Japan's new PM committed to U.S. relations, reform
Japan's new PM committed to U.S. relations, reform
TOKYO (Agencies): New Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Friday Japan's alliance with the United States was central to his nation's diplomacy, while vowing to improve ties with Asian neighbors.
Addressing his inaugural news conference as prime minister, Koizumi also vowed to deflect opposition to his reformist policies aimed at salvaging the troubled Japanese economy.
"The basis of Japanese diplomacy and the main base for our prosperity until today have been friendly Japan-U.S. relations," Koizumi said, a day after being elected by parliament to replace the unpopular Yoshiro Mori.
"We should not forget this point," the new leader said, adding he wanted talks with U.S. President George W. Bush "as early as possible."
Koizumi also said "amicable relations with neighboring nations such as China, South Korea and Russia are very important."
In a nod to other Asian countries' resentment at Tokyo's refusal to apologize for its wartime aggression, Koizumi said it was most important for Japan to "regret World War II."
"In a word, the reason why Japan entered that war was that Japan was isolated from the international community," he said, stressing Japan must not be isolated again.
Asian countries, invaded by Japan's Imperial Army before and during World War II, have expressed concern at the new prime minister's nationalist leanings.
Koizumi has said he plans to visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15, the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. The shrine commemorates Japan's war dead, including convicted war criminals.
He said after he became LDP leader on Tuesday that he wanted to revise the constitution to recognize Japan's Self-Defense Forces as a fully fledged military.
The prime minister also vowed not to be swayed from his pledge to carry out drastic reforms of the world's second-biggest economy, although he acknowledged "unexpectedly high tension and heavy pressure."
He had admitted: "I am facing tremendous resistance but I must not be scared by that. I have to stir up my fighting spirit." Koizumi insisted at the news conference "there will be no economic recovery without structural reforms."
Priority
The prime minister said his top priority was to swiftly dispose of bad loans held by banks -- the legacy of the "bubble economy" collapse of the early 1990s -- and liberalizing information-technology.
According to Japanese newspapers, Koizumi passed his first test in introducing fresh faces to his cabinet but had yet to present his reform blueprint.
Koizumi's cabinet features an elderly finance minister and Japan's first woman foreign minister, one of a record five women in the government line-up.
While Koizumi faces thorny tests in his foreign policy, his biggest challenge domestically will be convincing the public he has a winning formula for an economic turnaround ahead of parliamentary polls in July.
Those efforts were complicated Friday with media reports just one day after Koizumi was installed in office saying that highly regarded central banker Masaru Hayami will resign.
It remained unclear what the implications of such a move would be on future economic policy, or why Hayami is reportedly contemplating resignation. However, he had a well-publicized fight with the Liberal Democratic Party over his decision to raise interest rates, a move that angered party elders.
Despite the confusion over Hayami's departure and a slew of bad economic data released on Friday, Koizumi expressed confidence that he could cure the economy.
"We must rethink structural reform from zero," he said. He also indicated that he will not abandon his pet project of privatizing the postal service, which effectively doubles as the world's largest bank.
"Everything the private sector can do, it should do," he said. In what will be his Cabinet's first international test, Koizumi's new finance minister, Masajuro Shiokawa, boarded a flight Friday for a Group of Seven ministerial meeting in Washington.
Japan's role in that meeting will be closely watched.