Aso, ministers congratulate Obama; look to stronger Japan-U.S. alliance

Wednesday 21st January, 06:01 AM JST

TOKYO —

Prime Minister Taro Aso congratulated the launch of the new U.S. administration under President Barack Obama and pledged to make the Japan-U.S. alliance stronger by joining hands with the new president.

‘‘I’d like to extend congratulations for the inauguration’’ of Obama after fighting through the extraordinarily long election campaign, Aso told reporters. ‘‘Japan and the United States are alliance partners that share universal values and strategic interests. I am confident that the two countries, which lead the world, can make a better future by orchestrating our knowledge, will, passion and strategy.’‘

Aso also expressed hope that Obama will exercise outstanding leadership and make significant achievements to overcome challenges, including the harsh economic conditions, by leading his excellent teams to tackle various areas such as diplomacy, defense and economy.

‘‘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 in a statement. ‘‘It is necessary to further our close contact over international issues, especially the current economic problem.’‘

Diplomatic focus is now on how Japan could cooperate with Obama in dealing with the reconstruction of Afghanistan, the key policy challenge of the new U.S. president.

In addition, Tokyo will seek to expand the cooperative areas of the two countries to climate change, nuclear arms reduction and support for Africa, the sources said.

‘‘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 afterward, 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.’‘

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 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.

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Latest 15 of 18 Total Comments Show All

kwatt at 10:20 AM JST - 21st January

Nobody knows Mr. Obama will be a really good president for all. Wait and see. Once all people thought Mr. Bush would be a good president on inauguration day. Personally I think he was a good president.
williamsmith at 10:35 AM JST - 21st January

Aso has no mandate from the Japanese electorate. I think a properly elected prime minister should be the one talking with Obama.
smithinjapan at 10:51 AM JST - 21st January

If Obama doesn't like comics, Japan is screwed.
wuzzademcrat at 11:17 AM JST - 21st January

"If Obama doesn't like comics, Japan is screwed."

Obama was born in and grew up in Hawaii. I can assure you he knows plenty about things Japanese. I'm surprised at how many Japanese have been to Hawaii and yet so many fail to imagine Obama had contact with the Nissei there - they are the largest single "ethnic" group on the islands. Seems to me they are selling themselves short. I don't watch TV but surely they have reporters looking into Obama's Hawaii days, yeah?
smithinjapan at 12:46 PM JST - 21st January

Obama has very little in common, if anything, with Taro Aso, and while I have NO DOUBT both will seek to reaffirm ties to each other, Obama is going to be less open than his predecessor to bilateral issues like the abduction issue. Obama is also more likely to first and foremost focus on domestic issues (economy) and on the ME when dealing with International. Denuclearization will be a major issue as well, but will take a bit of a backseat to the aforementioned, and will not take the angle Japan wishes it to. Hence, Aso could be in a bit of 'trouble', if they have no more commonalities.
shreeree at 01:07 PM JST - 21st January

"Once all people thought Mr. Bush would be a good president on inauguration day."

Kwatt say "some" People thought Bush would make a good president because alot of us thought he won playing dirty poker. One word. "Florida" his brother's was running things down there and he assured that alot of voters did not make it to the polls in time with road blocks. So Bush went in under controversy and he's leaving the same way. If it worked out for you that's great, maybe this time it won't and you will empathize wih others who have been having a hard time of it under the Bush administration.
Spanishwoman at 01:41 PM JST - 21st January

I am confident that the two countries, which lead the world, can make a better future by orchestrating our knowledge, will, passion and strategy.’’ > Japan leads the world in technology, but I don't think he should have compared both countries globally as world leaders. Gotta be kidding.

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. > I hope Mr. Obama believes it is important to work with Japan to resolve issues like the abductions of "half" Japanese children by the Japanese parent to Japan, which currently is legal in Japan because they refuse to sign the Hague Convention.

Nakasone expressed hope for Aso to meet Obama, and for himself to meet incoming Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, ‘‘as soon as possible,’’ but gave no details. > Will he ask her to make tea for him?

Aso was not elected by the people, unlike Obama. I wonder how he feels when he sees the crowds yelling Obama's name. Must be hard to feel that you are a PM who has not been elected by your people.
chardk1 at 01:44 PM JST - 21st January

I doubt Aso has much to worry about, whomever is leading the Japanese charge for strong U.S.-Japan relations under an Obama administration, it isn't likely to be him for any significant period of time.
zurcronium at 02:18 PM JST - 21st January

Aso wont be around long so it makes no difference.
wuzzademcrat at 02:40 PM JST - 21st January

"If Obama doesn't like comics, Japan is screwed."

How any foreigner can live in Japan with that level of bile rising in his throat is beyond me.

I have visited Hawaii numerous times and spent almost a year in total there. I'd wager Obama has considerable knowledge of and fondness for the Japanese. Aside from his lunatic 'reverend' and the hysterical, token, obligatory references to the bombing of Hiroshima, which Obama and his ghost writer Bill Ayers threw to the Left in Obama's 'autobiography', I think he may surprise people on this score.
cleo at 02:56 PM JST - 21st January

"If Obama doesn't like comics, Japan is screwed."

How any foreigner can live in Japan with that level of bile rising in his throat is beyond me.

It surprises me that anyone can see any bile in the statement. It's a simple, easy-shot jab at Aso, his well-known love of comics, his sad attempts to use that to give himself the 'common' touch, and his well-known inability to read simple kanji, as in books with lots of words and no pictures. The intellectual Obama will have to duck down quite a bit to reach Aso's level (whereas his predecessor had to stand on tippy-toe, and still couldn't reach.)
timorborder at 02:59 PM JST - 21st January

As I wrote in another post, it will be business as usual in US-Japan relations as Japan continues to pleasure the US with its metaphorical tongue.
On a more serious note, I wish NHK and the Japanese press in general would get over Obama's blxckness. His color is irrelevent. He is a proud son of the United States and now its supreme leader. There is just something uncomfortable about calling people blxck, especially in this day and age.
wuzzademcrat at 06:16 PM JST - 21st January

"On a more serious note, I wish NHK and the Japanese press in general would get over Obama's blxckness. His color is irrelevent. He is a proud son of the United States and now its supreme leader. There is just something uncomfortable about calling people blxck, especially in this day and age."

Your business as usual critique and the analogy about Japan pleasuring the US with its metaphorical tongue applies here as well. It's business as sual for NHK and co., they are just imitating the mainstream media in the US, who can't stop pleasuring Obama, and obsessing about his 'blackness' is part of that.
Ranger_Miffy at 07:37 AM JST - 22nd January

Kwatt,

And just what exactly is your definition of "a good president"? Don't give me the line about how safe America was kept...which is a bald-faced, self-serving lie. Give it up! Let's see what a good president is really like and reevaluate your statement four years from now.
johancohen at 10:38 AM JST - 26th January

what exactly is Japan without America?