Bush-MD, Koizumi-Reform, Both Obtained Just Cause

Meeting in the Camp David in the suburb of Washington on 30th last month, the U.S. President George W. Bush and the Japan`s prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi put off the acute issues to the consultation, and made a concession on the major pending agenda respecting each other.

Above all, considering the U.S.`s position, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed the understanding about the Missile Defense (MD) plan which is the U.S.`s greatest concern, and said that Japan will continue the US-Japan joint study. And Koizumi showed the political flexibility by promising to donate to the AIDS fund $200 million as much as the US`s donation.

President Bush embraced Prime Minister Koizumi`s reform package, saying that he supports the reform of the Prime Minister Koizumi.

Successfully, both countries agreed to continue the close dialog on the foreign affairs and the national security, and decided to establish the organization for the economic consultation of the deputy secretary class. The new organization for the economic consultation meeting will be comprised in three levels such as the deputy secretaries, the working-level officials, and the civilians-governmental officials, and will have a first meeting on 4 fields including the deregulation, trade, and investment in the fall this year.

But Japanese Prime Minister failed to persuade the U.S. who announced to withdraw from the Kyoto protocol which was made in order to prevent the global warming, and unsatisfactorily agreed to continue the consultation in the high official level. And both just mentioned to make efforts to solve the issue on the reduction of the U.S.`s military camp in Okinawa.

In fact, this summit talks was meaningful for Mr. Koizumi rather than Mr. Bush.

There have been much suspicion on the diplomatic ability of Mr. Koizumi, although he has gained the supports over 85 percent in home. The Japanese newspapers evaluated that the US-Japan summit meeting was generally successful.

Prime Minister Koizumi has made considerable efforts prior to this summit talks, dispatching to the U.S. the secretary-generals of the allied three parties including the secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party Yamasaki Taku, the foreign affairs minister Danaka Mikiko, and the defense minister Nakatani Ken in order to prepare the summit talks.

Japan viewed the Prime Minister Koizumi`s economic reform policy, which was positively evaluated by the U.S. in this summit talks, as the public promise to the U.S. That is, unless Mr. Koizumi fails to resolve the insolvent bonds and to accomplish the economic restructuring within 2 or 3 years as he pledged, he will lose the confidence of the U.S..

On the other hand, some analysts pointed out that Japanese Prime Minister established the foundation to suppress the domestic opposing parties, by promising to the U.S. the restructuring which has been the biggest pending agenda and making it as an established fact. Mr. Koizumi expressed the sense of satisfaction, saying that ``this was a wonderful meeting in which the heart of both parties were touched``.

Two heads of Japan and the U.S. will have a meeting again in fall in Tokyo.

Shim Kyu-Sun ksshim@donga.com