Obama seeks to ease Japan tension

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8357561.stm


US President Barack Obama arrives in Haneda Airport in Tokyo, 13 November
Mr Obama is to spend 24 hours in Japan and three days in China

US President Barack Obama has arrived in Japan at a time of uncertainty in relations with America's old ally over foreign policy and US military bases.

Japan's new Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, has signalled he wants closer ties with Asia and that he opposes plans to relocate a US base on Okinawa.

Mr Obama's first Asian tour as US leader is aimed at boosting economic growth and reassuring key allies.

He called for a growth strategy "that is both balanced and broadly shared".

His eight-day tour will take him to Singapore, China and South Korea and includes an Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit.


OBAMA IN ASIA
Friday 13 November: Arrives in Japan
Saturday 14: Leaves Tokyo for Apec summit in Singapore
Sunday 15: Has talks with Russia's President Medvedev among others at the summit before leaving for China
Tuesday 17: Summit in Beijing with Chinese President Hu Jintao
Wednesday 18: Ends tour with visit to South Korea

He told Reuters news agency China was a "partner" as well as rival but warned of "enormous strains" in relations between the world's two most powerful nations if economic imbalances between them were not corrected.

Climate change and the North Korean and Iranian nuclear disputes are also likely to be on the agenda for his talks with Asian leaders.

Jonathan Marcus, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent, says that while Mr Obama will push for increased Chinese co-operation in containing the two countries, his real challenge will be to allay the concerns of his non-Chinese hosts about the rise of Beijing's power in the region.

His message will be that the US is back as a player on the region's diplomatic chess board, our correspondent adds.

Friction with Tokyo

Mr Obama was due to hold a summit with Mr Hatoyama on Friday before delivering a keynote speech on Saturday in which he is expected to reaffirm the strength of Washington's alliance with Japan.


OKINAWA DISPUTE
A view of planes at Futenma Marine Corps Air Station, February 2007

Most of the 47,000 US soldiers in Japan are based on the island
The US military favours Okinawa as it is closer to China and Taiwan
The US governed the island directly for nearly 30 years after World War II
The US wants to move its airbase at Futenma away from residential areas to another location on the island
Pollution from the US bases has angered local people
A number of sexual assaults by US servicemen on Japanese civilians and accidents involving military hardware have fuelled opposition to the bases
Japan's new PM has suggested moving Futenma off the island completely

Mr Hatoyama has promised to end Japan's Indian Ocean refuelling mission that supports US-led forces in Afghanistan.

He also promised to review the Okinawa base agreement that Washington thought was settled three years ago.

However, correspondents say the issue is likely to be downplayed during their talks.

Mr Hatoyama stressed on Friday that the Japanese-US alliance was a "cornerstone of Japan's diplomacy".

"There's no question about the need to maintain that," he added, speaking just before the US leader's arrival.

Japanese peace activists demonstrated near the US embassy in Tokyo on Thursday against plans to move the Okinawa base to another part of the island and also criticised Mr Obama for not taking time to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Mr Obama said he would visit the sites of the first atomic bomb attacks on another occasion.

During his visit, he is also due to meet Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, who have just celebrated 20 years on the throne.

Afghan pledge

China's growing economic and military power and its effect on relations with Washington are also concerns for some Japanese.

Obama flasks on sale in Shanghai, 12 November
Obama souvenirs are on sale in the countries he is visiting

Three days of the tour are being devoted to the Chinese leg during which Mr Obama hopes to discuss a revaluation of the Chinese currency.

He is also set to discuss opening Chinese markets further to US goods and encouraging Chinese consumers to spend more.

China signalled on Wednesday that it might allow an appreciation of the yuan.

Mr Obama spent several years in Indonesia as a child and is seen as the first president with an "Asia-Pacific orientation", the BBC's Kim Ghattas reports from Washington.

He will try to capitalise on this as he seeks to build on and improve crucial relationships with allies and rivals across the Pacific, our correspondent adds.

Mr Obama stopped off in Alaska on his way, touching down at Elmendorf Air Force Base where he spoke to a military audience about his strategy in Afghanistan.

"I will not risk your lives unless it is necessary to America's vital interests," he told troops.

The US administration has been locked in an intense debate over a request from the American commander in Afghanistan for thousands of extra troops amid doubts over the competence and integrity of the Afghan government.

No decision on the surge request is expected during Mr Obama's visit to Asia, said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.