ID :
94870
Tue, 12/15/2009 - 00:19
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https://www.oananews.org//node/94870
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More signs emerge Ozawa pushed for imperial audience for Xi
+
TOKYO, Dec. 14 Kyodo -
Japan accepted China's request for an exceptional imperial audience for the
Chinese vice president only two days after rejecting it, sources involved in
bilateral relations said Monday, giving rise to speculation that senior ruling
party kingpin Ichiro Ozawa pressured the government to do so prior to his visit
to China.
The sources said that the government told China last Wednesday that Emperor
Akihito, who will turn 76 next week and underwent surgery to treat prostate
cancer in 2003, would not be able to meet Vice President Xi Jinping due to his
health condition.
On Friday, only two days later, however, the Imperial Household Agency
announced that the emperor would have an audience with Xi during his three-day
visit to Japan from Monday, a decision that goes against a rule of protocol
that requires a request for an imperial audience to be submitted a month in
advance.
Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ozawa, who is believed to wield
considerable influence over the management of government, flew to Beijing on
Thursday along with a delegation of around 600 people to meet with President Hu
Jintao.
On Monday evening, however, Ozawa denied that he had wielded any influence to
arrange the meeting between the emperor and Xi.
''It is not the case that I have said a meeting between them should take
place,'' Ozawa said.
Referring to the fact that Imperial Household Agency chief Shingo Haketa has
displayed concern about the possible political implications of the arrangement,
Ozawa said, ''If any bureaucrat (in a division of the Cabinet) wants to say
something about Cabinet policies, he or she should do so after offering to
resign.''
Ozawa added it is possible that all national events involving the emperor that
are held with advice and approval from the government ''result in the use of
(the emperor) for political purposes.''
If the emperor is not feeling well, he should skip events that have lesser
priority, the former DPJ chief said.
In a regular press conference held on Monday evening, however, Imperial
Household Agency Grand Steward Noriyuki Kazaoka said the agency has never cited
any health problem with the emperor in dealing with the upcoming meeting.
''It's not the case that the emperor has a problem with his health and I have
been told by the chief (Haketa) that he never turned down a request'' from the
prime minister's office for the meeting.
Haketa later told reporters that he has no intention of stepping down.
The government's sudden reversal of its decision has touched off criticism
among lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties, with many seeing
it as political exploitation of the emperor who as head of state should remain
above political or diplomatic considerations, in line with the spirit of the
Constitution.
Fending off such criticism, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Monday morning
that he acknowledges that the emperor's health is a priority but also stressed
the importance of the meeting with the rising Chinese leader, who is seen as
the front-runner to succeed Hu.
''As I believe (the meeting) will be significant in developing future
Japan-China relations, I do not think it was the wrong decision,'' Hatoyama
told reporters.
Hatoyama also said later Monday, ''Relations with a neighboring country that
boasts the biggest population in the world are extremely important.'' But he
shrugged off claims that the arrangement was politically motivated.
Hatoyama also denied that Ozawa had pressured the prime minister's office to
help bring about the meeting.
A number of Chinese officials asked Tokyo from late November to early December
to arrange the meeting with the emperor from the ''broad standpoint of
China-Japan ties,'' while admitting they were acting against protocol
established in 1995, the sources said.
On Dec. 7, the agency turned down Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano's
request for the meeting, saying the emperor is not in perfect health, and
Hatoyama almost decided to pass on the meeting, according to the sources. The
emperor had some health setbacks while undergoing hormonal therapy after the
surgery.
On Wednesday, the Japanese side asked Beijing through diplomatic channels to
give up on seeking the meeting, citing the emperor's health, and it is believed
Tokyo's stance was conveyed to Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai during a
meeting with Hirano.
Following the meeting with Hirano, the top government spokesman, Cui met with
Ozawa at the parliament building, the sources said.
Hirano repeated the request to the agency Thursday, leading to the arrangement
of the meeting, according to the sources.
Hirano reiterated Monday that the issue does not carry any political
implications, adding that he believes the agency made the decision taking into
account the emperor's health.
Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister of the previous Liberal Democratic
Party-led government, harshly criticized the DPJ-led government's decision.
''DPJ Secretary General Ozawa and Prime Minister Hatoyama are trying to use the
emperor politically, not for the national interest but for their own
interest,'' Abe told reporters. ''I deeply resent this.''
''The government should ask China to call off the meeting,'' he said.
Several groups of conservative lawmakers, including one headed by Abe, called
for Hatoyama's Cabinet to resign en masse condemning the political use of the
emperor as a constitutional violation or criticizing Hatoyama's failure to
ensure the emperor's political neutrality.
Japan's Constitution, adopted after the country surrendered to the Allied
Powers in 1945, stipulates that the emperor serves as a symbol of the state and
has no powers related to the government.
Shu Watanabe, senior vice minister for internal affairs and communications,
said on a TV program Sunday that the government should cancel the meeting if it
is still possible.
''There are many in the DPJ who think it (granting an exceptional audience)
isn't appropriate,'' he said. ''Meetings with the emperor have been granted
fairly regardless of whether the country is great or small.''
