POLITICAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM

POLITICAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM

he promotion of closer working relations between ’s leaders and their overseas T counterparts through political exchange has long been a core element of JCIE’s activi- ties. The Political Exchange Program dates back to 1968, when the first U.S.-Japan Parliamentary Exchange brought eight Congressional members to for an unprece- dented program of meetings and discussion sessions with leading Japanese political and social figures. In the ensuing years, JCIE broadened its programs, establishing additional exchanges for young political leaders from Japan and the United States (1973), for senior U.S. Congressional staff (1982), and for young Australian and Japanese political leaders (1991). To date, nearly 1,000 individual political leaders have taken part in one or more of these exchange programs. While the initial emphasis of these exchanges was generally on deepening mutual under- standing and building bilateral networks of leaders, dramatic changes in the international and domestic environment have encouraged JCIE to increasingly stress the objective of offering political leaders the opportunity for dialogue on common challenges. This evolution has been accompanied by a significant expansion in the role of Japanese politicians in policymaking that has made political exchange even more meaningful. Also, in response to the growing needs of political leaders for broader networks and new sources of information, JCIE has further expanded its programs to include frequent study meetings for Diet members with visiting foreign leaders and other experts. It has also increas- ingly involved political leaders in many of its study and dialogue projects, particularly the younger generation of Diet members and other politicians who are now gaining influence and who have limited experience with substantive international exchange and dialogue. T REPOR ANNUAL JCIE 2001–2003

36 • POLITICAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM U.S.-Japan Parliamentary Exchange Program

U.S.-Japan Parliamentary Exchange Program cials spoke with the delegation about Japan’s foreign policy, U.S.-Japan relations, and The U.S.-Japan Parliamentary Exchange regional security issues. In addition, Economy Program was initiated in 1968, making it the Minister Heizo Takenaka, senior Ministry of longest-running exchange of its kind. The Economy and Trade (METI) officials, and sev- annual weeklong exchange visits of Japanese eral Japanese corporate leaders and entrepre- and American parliamentary delegations at the neurs met with the delegates to discuss Japan’s core of this program typically consist of a economic outlook and issues related to infor- series of high-level meetings, briefings, and mation technology. One of the high points of working sessions with leaders from diverse the program was a public symposium, cospon- sectors of society. In response to the evolving sored by the Japan Institute for Social and needs of political leaders, this program has Economic Affairs (Keizai Koho Center), where continued to become more substantive in the delegates shared their views with an audi- nature, shifting in focus from purely bilateral ence of almost 200 opinion leaders in a lively relations to the regional and global role of the panel discussion on “Political and Economic U.S.-Japan partnership. For example, in 1997, Developments in the United States after JCIE initiated the Joint Parliamentary Study and September 11.” Dialogue Project on U.S.-Japan Security Relations in Asia Pacific in order to promote a Participants: deeper understanding of the bilateral security Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) relationship among members of Congress and Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC) the Diet. Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) 25th U.S. Congressional Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) Delegation to Japan Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) The six members of the 25th U.S. Congressional Delegation visited Japan on March 24–30, 2002, Study Group for Young and exchanged views with over 30 Diet mem- Members of the Diet bers, including the top leaders of the three Since 1997, as part of the Joint Parliamentary largest political parties— (sec- Study and Dialogue Project on U.S.-Japan retary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party), Security Relations in Asia Pacific, JCIE has

Naoto Kan (secretary-general of the organized multiparty study groups of young, T Democratic Party of Japan), and Tetsuzo emerging Diet members that meet with lead-

Fuyushiba (secretary-general of the New ing foreign experts from the fields of REPOR )—as well as former Prime Minister academia, policy, government, business, and

Tsutomu Hata. U.S. Ambassador Howard media in order to enhance their understanding ANNUAL Baker, Foreign Minister , and of international affairs. In FY2001 and FY2002, high-ranking Ministry of Foreign Affairs offi- meetings were held with such notable leaders JCIE 2001–2003

POLITICAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM • 37

U.S.-Japan Congressional Staff Exchange Program

as Ambassador Howard Baker (former U.S. staffers from almost all of the major Japanese Senate majority leader; former White House parties. The discussion focused on similarities chief of staff), William Cohen (former U.S. sec- and differences in the U.S. and Japanese leg- retary of defense), Ambassador Thomas Foley islative policy advice systems. In addition, they (former ambassador to Japan; former speaker served as speakers for a panel discussion on of the U.S. House of Representatives), political and economic development in the Ambassador Richard Haass (State Department United States after September 11. The event, policy planning director), and Ezra Vogel (pro- which was cosponsored with the Japan fessor, Harvard University). Institute for Social and Economic Affairs (Keizai Koho Center), attracted an audience of U.S.-Japan Congressional Staff more than 200 political, business, and NGO Exchange Program leaders. In recognition of the vital role that Congressional staff play in the U.S. legislative Participants: and policy processes, JCIE established the U.S. Deana Funderburk, Policy Assistant to House Congressional Staff Exchange in 1982 with the Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-TX) intention of helping them gain a greater under- Mandy Kenney, Deputy Legislative Director to Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA) standing of Japan’s policymaking process and Brian MacDonald, Chief of Staff to the current social, political, and economic Representative Greg Walden (R-OR) trends. The participants, typically senior staff Erik Raven, Legislative Assistant to Senator in the fields of security, economics, and for- Robert C. Byrd for Foreign Policy, Defense, eign policy, take part in an intensive one-week and Veterans (D-WV) study program that involves meetings and Ronald Reese, Director of External Affairs to briefings with a wide range of experts. Over Chairman John Boehner (R-OH) its two-decade history, 127 staffers serving Todd Rosenblum, Legislative Assistant to Congressional members from both parties Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN) have visited Japan on this program, bringing Lawrence Willcox, Tax Counsel to Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) their heightened understanding of the U.S.- Japan relationship and the politics of Japanese policymaking back to their work in the U.S. Congress.

T Seven participants in the 17th U.S. Congressional Staff Exchange visited Tokyo

REPOR during the week of February 17–24, 2002. Highlights of their visit included a meeting

ANNUAL with Minister , head of the Defense Agency, and a roundtable discus- sion—the first of its kind—with 21 Diet policy JCIE 2001–2003

38 • POLITICAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM U.S.-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program

U.S.-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program for a series of meetings and briefings from leaders such as Taku Yamasaki Since 1973, the U.S.-Japan Young Political (secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Leaders Exchange Program has been jointly Party) and Masahiro Ishii. operated by JCIE and the American Council of In June 2002, members of the 17th Young Political Leaders (ACYPL). This inten- Japanese delegation were briefed on sive two-week study program is designed to Congressional operations by Representative expose young political leaders from each Greg Walden (R-OR), a 1991 delegate, and dis- country to the political, social, and economic cussed U.S.-Japan relations with prominent conditions of the other country, enhance their Japan expert Ezra Vogel (professor emeritus, understanding and appreciation of U.S.-Japan Harvard University) during the course of their relations, and create personal networks among travels through Washington, D.C., Boston, the two nations’ leaders. In addition to visiting Montana, and San Francisco. the host nation’s capitol for meetings with A reciprocal American delegation then trav- national leaders, participants travel to at least eled to Tokyo, Hachioji, Nagoya, and two additional cities to gain a more diverse over the course of a two-week visit that perspective on the host country. During the included meetings with 13 Diet members, a course of the program, delegates meet with a lunch with former U.S. Speaker of the House wide range of senior government officials, Tom Foley, and a roundtable discussion with political party representatives, industry exec- Diet policy staff on the role of legislative staff utives, and community leaders. American del- in the policymaking process. The participants egates typically include state and local elected also served as speakers at a public panel dis- officials as well as staff members, and equal cussion on the U.S. midterm elections before numbers of Democrats and Republicans are an audience of more than 100 opinion leaders. selected each year. The Japanese delegates pri- marily consist of Diet staffers and prefectural 16th Japanese Delegation to the U.S. and local elected officials from the ruling and (April 22–May 3, 2001) opposition parties. Masayuki Chikazawa, Assistant to From April 22 to May 3, 2001, an eight- Representative member delegation from Japan visited Naoki Furukawa, Yokohama City Council Washington, D.C., Oklahoma, and southern Keiko Hirata, Utazu Town Council Aki Nagao, Japan Initiative

