The U.S.-Japan Relationship in 2004

I think sometimes -- when I have a moment to think -- that America and Japan are very different places. We are separated by a giant body of water; we have different heritages, different cultures, and when I was a young man, we were fighting each other in the Pacific in a great war. So, my friends, why? Why, then, have Japan and the United States grown to be such friends?

There are probably a thousand reasons why that's so, but I'm going to suggest one that perhaps you would like to think about. Because both countries have a highly developed economic system based on free market principles; we believe in the rule of law; we have educated populations, and by and large we're committed to the advancement of science and technology; we have an appreciation for culture -- our own and those of others. But there's one thing that stands out in my view, about Japan and the United States, that I believe has an effect on our friendship and our togetherness, and that is that we are perhaps the most efficient and effective participatory democracies in the world.

There are many democracies in the world in name. There are many who profess to be democracies. But democracy to me means a structure of government and society that honestly tries to hear what people have to say, and then translate that into useful public policy. I think Japan does that, as does America, to a remarkable degree. I think we do the same in America; I think that is of great value to both our nations. We fight, quarrel, debate, agree, disagree, either at the polling place or debated by our own elected representatives in the Congress and in the Diet. But in the final analysis, we reach a solution, and we establish a policy. And that policy is right for our countries because it represents the distillation of the combined genius of our people. That, my friends, I believe is our greatest asset, in both countries, in America and Japan. We hear and we understand what our people have to say. We have democratic systems that are very efficient at translating that into public policy.

Another reason we have been able to so effectively serve as allies is a result of the excellent working relationship between our leaders. I remember when Prime Minister Koizumi first visited with President Bush at Camp David, near Washington, and later at the President's ranch in Crawford, Texas, in June of 2001. I was present on both occasions, and saw the two men interact with each other. Since those two occasions, our two leaders have met on other numerous occasions -- perhaps more than any of their predecessors, most recently last month in Santiago, Chile. Many say that the rapport they have established equals or exceeds that of the famed affection and goodwill that existed between former Prime Minister Nakasone and President Ronald Reagan. President Bush and everyone in this administration involved with Japan respect your Prime Minister's energy, decisiveness, and imagination. His rise and the leadership he has shown have brought Japan heightened respect and admiration from the world community. I think it is fair to say that the Prime Minister took Japan by storm when he emerged on the political scene in 2001.

At the same time, on the U.S. side, the first Bush Cabinet made it a priority to reinvigorate the alliance with Japan. And Secretary of State Powell, as well as Deputy Secretary Armitage, and leaders at the Pentagon, as well as our National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice -- who soon will be our Secretary of State -- they all came to office with the intention of bringing Japan to the fore of our policies. And my friends, I do believe that's what happened. Of course, both Prime Minister Koizumi and President Bush had been returned to office during 2004. I would also point out that in the last year Secretary Powell, Deputy Secretary Armitage, and National Security Advisor Rice have all come to Japan and have all had an opportunity to have face-to-face meetings with their counterparts. And I've mentioned, as you know, President Bush has nominated Condoleezza Rice to be Secretary Powell's successor to head the Department of State and to be our highest ranking officer on the formulation of foreign policy.

One of the issues that have been carefully discussed between our two countries in the last year has been the task of setting a free and independent Iraq on the course of peace and progress. It was almost exactly a year ago that Japan decided to send Self Defense Forces to Iraq on a humanitarian mission and to help reconstruct that country. And just last week the government made the decision to extend that mission. It is important to note that Japan's decisions to send troops and to extend their mission were just that -- Japan's decisions. Often this is portrayed as Japan following the U.S. in lockstep, or succumbing to American pressure. And I can tell you that it was entirely up to Japan to decide. Of course my country applauds the decision to extend the SDF mission, because it is recognizes the fact that the road to freedom and democracy -- and peace -- is not easy, but we have no alternative but to stay the course, to support the Iraqis who yearn to have a country that is not dominated by a brutal dictator or by criminals who would capture and kill innocent civilians. The news we hear daily from Iraq makes it clear that those who oppose a peaceful and democratic Iraq will not stop at anything to disrupt the progress that is made. The civilized world -- with the United States and Japan in the forefront -- cannot allow these forces of terror to frighten their own citizens and the rest of the world into giving them power. As difficult as it is, we cannot run away from our responsibilities as world leaders. Indeed, Japan has displayed an extraordinary amount of leadership -- not only by sending SDF forces to Iraq, but by being one of the biggest donors of Iraqi reconstruction, by hosting the last donors' conference on Iraq, and by working energetically to forge an international consensus for Iraqi debt relief.

