Shinzo Abe is the Prime Minister of Japan. He's affiliated with the center-right Liberal Democratic Party which holds 291 out of the 475 seats in Japan's House of Representatives. Yesterday, he gave a speech before a Joint Session of Congress. The text was scoured for hints about the status of the Trans-Pacific Partnership currently in negotiations.
A transcript of the speech can be found in the Congressional Record, including a botched quote from Carol King's 1971 Grammy Award Winner for Song of the Year, You've Got a Friend.
When you’re down and troubled,
Close your eyes and think of me
And I’ll be there
To brighten up even your darkest night.
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Here's what Prime Minister Abe said about the controversial TPP free-trade agreement.
In the Pacific market we cannot overlook sweatshops, or burdens on the environment, nor can we simply allow free riders on intellectual property. No. Instead, we can spread our shared values around the world and have them take root.
- The rule of law,
- democracy, and,
- freedom.
That is exactly what the TPP is all about.
Furthermore, the TPP goes far beyond just economic benefits. It is also about our security. Long-term, its strategic value is awesome. We should never forget that.
The TPP covers an area that accounts for 40% of the world economy and 1/3 of all global trade. We must turn the area into a region for lasting peace and prosperity. That is for the sake of our children and our children's children.
As for US-Japan negotiations, the goal is near. Let us bring the TPP to successful conclusion through our joint leadership.
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Prime Minister Abe spoke briefly about the need for reform of Japan's agricultural policies. A recent
Congressional Research Service report found that "Market access issues with Japan appear to be a crucial stepping stone for substantially completing the agricultural dimension of an agreement." Also,
"Pork, beef, rice, wheat, barley, dairy products, and sugar" are among "a handful of key agricultural commodities that Japan considers to be sensitive and in need of continued import protection."
As a matter of fact, I have something I can tell you now. It was about 20 years ago. The GAAT negotiations for agriculture were going on. I was much younger and like a ball of fire and opposed to opening Japan's agricultural market. I even joined farmers' representatives in a rally in front of the Parliament.
However, Japan's agriculture has gone into decline over these last 20 years. The average age of our farmers has gone up by 10 years, and is now more than 66 years old.
Japan's agriculture is at a crossroads. In order for it to survive, it has to change now. We are bringing great reforms towards agricultural policy that's been in place for decades. We are also bringing sweeping reform to our agricultural cooperatives that have not been changed in 60 long years.
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More than agriculture, Abe emphasized the enhanced security and strategic value he expects from TPP.
My dear colleagues, we support the rebalancing by the U.S. in order to enhance the peace and security of the Asia-Pacific region, and I will state clearly we will support the US efforts first, last and throughout.
As regards, the state of Asian waters, let me underscore here my three principles.
- First, states shall make their claim based on international law.
- Second, they shall not use force or coercion to drive their claim.
- Third, to settle disputes, any disputes, they shall do so by peaceful means.
We must make the vast seas stretching from the Pacific to the Indian Oceans, seas of peace and freedom where all follow the rule of law. For that very reason, we must fortify the US-Japan alliance. That is our responsibility.
Now, let me tell you, in Japan we are working hard to enhance the legislative foundation of our security.
Once in place, Japan will be much more able to provide a serious response for all levels of crisis. These enhanced legislative foundations should make the cooperation between the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces even stronger and the alliance still more solid, providing credible deterrence for the peace in the region. The reform is the first of its kind and a fitting one in our post-war history. We will achieve this by this coming summer.
Now, I have something to share with you.
The day before yesterday, Secretaries Kerry and Carter met our Foreign Minister Kishida and Defense Minister Nakatani for consultations. As a result, we now have a new framework, a framework to better put together the forces of the US and Japan, a framework that is in line with the legislative attempts going on in Japan. That is what is necessary to build peace, more reliable peace, in the region and that is namely the new defense cooperation guidelines.
Yesterday, President Obama and I fully agreed on the significance of these guidelines. Ladies and gentlemen, we agreed on a document that is historic.
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At a joint press conference the day before Prime Minister Abe's speech,
President Obama said:
I want to reiterate that our treaty commitment to Japan’s security is absolute, and that Article 5 covers all territories under Japan’s administration, including Senkaku Islands.
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Although Prime Minister Abe hardly mentioned China at all in his speech, his visit to Washinton, DC and Obama's remarks at the press conference were noticed in Beijing.
There's more about that just a short jump over the orange-tinted diagram of electrons orbiting around an invisible atomic nucleus.
At the joint press conference, on April 28, reporter Chris Jansing managed to weave together the disparate elements promised by TPP, peace, freedom, support for human rights, with the reality 40 miles away in Baltimore.
Chris Jansing:
Thank you, Mr. President. As you know, the National Guard is now on the streets of Baltimore -- the latest aftermath in a series of what have been high-profile confrontations between black men and police officers. And there seems to be growing frustration among African American leaders that not enough is being done quickly enough. Marc Morial of the Urban League said, “The U.S. is in a state of emergency of tremendous proportions.” The president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund says, “We are in the throes of a national crisis.”
Are we in the throes of a national crisis? What are you prepared to do about it, both in terms of Baltimore and the larger picture? And what do you say to critics who say that since the death of Trayvon Martin, you have not been aggressive enough in your response?
And to Prime Minister Abe, how important is a Pacific trade deal to keeping the influence of China in check, both economically and militarily? And do you agree with President Obama when he says that failing to complete a deal will simply further China’s influence? Thank you.
President Obama:
Before I answer the question about Baltimore, I’m going to horn in on your question to Prime Minister Abe.
I’ve been very clear that TPP is good for American businesses and American workers, regardless of what China is doing. And we will make the case on the merits as to why it will open up markets for American goods, American exports, and create American jobs. So this is not simply a defensive agreement, this is something that is going to be part and parcel of our broader economic agenda moving forward. And when 95 percent of the world’s markets are outside our shores, we’ve got to make sure that we’re out there competing. And I’m confident we can compete.
Prime Minister Abe:
First of all, on TPP, this is not something that we create out of consciousness about China. The economic growth of the region will be positive and create opportunities for Japan, the United States and the world. The TPP is such that to the eyes of many countries it has to become a model. It should be a model for China in that it's an ambitious attempt to create a new economic sphere in which people, goods, and money will flow freely within the Asia Pacific region. It's a new economic region of freedom, democracy, basic human rights, and rule of law.
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None of the White House Press Corps reporters followed up with more questions about
the human rights provisions of TPP to learn whether they would apply equally to all parties, including the United States. The President gave a very long reply about the situation in Baltimore which belongs in a separate piece. Interested readers can view it here. Others may skip the video and proceed to the reaction in China.
China Daily's coverage of the news from Washington criticized Abe and Obama, especially over the matter of the Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyu Islands in China).
Included here are two older pieces that cover some of the background about the friction in the region.
Obama, Abe talk much about China (4/29/2015)
Abe avoids protesters at Harvard (4/29/2015)
US and China strategies are anything but clearly defined (5/6/2014)
Neighbors threaten China's peace (7/16/2011)
Since we began with Carol King, we'll end with another selection from her 1971 release, Tapestry.