Prime Minister to New York for U.N. Millennium Summit
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Japan Information and Culture Center, EMBASSY OF JAPAN PRIME MINISTER TO NEW YORK FOR U.N. MILLENNIUM SUMMIT Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori traveled to New York Sept. 5 for the special U.N. Millennium Summit attended by 150 world leaders. In his address, the Prime Minister stressed the need for the world community to concentrate on "human security" in the P new century, so that, "each person on this earth can be free from fear and want and enjoy lasting prosperity," and said "Japan will spare no effort to make the 21st century a human-centered century." He noted that Japan has to date contributed more than $80 million to the U.N. "Human Security Fund," established in March and he pledged $100 million more. Mr. Mori highlighted the need for U.N. reform, the expansion of the Security Council, and the need to stress nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and said Japan will submit a new draft resolution on the elimination of nuclear weapons. Japan, he said, "is resolved to redouble its efforts to more actively fulfill its SEPT 2 0 0 0 responsibility and its role in the international community." The Prime 9 Minister has kept up a busy schedule in acquainting himself with his counterparts, visiting Europe, North America and South Korea in May, CONTENTS meeting with dignitaries from around the globe at the late Prime News Digest Minister Keizo Obuchi's funeral in June, conferring with leaders at the No Russia treaty; Kono in China; North G-8 Okinawa Summit in July, traveling to four South Asian countries in Korea talks; Mideast peace; Oman pact 2 August and hosting numerous heads of state in Tokyo including Russian President Vladimir Putin in early September. The Prime Cell phone boom continues 2 Minister and President Clinton will also be meeting for the fourth time Signs of economic rebound in November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Corporate profits and consumer forum's leaders' meeting in Brunei. Prime Minister Mori has also been spending are up. 3 invited to visit Moscow in the future and will welcome Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji in Tokyo Oct. 12-17, when a hotline between Tokyo and New coins issued 3 Beijing is expected to be established. Going for Olympic gold (see page 2) Japanese athletes have high hopes for Sydney in many sports. 4 Viewpoint Japanese animation, anime, is popular among age groups worldwide. 5 Science Watch The portable DVD player market could reach almost $1 billion in Japan. 6 UNHCR’s Ogata to step down 6 Beyond Differences Japanese-style pottery is an art of a very special kind. 7 The art of Suiseki Collecting and displaying pure objects of nature. 8 Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori prepares to throw out the first pitch at a New York Mets game against the Philadelphia Phillies in New York, Sept. 8. (AP Photo/Osamu Honda) Japan Now is online! www.embjapan.org/jicc.html NEWS DIGEST CELL PHONE BOOM CONTINUES The number of mobile phone users in Japan • STILL NO PEACE TREATY grew 18.7 percent in August from a year earlier, Prime Minister Mori and Russian President underscoring the continued vibrancy of the Putin discussed the lack of a peace treaty wireless market in Japan. According to the between the two nations ending World War Telecommunications Carriers Association there II, due to the unresolved issue of were 60.87 million mobile phone users in the sovereigntyS over the four islands in Japan’s world's No.2 telecom market at the end of Northern Territories. The two sides agreed in 1997 August. That means nearly half of Japan's to make the utmost efforts to conclude a peace population of 126.7 million had access to treaty, resolving the territorial issues, by the year mobile telephones. 2000, and Prime Minister Mori told a news conference “We agreed to keep discussing it.” • TRILATERAL APPROACH ADVANCES. President Putin said, “Russia and Japan begin the Meanwhile, Japan, the U.S. and South Korea said on new millennium on a fundamentally sound Sept. 1 that their various negotiations with North footing...as strategic partners. The two leaders Korea have made progress and their coordinated signed package of cooperation agreements in a response to Pyongyang is the basis for lasting peace variety of areas. They also pledged cooperation in on the Korean peninsula. The three countries the international arena, in such areas as North reaffirmed their common approach after a meeting of Korea, nuclear non-proliferation and terrorism. Russia the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group in also said it supports a permanent seat for Japan on the Seoul. The delegations also “welcomed the progress” at United Nations Security Council. President Putin Cabinet-level talks between the North and the South invited the Prime Minister to visit