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Abe pledges to create assertive Japan (David Pilling - The Financial Times)
September 29, 2006 10:43 PM
September 29 2006
Copyright The Financial Times
Shinzo Abe, Japan’s new prime minister, on Friday pledged to create a
“new Japan” that was more assertive abroad and more proud of its
traditions at home.
In his first policy address since becoming prime minister, Mr Abe, 52,
told a joint session of parliament that his administration would make
education more patriotic, diplomacy more robust and act to rewrite a
constitution “drafted almost 60 years ago when Japan was under
occupation”.
He also said his administration, packed with like-minded social
conservatives, would try to instill greater pride and patriotism, which
he argues has been stifled by an exaggerated sense of guilt following
defeat in the second world war.
“The time has come for us to step forward, with quiet pride in our
hearts to create a new country.” He added: “I want to undertake reform
of awareness so society as a whole shares family values.”
Mr Abe, the first prime minister born since the end of the second world
war, is attempting to set a different tone from the administration of
Junichiro Koizumi, which came to power in 2001 at a time of economic
crisis.
Mr Abe argues that, with the economy returned to a modicum of health,
it
is time to address issues postponed throughout the post-war period when
Japan was primarily concerned with generating fast economic growth.
He said he would seek to strengthen the prime minister’s office, a
process begun by Mr Koizumi as a way of neutralising what he often
considered the dead hand of the bureaucracy. Mr Abe has handpicked more
advisers to work in his office than is customary, with some of the top
appointments aimed at establishing a US-style national security
council.
Mr Abe did not spend much time in his speech addressing how to improve
strained relations with China and South Korea, aside from saying he
would work for “future-oriented discussions”, a phrase often employed
by
his predecessor.
His administration is pushing hard for early summit meetings with both
China and South Korea, and government officials said on Friday that an
early meeting with Roh Moo Hyun, South Korea’s leader, was possible
following a positive telephone conversation between the two leaders the
previous day.
On the economy, Mr Abe said he would put more priority on cutting
expenditure than raising taxes and pledged to keep government borrowing
below Y30,000bn. However, he would not “run away” from tax increases,
he
said.
He also said he would push to revive local economies, some of which are
not experiencing the near-boom conditions of big cities such as Tokyo
and Nagoya, and ensure that those left behind had a “second chance”.
In an interview with the Financial Times on Friday, Akira Amari, trade
and industry minister, played down suggestions that Mr Abe’s
revitalisation plan would be expensive or lead to more government
interference.
“What we are aiming at is equality of opportunity in all stages of life
and in all places,” he said. “Since we have a free market economy we
are
obviously not aiming at equality of results. It is obvious that there
will be disparities of outcome.”
Copyright
Financial Times Limited 2006
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