Trust has been built between leaders of each country by continued efforts on both sides and through concrete results. Prime Minister Noda should do the same thing.
Prime Minster Noda visited the United States and met with President Barack Obama.
The president said, “Japan is a key ally and partner with whom we have wide cooperation.”* The prime minister remarked on U.S. military support since the earthquake disaster, and said that “without a doubt, the U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of Japanese diplomacy.”
Both leaders agreed that a safe first face-to-face meeting helps deepen the U.S.-Japan alliance. On the other hand, the president made many specific requests of Japan that the prime minster needs to accept.
“We are approaching a period where you need to see results,” expressed the president, with strong hope of future progress on the Futenma Airbase relocation problem.** The prime minster responded, “I will do my best to gain the understanding of the Okinawans.”
Former Prime Ministers Hatoyama and Kan incessantly preached the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance — but the United States must be distrustful because Japan did not follow up with action and kept putting off addressing specific issues.
If the relocation of the Futenma Airbase to Henoko doesn’t materialize it could create a permanent and dangerous situation, which could also have a negative impact on the relocation to Guam of current Marines stationed on Okinawa. The Japanese government needs to speed up negotiations with Okinawans in order to make progress in relocation.
The president pressed Japan for progress on the problem of restricted U.S. beef imports and also asked that Japan participate in the Hague Treaty, which deals with parental rights with their children in international divorce situations. He asked that Japan quickly reform their domestic laws.
Prime Minster Noda sought understanding when he explained what needs to happen to sign the Hague Treaty. He also showed his desire to find “an acceptable solution that both sides can agree on” to the beef problem. For the alliance to be strengthened there must not be a lack of effort to move these old, nagging problems forward.
About the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP), the prime minster simply stated, “I hope to gather all the problems together and then conclude them as soon as possible.”
Nine countries, including the United States, are looking to get an agreement on the general framework of the TPP at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting which is scheduled for the middle of November. The prime minster believes that November is the deadline for Japan to decide whether to participate or not, and so he must lead in creating domestic reform.
As for the issue of North Korea, both leaders from Japan and the United States agreed to maintain a close-knit relationship between North Korea, Japan and the United States. At a leadership summit between Japan and South Korea, that same policy was confirmed.
In order to elicit specific actions by North Korea to abandon its nuclear program, it is essential that Japan, the U.S. and South Korea work together along with China to increase pressure on North Korea.
*Editor’s Note: This quotation, accurately translated, could not be verified.
**Translator’s Note: Kurt Campbell, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, seemed to say that, rather than President Obama.
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