VZCZCXRO6380
PP RUEHFK
DE RUEHKO #0318 0490409
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180409Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9461
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 8878
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 2694
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3120
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 3184
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9801
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 9157
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS TOKYO 000318
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.-CHINA RELATIONS
AND IRAN
1. LEAD STORIES: All Thursday morning papers gave top
or front-page play to Prime Minister Hatoyama's one-on-
one debates in the Diet on Wednesday with the leaders
of the opposition parties.
2. "U.S. to Clearly Demonstrate Its Position of
Attaching Importance to Human Rights" The business-
oriented Nikkei wrote from Washington (2/18):
"President Obama plans to meet with the Dalai Lama
today at the White House. Although the meeting is
intended to demonstrate the U.S.'s position of placing
importance on human rights issues, China appears to be
prepared to take retaliatory measures. The number of
sources of conflict between the U.S. and China,
including such issues as Internet censorship and trade
friction, is growing.... The President is apparently
planning to convey to the Dalai Lama his determination
to continue to take up China's handling of Tibet in
future talks with China. This appears to be intended to
demonstrate both at home and abroad his policy of
confronting issues that make China nervous."
3. "U.S. Accelerating Creation of Coalition against
Iran" The liberal Mainichi reported from Washington
(2/18): "Secretary of State Clinton pointed out on
Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, the last stop of her tour of
the Middle East, the 'growing influence' of Iran's
Revolutionary Guards. Her recent statements, including
one on Monday in which she said that 'Iran is becoming
a military dictatorship,' have escalated the sense of
crisis in the international community. This is intended
to accelerate the creation of a coalition against Iran
by enlisting the cooperation of China, which has been
hesitant about sanctions, and to deter Israel from
attacking Iran."
ROOS