Tuesday, September 22, 2009

[IWS] CRS: DEMOCRATIC PARTY of JAPAN: ITS FOREIGN POLICY POSITION & IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. INTERESTS [12 August 2009]

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations
-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor
---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016
-------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Congressional Research Service (CRS)

The Democratic Party of Japan: Its Foreign Policy Position and Implications for U.S. Interests
Weston S. Konishi, Analyst in Asian Affairs
August 12, 2009
http://opencrs.com/document/R40758/2009-08-12/download/1013/
[full-text, 15 pages]

Summary
According to polls, Japan's largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), appears
in position to overtake the main ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), in
parliamentary elections on August 30, 2009. The right-leaning LDP has had almost continuous
control of the Japanese government since 1955 and has long supported the U.S.-Japan alliance in
the face of left-wing domestic opposition. The DPJ, which includes a mixture of right- and leftleaning
members, won control of the Upper House of Japan's bicameral parliament (known as the
Diet) in 2007. A decisive victory over the LDP in the upcoming Lower House elections would
make the DPJ the ruling party of Japan for the first time in history.

The DPJ policy platform advocates sweeping economic and administrative reforms and has called
for a "proactive" foreign policy with greater "independence" from the United States through
deeper engagement with Asia and a more United Nations-oriented diplomacy. In particular, the
party has in the past criticized many issues related to the U.S.-Japan alliance, such as Japan's
Host Nation Support (HNS) payments, the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), and
plans to realign U.S. forward deployed forces based in Okinawa. In 2007, the DPJ briefly blocked
legislation allowing the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) to continue the refueling of
U.S. and allied vessels engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan.

However, as the Lower House elections draw near, the DPJ has shown signs that it is taking a
more pragmatic approach toward the U.S.-Japan alliance in order to deflect LDP criticism that it
is not prepared to run the country. The DPJ has dropped demands to end the current legislative
authorization for the JMSDF refueling mission in the Indian Ocean, and has taken a more
ambiguous position regarding the SOFA and other bilateral alliance management issues. The
party's call for a U.N. and Asia-oriented diplomacy also appears to fall short of a more strategic
shift to replace the U.S.-Japan alliance with an alternative regional security arrangement. Other
signs suggest that the party might indirectly support U.S. foreign policy interests over the long
term through enhanced Japanese contributions to U.N.-sanctioned activities, as well as
engagement in regional trade institutions and multilateral fora.

While a political changeover in Tokyo would represent a watershed moment for Japan and U.S.-
Japan relations, the extent to which there would be significant policy changes in Tokyo remains
uncertain. It is not clear whether some of the DPJ's past criticism of the U.S.-Japan alliance and
other LDP-backed policies is the result of opposition party politicking or more fundamental
policy principles that will be implemented if the party comes to power. In the event that the DPJ
becomes the ruling party, it would likely face daunting political and economic challenges at home
that would potentially limit its ambitious reform agenda and more drastic proposals for adjusting
the structure of the U.S.-Japan alliance. The recent signs of a more pragmatic policy approach,
particularly toward the bilateral alliance, suggest that some party leaders are already modifying
their positions in light of emerging political realities.

This report analyzes the DPJ's policy platform and reviews the implications for U.S. strategic and
economic interests in the event that the party takes control of the Japanese government after the
August 30 parliamentary elections.

Contents
Introduction ...............................................................................................................................1
Party Background .................................................................................................................2
The DPJ Policy Agenda.........................................................................................................2
Implications for the United States................................................................................................4
The DPJ Position on the U.S.-Japan Alliance.........................................................................4
Other Implications for U.S. Interests .....................................................................................6
Afghanistan ....................................................................................................................6
Regional Diplomacy .......................................................................................................7
North Korea (DPRK) ......................................................................................................7
Climate Change ..............................................................................................................8
Nuclear Issues.................................................................................................................8
Economic Policies...........................................................................................................9
Post-Election Prospects ...................................................................................................9
Conclusion............................................................................................................................... 11

Contacts
Author Contact Information ......................................................................................................12

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This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

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Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
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