Stronger ties under Obama by Japanese ministers

Source: TMC net
Japanese Cabinet ministers expressed high hopes for strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance under the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama ahead of his inauguration Tuesday.
"What is most important is that we continue to make the Japan-U.S. alliance a firm one even when there is a change in administration," Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said. "It is necessary to further our close contact over international issues, especially the current economic problem."

"It will be a start under extremely tough circumstances in foreign policy, domestic economy and finance," Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said separately. "But I believe the public has very high expectations and I hope he will weather the storm."

Kaoru Yosano, minister of state for economic and fiscal policy, said he hopes the Obama administration will enable smooth global trade relations and capital transactions.

Citing the U.S. Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which raised U.S. tariffs to historically high levels, and the spread of protectionism worldwide afterwards, Yosano added, "It is in this kind of difficult times that one must uphold the free trade regime and that is my biggest expectation for the new U.S. administration."

Foreign Minister Nakasone also said Japan believes it important to work with the United States to resolve issues related to North Korea, including its denuclearization as well as the unresolved cases of its abductions of Japanese nationals.

Nakasone expressed hope for Prime Minister Taro Aso to meet Obama, and for himself to meet incoming Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, "as soon as possible," but gave no details.

Japan's relations with the United States, its closest ally, peaked in recent years under former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. He established a close relationship with U.S. President George W. Bush and was instrumental in deploying Japanese forces to Iraq in 2003 in support of U.S. operations there.

But the alliance suffered several dents during Bush's eight years in office, most recently over Washington's removal of North Korea from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism despite a strong call from Tokyo to first see progress on the abduction issue.