VZCZCXRO1842
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #1670 1700232
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180232Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5176
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N541// PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA// PRIORITY
RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/USFJ PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 8438
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 0813
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 6690
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 9023
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 2145
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3973
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2374
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9968
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0386
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS TOKYO 001670
SIPDIS
STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - FRANCE'S RETURN TO NATO
1. LEAD STORIES: Most Wednesday morning papers led with
Prime Minister Fukuda's remarks to foreign press on
Tuesday hinting at a hike in the consumption tax.
2. "France Calling for NATO Renewal" On French
President Sarkozy's release on Tuesday of the nation's
new security strategy, a correspondent for the top-
circulation, moderate Yomiuri wrote from Paris (6/18):
"The new policy set forth Paris's intention to fully
return to the military component of NATO on the
condition that France will maintain its own nuclear
arsenal and that the EU will enhance its military
capabilities. France's strategy of taking the
initiative in enhancing European defense while
reintegrating into NATO appears to be entering a new
stage.... Sarkozy's policy represents a break from
France's traditional Gaullist approach. However, this
change is apparently not meant to follow the U.S. but
is rather aimed at drawing concessions from it.... In
contrast with the U.S., which uses NATO as a tool for
bringing the Europeans into its own global military
strategy, France insists that Washington should attach
more importance to Europe and that NATO should remain a
collective security mechanism."
SCHIEFFER