Moscow. “and hoped the process of regular dialogue, established • KONO VISITS BEIJING. during the historic summit of June 13-15 between the Foreign Minister Yohei Kono traveled to China two Korean leaders, would expand and deepen.” Aug. 28-31 to lay the groundwork for the visit to • SEARCHING FOR MIDEAST PEACE. Tokyo of Zhu Rongji, Premier of the State Council Shimon Peres, special envoy of Prime Minister Ehud in October, and to discuss increased Chinese naval Barak of Israel and former prime minister, visited activities near Japan and the regional situation in Japan on Aug. 14-15, and Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Korean peninsula and other areas. Mr. Kono the Palestine Liberation Organization visited on Aug. and Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan agreed 17-18. They both had talks with Prime Minister Mori to step up the security dialogue between the two and Foreign Minister Kono. The purpose was for both nations and to inform each other of scientific sides to explain last month’s summit at Camp David. expeditions around each others waters. Mr. Kono Special Envoy Peres stated that the Palestinian side called the meetings a “meaningful step forward.” was not ready to make necessary compromises. Japan provides $3.6 billion in aid to China annually, Japanese officials expressed hope that the and its aid has totalled $22.73 billion in the 20 negotiations would resume as soon as possible. years to March 1999. Chairman Arafat expressed gratitude for Japan’s • NORTH KOREA NORMALIZATION TALKS. support to date, and explained the sufferings of the The 10th round of normalization talks between Palestinian people. Japan urged the Palestinian Japan and North Korea took place from Aug. 21-24 leader not to declare unilateral independence and in Tokyo. The talks were attended on the Japanese further pursue a negotiated settlement. side by Ambassador Kojiro Takano, head of the • RESEARCH AGREEMENT WITH OMAN. Japanese delegation, and on the North Korean side Japan and Oman have signed an agreement to set by Ambassador Jong Thae Wha, head of the North up a $6 million research center to improve fish Korean delegation. In a statement they said they quality for exports. The pact involves building had a sincere exchange of views in order to achieve laboratories, a quality control center and marketing training facilities. The work will start this month JAPAN the establishment of good neighborly JAPANNOW relations and friendship, to improve bilateral and Japan will pay most of the cost. The project NOW relations and promote mutual trust. They also said will help Oman further conform with international they agreed to increase exchanges in political, standards for fish exports which go primarily to the 2 economic and other fields and to hold the next European Union and amount to annual revenues of round of normalization talks in October. over $135 million a year. MORE SIGNS OF NEW COINS ISSUED ECONOMIC REBOUND In early August Japan began issuing new coins in an effort to begin replacing all 2.5 billion of its 500 yen (roughly 50 cents) coins in For the first time in three years the circulation, after finding increased forgeries in Japanese economy is back on a growth path. its ubiquitous vending machines. Cases of faked Inflation-adjusted real-term gross domestic or forged coins in the machines are increasing, product rose by 0.5 percent in and the Finance Ministry says the problem has fiscal 1999 (April 1999 to March 2000) been compounded by the importation of South F Korean 500 won coins, which work in Japanese after two years of decline. It was a burst of speed from January to March 2000, when growth came in machines. The new coins will contain zinc so at a sizzling 10 percent in annual terms, that the machines can differentiate. produced the positive figure. With corporate profitability recovering and the information-technology in three years, coming in at 1.8 percent over the (IT) revolution continuing, plant and equipment previous quarter. Because 2000 is a leap year, investment has bottomed out. Consumer spending is though, this figure exaggerates the strength of recent also looking up. consumption. The question now is the extent Reviewing the latest data, the Economic stepped-up production and improved corporate Planning Agency determined that “the trough of the profits will translate into higher wages. On July 4 cycle was in April 1999.” In its Monthly Economic the Bank of Japan released the findings of its Report for June it reported, “Movement toward an June Tankan, the quarterly survey of short-term autonomous recovery of the Japanese economy is business confidence. Big manufacturers had a gradually building.” Based on this view, the positive outlook, as they have for six quarters. government judged that the economic outlook had While there is evidence of an upturn the improved. But there are causes of concern, such as road ahead is by no means clear.