Japan's government is following the lead of JCP! -- Akahata 'Current' column, January 9

The Japanese government, in particular the Foreign Ministry, is following the lead of the Japanese Communist Party!

Take a look at the recent series of events that confirm it.

JCP Chair Shii Kazuo made a 10-day tour of India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan last December 15. On January 5, 10 days after Shii returned home, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi Yoriko left Japan for Sri Lanka and India.

Similarly, when JCP International Bureau Director Ogata Yasuo visited six Middle East countries in October, one month later, the Foreign Ministry began to send three special envoys of the prime minister to Middle Eastern countries.

In their meetings with the governments of Middle East countries, both the Ogata delegation and the prime minister's special envoys discussed the Iraq question as the main subject. The destinations of the two delegations overlapped in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt. But there were differences in activities between the senior Foreign Ministry officials and the JCP delegation. The JCP's Ogata visited Iraq to negotiate directly with the Iraqi government and persuaded it to not do anything that will give the United States a pretext for going to war. The prime minister's envoys shunned Iraq, the key country, in their tours.

The Ogata delegation and the host governments agreed on the need to avert war. The prime minister's envoys, while talking about a peaceful resolution, were concerned about the possibility of the oil supply and other provisions in the event of war.

The difference is clear in what the two parties did after their visit to the Middle East countries. JCP Chair Shii called on South Asian countries to join forces to oppose war against Iraq. The government sent out an Aegis ship to support the U.S. forces in the Indian Ocean. Which of the two is peacefully managing foreign relations in response to the world people's wishes for peace? (end)