Japan's new leader more positive on RI
Japan's new leader more positive on RI
JAKARTA (JP): The new leadership in Japan under the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is likely to be even more positive towards Indonesia, an international relations expert said yesterday.
Hero U. Kuntjoro Jakti, executive director for the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Indonesia, said the LDP-led government in Japan will maintain its' focus and pay close attention to Indonesia.
The conservative LDP is very close to big businesses in Japan and thus would likely secure their interests abroad, including in Indonesia, Hero said.
"There's already too much at stake, too much money invested in Indonesia," Hero said, explaining why he thought the new administration in Tokyo would maintain a strong interest in Indonesia.
He was responding to the news from Tokyo yesterday that Socialist Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama was resigning.
Murayama's likely successor, according to reports from Tokyo, was current Minister of Trade and Industry Ryutaro Hashimoto from the LDP, the biggest faction in the ruling coalition.
Hero said the ascendancy of 58-year old Hashimoto is not expected to affect Indonesian-Japanese relations in business and politics.
Japan is Indonesia's main trading partner, its biggest aid donor country, and provides the largest private investment in Indonesia. In December, Tokyo signed an agreement to provide US$1.7 billion in fresh aid for Indonesia.
The two governments have agreed to expand relations between the two countries in the cultural field.
Speaking on the style of leadership likely to arise, Hero believes that Hashimoto will maintain his strong conviction against fighting U.S. dominance in region.
He pointed that as trade minister, Hashimoto was very strong in resisting American demands for market concessions to redress the huge deficit the United States has in its trade with Japan.
Even in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum -- of which the U.S., Japan and Indonesia are all members -- Hashimoto has made efforts to ensure that it is not dominated by Washington, Hero said. (mds)