| Submit your comments on this article |
| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Japan PM vows change in 'US partnership' |
| 2009-09-17 |
| Japan's new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has vowed to pursue a more independent diplomatic course that could take Tokyo away from top security ally Washington. "Japan up until now has been receptive to the United States, but I want to build a relationship in which Japan can act more proactively and tell them our opinions frankly," Hatoyama said Wednesday in his first press conference in office. He was speaking to reporters following the parliament session, in which he was elected the new prime minister. Hatoyama has promised sweeping changes including improving social welfare and redefining Japan's place in the world. The landmark change in Japan's politics ends almost half a century of conservative rule in the country. The new Japanese prime minister is said to be a strong critic of what he calls Tokyo's 'subservient position to Washington'. Hatoyama has also insisted that his DJP party will question the role of thousands of US troops deployed throughout Japan under a post World War II security pact. Moreover, the premier had earlier vowed to pursue new policies that would take Tokyo away from the 'excesses of US-style capitalism'. "As a result of the failure of the Iraq war and the financial crisis, the era of US-led globalism is coming to an end," Hatoyama wrote in an opinion piece for The New York Times. He had regularly criticized the pro-US ruling party for joining in refueling operations in the Indian Ocean in support of the US-led forces in Afghanistan. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 I hear the NorKs are looking for friends - and they have a big army.... Yeah, Hatoyama, that's the ticket. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-09-17 21:21 |
| #4 Maybe he'll get a secret deal with the Venusians. |
| Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 2009-09-17 21:03 |
| #3 Japan enjoys the US buying their stuff. Japan enjoys the US playing the part of bad cop in the region. Japan likes military paychecks and base supplies purchased locally by Americans based in Japan. Japan can speak frankly, but not without some kind of fallout. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2009-09-17 15:34 |
| #2 China hates you, when china blows the shit out of your small island who you gonna cry to with the US gone? |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-09-17 12:35 |
| #1 No problem. Don't stand near the exit Yuki or you might get run over. U.S., Japan discuss shake-up of fighter jets U.S. and Japanese officials have discussed the possibility of withdrawing U.S. fighter jets from Japan, U.S. military officials confirmed Monday. Kyodo News Agency reported over the weekend that the U.S. government had broached the subject of removing all F-16s from Misawa Air Base in mainland Japan and some (actually all) of its F-15s from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. The United States has about 40 F-16s at Misawa and more than 50 F-15s at Kadena, spokeswomen said Monday. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has more than 200 fighter jets, according to the ministry of defense spokeswoman. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-09-17 07:17 |