The President and the American people deeply appreciate the contribution that Japan is making in the war against terror in Iraq, and in Afghanistan. Early on, Japan made the bold decision to dispatch Marine Self Defense Force vessels to the Indian Ocean. Japan's leadership was further heightened by its hosting a conference on Afghanistan in 2002, here in Tokyo. And co-chairing the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan, which was held in Berlin last March.

Thanks in large part to Japan's continuing support in Afghanistan, October 9th of this year marked a very important milestone in the country's path to democracy, when the country's first democratic elections were successfully held. That success would not have been possible had it not been for Japanese leadership and generous economic aid. Japan even played a direct role in ensuring that things ran smoothly on election day by providing sufficient funding to the UNDP to assist with voter registration and the carrying out of the election itself. In addition, Japan contributed to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process and dispatched a team to monitor the elections, as well.

The U.S. and Japan are also partners in dealing with an ominous threat to our security and the stability of this region -- and I speak of the development of nuclear weapons by the unpredictable and dangerous regime in North Korea. We are united in our determination to counter this threat, and we agree that the solution lies in diplomacy, and the six-party framework as an expression of that diplomacy. Japan supports the U.S. in the view that through this process we must move toward ensuring that North Korea dismantle its nuclear program in a manner that is complete, permanent, transparent, and subject to effective verification. We have consistently stated that we are ready to resume the six-party talks without any preconditions. Let me add that, in my opinion, this multilateral diplomatic approach for resolving issues with North Korea gets far too little attention from those who criticize the United States as being too "unilateral." We look forward to working closely with Japan in the months ahead to achieve progress along these lines. At the same time we have supported Japan's ongoing negotiations on the very sensitive issue of Japanese abductees.

The United States and Japan have cooperated in another multilateral approach by resolving the problems of nuclear proliferation. In October of this year, the U.S., Japan, and other allies concluded a training exercise under the Proliferation Security Initiative. Japan hosted this important exercise in Tokyo Bay, proving yet again its commitment to the global war on terror. Japan’s Coast Guard and Maritime Self Defense Forces, working in coordination with vessels from the United States, Australia, France, and other countries from the Asian region and beyond, demonstrated to would-be proliferators that the spread of weapons of mass destruction will not be tolerated.

Another challenge we have faced, and will continue to face in the coming years, is how to deal with the nuclear question in Iran. The U.S., Japan, and the Europeans and the world community at large feel it is vital to keep Iran free of nuclear weapons. We are committed to that goal and we will work with the Europeans, through the UN Security Council, and with every other nation that shares the goal, to bring Iran around to a transparency and to build confidence in the region.

The threat of terrorism worldwide is likely to remain a top concern of people in both the United States and Japan for the foreseeable future. I have already talked about the progress we have made in our counterterrorism efforts in 2004. Joint efforts in addressing this threat will certainly continue in the years ahead in important areas such as Proliferation Security Initiative. We will also continue to cooperate to stem the flow of terrorist assets in the international banking system. In the coming year, we also look forward to Japan's cooperation in helping ensure greater stability in the Middle East and thereby countering the forces of extremism. While the Palestinian people continue to mourn Yasser Arafat, a new leadership is deciding how they will organize themselves and prepare for elections. The world community must convince the new Palestinian leaders to clamp down on terrorism. At the same time, proponents of the so-called "roadmap," including the United States and Japan, need to convince the Israeli side to go forward with their disengagement plan from Gaza and from certain settlements in the West Bank. The United States has clearly indicated to both sides that we are prepared to help them develop their political dialogue and to move toward the support (inaudible).

My friends, there is a great deal of talk these days about the relationship between Japan and China, just as there is great interest in the China-U.S. relationship. It is difficult for me to sum up these relationships in a few words, but it is clear to me that the China-U.S. relationship and, indeed, the China-Japan relationship, are among the most important in the entire world. I think much progress has been made in the relationship between China and the United States. Trade and investment flows are at an all-time high, and there are probably fewer diplomatic and military disputes between China and the United States than at any time in recent history. In fact, the cooperation between China, Japan, and the United States in regard to the six party talks is an example of close cooperation among these three countries. The China-Japan relationship can be summed up in much the same way as the China-U.S. relationship. Trade between Japan and China is booming. Japanese investment in China has been growing steadily. By the same token, I think that the dangers in the Straits of Taiwan are very real and that is one of the most difficult danger points in the entire world. Our hope is embodied in our policy to urge China to use restraint and to refrain from a military solution with respect to Taiwan. Some view China's rise with alarm, and view it as a growing power that we must fear. Others are convinced that China presents no threat, only economic opportunities. And as always, I believe the truth perhaps lies somewhere in between. We must be watchful of the potential to threaten, but aware of the possibilities to work with relationship and the leadership of China across a broad spectrum of issues, as the U.S. and Japan are attempting to today.

