Aug. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Japan reaffirmed its foreign policy and support for the alliance with the U.S. to Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, the Japanese government's top spokesman Yasuhisa Shiozaki said.
Shiozaki met Negroponte today and told him Japan's foreign policy wouldn't change, after the government lost control of the Upper House of Parliament in elections on July 29.
``In my meeting with Negroponte, I told him that the government of Shinzo Abe would continue to work to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance,'' Shiozaki said. ``I told him that the Upper House election notwithstanding, the foreign policies of the Abe administration would basically remain unchanged.''
The Democratic Party of Japan now has the most seats in the Upper House and will oppose Prime Minister Abe's plans to allow Japan's navy to continue to support the U.S. in the Indian Ocean for the war in Afghanistan, the party's leader Ichiro Ozawa said on July 31.
While the LDP continues to hold a two-thirds majority of the Lower House of Japan's Parliament, it will now have to negotiate on legislation with the DPJ-controlled Upper House. The anti- terrorism law that provides for the Japanese navy's operations comes up for renewal in November.
``To interrupt these operations probably would negatively affect our efforts to prevent terrorism and prevent the passage of undesirable products and people through that area,'' Negroponte said at a press conference in Tokyo today.
Seeking Understanding
Ozawa refused to meet U.S. Ambassador Thomas Schieffer to discuss the extension of the legislation, the Asahi News said yesterday, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.
Schieffer denied the DPJ had refused a meeting. U.S. Embassy Spokesman Jeffrey Hill said Schieffer will meet Ozawa next week.
``Abe had said he would seek the understanding of the opposition parties with respect to the special anti-terrorism law, because it's a basis through which Japan responds to the expectations of the rest of the world,'' Shiozaki said.
Defense Minister Yuriko Koike asked Negroponte for the U.S. to help Japan in choosing its new fighter aircraft, the ministry said. She met Negroponte after Shiozaki.
Japan is expected to choose a replacement for its F-4 Phantom fighter next year.
The government is considering buying the F-22 Raptor, built by a Lockheed Martin Corp.-led consortium, Boeing Co.'s F-15 and F-18 and Eurofighter GmbH's Typhoon, the Financial Times reported on May 15.
A U.S. House committee last week decided to maintain a prohibition on exports of the Raptor.
To contact the reporters on this story: Keiichi Yamamura in Tokyo at kyamamura@bloomberg.net .
Last Updated: August 3, 2007 05:55 EDT
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