==Kyodo
2009-12-15 00:03:01
TOKYO, Dec. 14 Kyodo -
Japan accepted China's request for an exceptional imperial audience for the
Chinese vice president only two days after rejecting it, sources involved in
bilateral relations said Monday, giving rise to speculation that senior ruling
party kingpin Ichiro Ozawa pressured the government to do so prior to his visit
to China.
The sources said that the government told China last Wednesday that Emperor
Akihito, who will turn 76 next week and underwent surgery to treat prostate
cancer in 2003, would not be able to meet Vice President Xi Jinping due to his
health condition.
On Friday, only two days later, however, the Imperial Household Agency
announced that the emperor would have an audience with Xi during his three-day
visit to Japan from Monday, a decision that goes against a rule of protocol
that requires a request for an imperial audience to be submitted a month in
advance.
Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ozawa, who is believed to wield
considerable influence over the management of government, flew to Beijing on
Thursday along with a delegation of around 600 people to meet with President Hu
Jintao.
On Monday evening, however, Ozawa denied that he had wielded any influence to
arrange the meeting between the emperor and Xi.
''It is not the case that I have said a meeting between them should take
place,'' Ozawa said.
Referring to the fact that Imperial Household Agency chief Shingo Haketa has
displayed concern about the possible political implications of the arrangement,
Ozawa said, ''If any bureaucrat (in a division of the Cabinet) wants to say
something about Cabinet policies, he or she should do so after offering to
resign.''
Ozawa added it is possible that all national events involving the emperor that
are held with advice and approval from the government ''result in the use of
(the emperor) for political purposes.''
If the emperor is not feeling well, he should skip events that have lesser
priority, the former DPJ chief said.
In a regular press conference held on Monday evening, however, Imperial
Household Agency Grand Steward Noriyuki Kazaoka said the agency has never cited
any health problem with the emperor in dealing with the upcoming meeting.
''It's not the case that the emperor has a problem with his health and I have
been told by the chief (Haketa) that he never turned down a request'' from the
prime minister's office for the meeting.
Haketa later told reporters that he has no intention of stepping down.
The government's sudden reversal of its decision has touched off criticism
among lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties, with many seeing
it as political exploitation of the emperor who as head of state should remain
above political or diplomatic considerations, in line with the spirit of the
Constitution.
Fending off such criticism, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Monday morning
that he acknowledges that the emperor's health is a priority but also stressed
the importance of the meeting with the rising Chinese leader, who is seen as
the front-runner to succeed Hu.
''As I believe (the meeting) will be significant in developing future
Japan-China relations, I do not think it was the wrong decision,'' Hatoyama
told reporters.
Hatoyama also said later Monday, ''Relations with a neighboring country that
boasts the biggest population in the world are extremely important.'' But he
shrugged off claims that the arrangement was politically motivated.
Hatoyama also denied that Ozawa had pressured the prime minister's office to
help bring about the meeting.
A number of Chinese officials asked Tokyo from late November to early December
to arrange the meeting with the emperor from the ''broad standpoint of
China-Japan ties,'' while admitting they were acting against protocol
established in 1995, the sources said.
On Dec. 7, the agency turned down Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano's
request for the meeting, saying the emperor is not in perfect health, and
Hatoyama almost decided to pass on the meeting, according to the sources. The
emperor had some health setbacks while undergoing hormonal therapy after the
surgery.
On Wednesday, the Japanese side asked Beijing through diplomatic channels to
give up on seeking the meeting, citing the emperor's health, and it is believed
Tokyo's stance was conveyed to Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai during a
meeting with Hirano.
Following the meeting with Hirano, the top government spokesman, Cui met with
Ozawa at the parliament building, the sources said.
Hirano repeated the request to the agency Thursday, leading to the arrangement
of the meeting, according to the sources.
Hirano reiterated Monday that the issue does not carry any political
implications, adding that he believes the agency made the decision taking into
account the emperor's health.
Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister of the previous Liberal Democratic
Party-led government, harshly criticized the DPJ-led government's decision.
''DPJ Secretary General Ozawa and Prime Minister Hatoyama are trying to use the
emperor politically, not for the national interest but for their own
interest,'' Abe told reporters. ''I deeply resent this.''
''The government should ask China to call off the meeting,'' he said.
Several groups of conservative lawmakers, including one headed by Abe, called
for Hatoyama's Cabinet to resign en masse condemning the political use of the
emperor as a constitutional violation or criticizing Hatoyama's failure to
ensure the emperor's political neutrality.
Japan's Constitution, adopted after the country surrendered to the Allied
Powers in 1945, stipulates that the emperor serves as a symbol of the state and
has no powers related to the government.
Shu Watanabe, senior vice minister for internal affairs and communications,
said on a TV program Sunday that the government should cancel the meeting if it
is still possible.
''There are many in the DPJ who think it (granting an exceptional audience)
isn't appropriate,'' he said. ''Meetings with the emperor have been granted
fairly regardless of whether the country is great or small.''
==Kyodo
2009-12-15 00:03:01
