Shii tells prime minister to reform Japan-U.S. relations first

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on June 28 proposed to Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro three reforms of Japan-U.S. relations. Koizumi was to leave for Washington for a summit meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush. Following are the main points Shii raised with Koizumi.

On U.S. missile defense system

Japan should not pledge to the U.S. an incorporation by Japan of the right of collective self-defense. The prime minister should not express "understanding" of the U.S. missile defense program. The U.S. Bush administration has taken a new position of linking theater missile defense (TMD) to the national missile defense (NMD). This makes the Japanese government's view that Japan can take part in a study of TMD as an exclusively defense-oriented system untenable.

The government of the A-bombed country should take the initiative in achieving a nuclear-free world in the 21st century by concluding an international treaty for eliminating nuclear weapons within a set time frame.

On Japan-U.S. economic relations

Japan must not pledge to the U.S. write-offs of bad loans which would increase bankruptcies and unemployment, making the economic situation far worse in Japan.

The government should be cautious about U.S. proposals for a new consultative framework of Japan-U.S. economic relations, a blatant U.S. attempt to increase Japan's subordination. Instead, the Japanese government must work to achieve Japan-U.S. economic relations based on equality.

On Kyoto Protocol

On the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Japan must express a clear intention to ratify it and urge the U.S. to follow its example.

In concluding the talks with the prime minister, JCP Shii said the Japan-U.S. relations is the first thing to be reformed if the prime minister really calls for reforms "without sanctuaries." (end)