Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - U.S-India Nuclear Pact,

VZCZCXRO2034
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #2959 2970443
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230443Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8193
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 0545
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 2904
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 8624
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 1118
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 4328
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5988
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2573
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1984
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2223
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 002959

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 - U.S-INDIA NUCLEAR PACT,
NORTH KOREA, AND CHINA.

1. LEAD STORIES: Front-page items on Thursday morning
included a USG announcement on Wednesday that the U.S.
will host an emergency financial summit on November 15
in Washington.

2. "U.S.-India Pact to Endanger NPT Regime" The liberal
Mainichi's correspondent in Vienna wrote (10/23): "Last
month's lift of a 30-year-old nuclear trade ban on
India now allows the nation, which is not a signatory
to the NPT and has conducted nuclear tests, to import
nuclear-related technology and material. This is a
crisis for the NPT regime, as the international
community has effectively accepted India as a nuclear
power by overlooking its possession of nuclear arms.
Accordingly, the move will discourage nations earnestly
working on nuclear nonproliferation and encourage North
Korea and Iran, which are suspected of developing
nuclear weapons, to ignore international calls."

3. "Japan Should Stick to Its Principles on North
Korea" The conservative Sankei stated in an editorial
(10/23): "Regarding six-party energy aid to North
Korea, which comes in return for Pyongyang's nuclear
disablement, the idea has emerged of having other
nations cover Japan's share.... The idea that Japan
will lose its influence or be isolated in the six-party
talks is incorrect. Since Pyongyang admitted its
involvement in the abductions, Japan has maintained its
principle of seeking a comprehensive settlement of the
nuclear, missile, and abduction issues, and Tokyo has
stood firm on not providing energy aid without progress
on those issues. The other members of the six-party
talks understand Japan's position.... Unless North
Korea fulfills its commitment to reinvestigate the
abduction cases, which was made at the recent
Japan-DPRK talks, the Japanese government should stick
to its principles."

4. "Will China Be Able to Support World Economy?" The
liberal Asahi editorialized (10/23): "As the U.S.-
originated financial crisis spreads worldwide, the
economy of China, which is considered 'the world's
factory,' has begun to decline. The extent of the
economic slowdown in China is worrisome, as the nation
is one of the pillars that have supported the global
economy."

SCHIEFFER

© Scoop Media