Mori evasive on NMD

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, MARCH 20. The United States and Japan went through an expected range of issues as the President, Mr. George W Bush, and the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Yoshiro Mori, reiterated in a Joint Statement that the bilateral friendship ``is rooted in friendship, mutual trust and shared democratic values''.

The two leaders also said that the solid relationship enabled the two countries to deal with problems such as the ``regrettable Ehime Maru accident''. The sinking of this fishing vessel set off a rocky patch in the bilateral relations with the criticism and feeling in some quarters that the U.S. has done enough by way of apologising for the accident which killed nine Japanese nationals.

While security and economic issues were the main focus at the White House on Monday, the dominant topic undoubtedly was the state of the Japanese economy. Administration officials have said that the visiting Japanese Premier was told by Mr. Bush to tackle the corporate debt and bad loans that were weighing down Japanese banks.

Mr. Bush is further reported to have told Mr. Mori that there was the perception in the U.S. that Tokyo was not doing enough on the matter. An unnamed senior official has said that Mr. Bush was ``heartened'' by the unusually explicit acknowledgement of the non-performing loans issue by the Japanese Prime Minister. Mr. Bush has also told Mr. Mori that the strategy of relying on exports as the way out of economic troubles was not the answer to the problem.

Originally, this was to have been a different kind of a meeting with Mr. Mori coming to Washington as a strong leader; and one who would be discussing several subjects with Mr. Bush including the sinking of the Ehime Maru off the coast of Hawaii. In the last four weeks, Mr. Mori's position has not only weakened but the markets also have been taking such a severe beating that the focus was shifting to economics. In fact, there were questions whether Mr. Mori should be making the trip as a ``lame duck'' leader.

For an administration that has started focusing on Japan as the ``linchpin'' of American foreign policy in the Far East, Mr. Mori was not as forthcoming as some would have expected on strategic issues and subjects that are dear to the administration here. The Japanese leader did not commit himself on the National Missile Defence system and merely reiterated the earlier Tokyo positions of one of ``understanding'' where the Bush administration is coming from.

Washington, under a Republican administration, may be eager for a Japan-centred East Asian/Pacific policy, but there are enough indications that Tokyo may be quite wary of the regional implications of any expanded role for itself. In fact, Mr. Bush had apparently told Mr. Mori that cooperation with a firm ally like Japan would enable the country to maintain peace. But this reference - in the Bush administration's language - to an enhanced security role for Tokyo did not bring forth a response from the Japanese leader, it is said.

Further according to Japanese officials, Mr. Mori is said to have told the President that the present administration must back South Korea's ``sunshine policy'' towards North Korea as this policy intended to promote dialogue with Pyongyang on such issues as its global weapons threat. Mr. Bush is said to have reiterated his call for the U.S., Japan and South Korea to cooperate closely over North Korea.

Mr. Mori's reference to Mr. Kim Dae-jung's sunshine policy vis-a- vis Pyongyang is a clear indication of a concern that the Bush administration is moving away from the earlier approach. Mr. Bush took a hardline against Pyongyang during his recent summit with Mr. Kim; and has told Mr. Mori that Washington is not inclined to resume missile talks with Pyongyang anytime soon.

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Section  : International
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