Fukuda: baptism of fire

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has a difficult trip ahead of him. He is off to Japan’s number one ally on Friday, but probably wondering whether he might not get the best of receptions in Washington.

Two weeks ago, Japan called off its refuelling mission in the Indian Ocean in support of allied operations in and near Afghanistan. Fukuda did not want to, but opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa forced him to by resisting authorising legislation. Washington is annoyed, and might be forgiven for questioning the current strength of the US-Japanese alliance. Might there be a cautious scaling back in the partnership?

If he cannot impress in Washington, he needs to impress at home. He will reiterate Tokyo's call on Washington to keep North Korea on the US list of state sponsors of terrorism until Pyongyang accounts fully for the Japanese nationals it abducted in the 1970s and 1980s. But Washington is focused on the six-party talks process on North Korea' s nuclear programme, which is making good progress. Why throw in a Japanese spoiler? It will reassure Tokyo that it is onside on the abductions, but that will be about it.

Tokyo looks like being ignored at the six-party table, and Fukuda has been looking for wriggle room. Tokyo might assist in disablement; it might be satisfied with something short of a full account the fate of those abducted. Most of all, however, in the short term Fukuda would like to come back with some good publicity from the United States. 

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