy of international cooperation that emphasizes multilateral dialogue. Put another way, this cooperation means sharing roles and responsibilities. The US Secretary of State and the Japanese Foreign Minister agreed to continue talks at various levels and thereby enhance policy cooperation. Japan should perceive the change in US administration as a good opportunity for proactive diplomacy.”

The Nikkei editorial focused on the signing of an agreement between the US and Japan on the relocation of US Marines based in Okinawa to Guam. The Nikkei applauded the move, saying, “This agreement is an initiative taken under the Japan-US Security Consultative Committee (SCC; two-plus-two) roadmap for realignment implementation that was mapped out in May 2006 by the foreign and defense ministers working under the US Republican administration and the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party government. The Japanese government will be presenting the agreement in the current Diet session for legislative approval. It is appropriate that a political agreement between Japan and the US should be debated in the Diet and promoted to the level of a legal agreement.”

The Sankei Shimbun editorial warned that there may be problems in implementing the proposed realignment of US forces because “it is dependent upon the completion of the replacement facility for the Futenma airport, and there is local demand for changes to the Japan-US agreement on the alternative facilities in the Henoko district.”

(Copyright 2009 Foreign Press Center / Japan)


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