Now looking to the economic and trade side of the bilateral relationship, it seems clear to me that we've moved away from the era of bilateral trade disputes, our concerns now centering around supporting Prime Minister Koizumi's effort to sustain a strong Japanese economic recovery. We would like to see a Japanese economy that lives up to its potential and serves as a global engine for growth. Unless Japan's economic vitality and growth is restored, we fear that Japan will gradually lose its influence in the world and, along with that, Japan's ability to work with us to promote peace, democracy and economic growth. Economic growth will also ensure that Japan can meet its own domestic challenges, including meeting the needs of an increasingly aging population. There are encouraging signs of economic recovery. The Japanese government efforts in this regard must be sustained. The U.S. supports the positive steps the Japanese government has taken so far to deal with non-performing loans and other problems in the financial sector. The U.S. has also encouraged further efforts toward deregulation and supports the establishment of special deregulatory zones, which exemplify the Prime Minister’s decision to leave to locality what they can do. The U.S. hopes that this will lead to more regional development and with it greater American and foreign direct investment, as investors are drawn to these new vibrant economic areas.

The U.S.-Japan economic partnership for growth, which also grew out of the close relationship between our two leaders, helps to ensure that we also continue working together to pave the way for policies that will lead to economic growth in both our countries. We look forward to cooperating with Japan in the year ahead to ensure greater deregulation of certain key sectors, including healthcare, education, energy, IT and telecommunications.

On the trade side, the past year has witnessed a ban on beef trade between our two countries. This is an important issue, and I am encouraged by recent bilateral discussions, which are paving the way for a resumption of two-way trade in beef. Both sides have work to do to ensure that we follow the framework that was established last October. In working on the necessary regulations to allow Japanese beef into the United States, we are moving ahead with due diligence and a true desire to establish a verifiable program to provide safe U.S. beef to the Japanese consumer. I trust that my Japanese colleagues also share that same commitment to restoring that trade as soon as possible.

My friends, during the past year, you have all heard so many rumors about the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, and I am sure everyone may be confused. Thankfully, Deputy Secretary Armitage and Secretary Powell used their recent visits here as opportunities to move the dialog about these issues away from speculation. As Secretary Powell said after meeting Foreign Minister Machimura in October, we are expanding our dialog about the deployment and transformation of U.S. military forces in Japan to a more strategic level. It is important that we understand each other's strategic concept, so that all of the separate issues about bases and roles and missions are grounded in that larger vision.

The U.S.-Japan security alliance is the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in this part of the world, and I think both of our countries have a responsibility to maintain that. So we need to come up with solutions that help us maintain the alliance and meet the needs of both countries.

In that regard, I remember what Secretary Rumsfeld told the governor of Okinawa a little over a year ago. He told the governor that the fundamental policy of the United States is that we recognize the burden that we have placed on Okinawa and we wish to reduce it. We cannot forget, of course, that U.S. Forces are in this country to guarantee the security of Japan. Their presence has contributed directly to peace and security in the entire region.

Let me add one final thought on this topic. Whatever is done that affects our security treaty will be done in close consultation between our two countries, and that takes time, but it is true to the spirit of our relationship. We stand together in the search for peace. We stand together in the hope that we can contribute to the stability, not only of the Asian-Pacific region, but to other regions of the world as well.

And finally, let me say that it once again it is a pleasure to be with you here. My wife and I have many friends in Japan, and over the course of our stay here, there have been many good times. We have traveled extensively; we’ve admired your culture; we have learned something about your country and its people; and it has been a remarkable opportunity. But I must also add, my friends, that some say I’m an amateur diplomat, but rather a committed photographer, so it has also been a magnificent opportunity for me to gratify my wish to photograph this great country. The thing that stands out most in my mind is the warmth and friendship of the Japanese people.