California, meeting with Congressional mem- T bers and state legislators as well as a diverse Keiichi Oda, Okayama Prefectural Assembly group of local leaders, including representa- Akira Ohmatsu, Komei Shimbun REPOR tives of the Chicksaw Nation and nonprofit Hideaki Takeuchi, House of Councillors Members’ Caucus Deputy Manager executives involved in promoting electronic ANNUAL Yasuji Yamaoka, LDP Professional Staff government. Later in the year, nine American Member, Party Organization Bureau leaders visited Tokyo, Okayama, and rural JCIE 2001–2003

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U.S.-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program

20th U.S. Delegation to Japan Yaeko Machida, Professional Staff Member, (November 4–15, 2001) Election Strategy Headquarters (LDP) Charles Dusseau, Delegation Leader, Yoshiki Minezaki, Assistant to Naoki Chairman of the Miami-Dade Democratic Minezaki, Member of the House of Party (Democrat) Councillors (DPJ) Sailaja Cherukuri, Deputy Director, Toshihiro Usami, Professional Staff Member, Legislative and Regulatory Review for the Party Organization Bureau (LDP) California State Department of Consumer Affairs (Democrat) 21st U.S. Delegation to Japan Gabriele Forsyth, Director of Operations, (November 9–22, 2002) National Republican Congressional Andrew Ketchings, Delegation Leader, Committee (Republican) Member, Mississippi House of H. Renee Howell, Director of Federal Affairs, Representatives (Republican) Brandon Associates, LLC, Boston Vanessa Kraemer, Program Officer, (Republican) American Council of Young Political Colleen M. Jordan, Member, City Council of Leaders (Democrat) Redwood City, California (Republican) Thomas McCarthy, Member, City Council, Neal Morrison, Member, Alabama House of Bridgeport, Connecticut (Democrat) Representatives (Democrat) Damon Porter, Chief of Staff, Office of the Andrea Nuciforo, Member, Massachusetts Speaker of the House, State of Missouri State Senate (Democrat) (Democrat) Gene Ransom, Executive Board Member of Kasim Reed, Member, Georgia House of the Maryland Democratic Party Representatives (Democrat) (Democrat) Jennifer Cowen, District Director, Office of Corey Stapleton, Member, Montana State Congressman Ed Royce, California Senate (Republican) (Republican) Howard Mills, Member, New York State 17th Japanese Delegation to the U.S. Assembly (Republican) (June 15–28, 2002) Robert Stivers, Member, Commonwealth of Shuhei Chiba, Member, Hachioji City Kentucky Senate (Republican) Council, Tokyo, Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Keiko Iizuka, Professional Staff Member, Public Relations Committee (DPJ) Takeo Iwaki, Assistant Chief, Political News

T Division, Komei Shimbun (New Komeito) Michiko Kobayashi, Assistant to Shozo REPOR Azuma, Member of the House of Representatives, Liberal Party

ANNUAL Yuki Kono, Assistant to Hakubun Shimomura, Member of the House of Representatives, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) JCIE 2001–2003

40 • POLITICAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM -Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program

