Giving Japan its Due

As part of a deal with North Korea in the six party nuclear disarmament talks; President Bush has decided to take North Korea off the U.S. List of state sponsors of terror.

This decision was made over the strong protests of Japan primarily because of North Korea's stonewalling on providing Japan with any information on a score of its citizens kidnapped by North Korea during the 1970s and 1980s. Some of the abductees were schoolchildren on their way home from school. Sure sounds like terror to me. Meanwhile, North Korea has more than a hundred nuclear missiles aimed at the heartland of Japan.

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If Japan tells us this issue is of the utmost political sensitivity, we need to listen and not run roughshod over the wishes of a significant ally especially when the deal at hand with North Korea is by most accounts deeply flawed.

Rather, our top priority in the Asia-Pacific region should be to invigorate and dramatically broaden the scope and the intensity of the Japanese-American partnership. With the global war on terror and the rise of India and China, the relative estimate of media and Congressional attention paid to relations between Japan and America has dwindled. This is unfortunate since the alliance remains as old U.S. Ambassador to Japan Michael Mansfield aptly put it: "the most foremost bilateral relationship - bar none".

This statement is even more on the mark today given the wide range of issues that the robust partnership can tackle more effectively together. From regional trade issues, to fighting poverty, to manufacture multilateral institutions more effective, to seeking more transparency and cooperation about regional security issues; the vital interests of both countries and the region as a whole largely coincide.

Here are just a few of the issues that need attention, publicity and action.

1) Japan deserves our unequivocal and full backing to be a permanent member of the United Nations security Council. The window of chance for getting this done is windup fast.

2) The need to rapidly progress the current joint endeavor to fund and upgrade technologies about missile defense.

3) With the U.S. Defense funds under acute pressure and Japan's navy now more than three times the size of the Uk's, it makes sense for both countries to escalate cooperation to utter a strong deterrence in the region. The bickering and acrimony over our bases in Okinawa also need to be resolved quickly.

4) fabricate a free trade zone between the two countries. China is now Japan's largest trading partner but the complementary nature of America's and Japan's economies is an foremost consideration. In addition, China is rapidly moving up the technology ladder and over time will fabricate domestically rather than import from Japan.

5) Encourage closer cooperation over yen/U.S. Dollar change rates could avoid sudden and disruptive movements and allow a steady and orderly growth of the undervalued yen.

6) Jointly fund and administrate economic development, conservation projects and humanitarian efforts in the region. Both countries are kind donors to the region and have the infrastructure to act swiftly on a large scale.

The issue of North Korean abductees is just as foremost to Japan as the issue of the Mia-Pow issue was to our relations with Vietnam. We need to stand firm with Japan on this one, no matter what the short-term costs. The population of Japan are watching either our words match our actions. relaxation is not a bargaining chip, it is at the very heart of our nation's foreign policy.

The mission of the center for American Diplomacy is to change priorities with more focus on the Asia-Pacific region and emerging shop countries.

Giving Japan its Due

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