Australia-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program the week, they moved from Tokyo to to discuss a variety of issues of In 1991, JCIE and Political common concern with local leaders, includ- Exchange Council launched the Australia- ing the outbreak of bovine spongiform Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange encephalopathy (mad-cow disease). A recip- Program in order to build a network among rocal Japanese delegation visited Canberra and the next generation of leaders in both coun- Sydney in February 2003, where the partici- tries and promote bilateral dialogue. In the first pants exchanged views on security policy 13 years of the program, 161 participants have toward Iraq and North Korea with Australian visited their counterparts’ country for briefings cabinet ministers and senior leaders from a and discussions with political, business, non- variety of sectors. profit, and opinion leaders. The 11th Australian delegation visited Japan 11th Australian Delegation to Japan from May 27 to June 5, 2001, holding discus- (May 27–June 5, 2001) sions in Tokyo with some of Japan’s leading Christopher Pyne, MP, Delegation Leader, political figures, including Taku Yamasaki Federal Member for Sturt, (Liberal Party) (secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Gerald Anderson, Member of the National Party), and (chief represen- Party Central Council; Accounting tative of the New Komeito Party). They then Financial Manager, Commonwealth traveled to Kobe, where they studied the city’s Treasury (National Party) recovery plan after the 1995 Great Hanshin- Christine Briton, Executive Officer, Awaji Earthquake. The Australian delegation Australian Political Exchange Council visit was followed later in the year by the visit Diane Brown, Policy Adviser to Senator of five Diet members to Sydney and Canberra Stephen Conroy; Federal Shadow Minister for Financial Services and Regulation to meet with a wide range of leaders, includ- () ing Alexander Downer, MP (minister for for- Margaret Keech, MP, Queensland Member eign affairs), Neil Andrew (speaker of the for Albert (Australian Labor Party) House of Representatives), John Anderson, MP Nerina Lewis, Vice President of Winthrop (deputy prime minister and leader of the Branch of the Liberal Party (Liberal Party) National Party), and John Faulkner (leader of Mark McGowan, MLA, Western Australia the opposition in the Senate). Member for Rockingham (Australian Labor Party)

In the summer of 2002, a seven-member T Michael Quinlivan, President of Subiaco Australian delegation traveled to Japan and met Branch of the Liberal Party; Director of REPOR with numerous Diet members, including the Transaction Services, Pricewaterhouse- top leadership of the major political parties, Coopers (Liberal Party)

for briefings on Japanese politics and discus- Jacklyn Trad, Policy Adviser to the ANNUAL sions of foreign policy, common security Queensland Minister for Education (Australian Labor Party) issues, and shared social challenges. Later in JCIE 2001–2003

POLITICAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM • 41

Australia-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program

9th Japanese Delegation to Australia Koji Matsui, Member, House of Councillors (August 5–12, 2001) (DPJ) Hiroyuki Sonoda, Delegation Leader, Yoichi Miyazawa, Member, House of Member, House of Representatives (LDP) Representatives (LDP) Motohisa Furukawa, Member, House of Masamitsu Naito, Member, House of Representatives (DPJ) Councillors (DPJ) Taro Kono, Member, House of Osamu Yamauchi, Member, House of Representatives (LDP) Representatives (DPJ) , Member, House of Representatives (DPJ) Hakubun Shimomura, Member, House of Representatives (LDP)

12th Australian Delegation to Japan (July 28–August 6, 2002) Catherine King MP, Delegation Leader, Federal Member for Ballarat (Australian Labor Party) Brer Adams, Adviser to the South Australian Minister for Environment and Conservation (Australian Labor Party) Andrew Bibb, Campaign and Policy Manager, Queensland National Party (National Party) Michael Keenan, Adviser to the Federal Minister for Family and Community Services (Liberal Party) John-Paul Langbroek, Chairman of Surfers Paradise Branch (Liberal Party) Chris Pearce MP, Federal Member for Aston (Liberal Party) Rita Saffioti, Principal Policy Adviser to the Premier of Western Australia (Australian Labor Party)

T 10th Japanese Delegation to Australia

REPOR (February 9–14, 2003) Norihisa Tamura, Delegation Leader, Member, House of Representatives (LDP) ANNUAL Yasushi Kaneko, Member, House of Representatives (LDP) JCIE 2001–2003

42 • POLITICAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM