My opinion of this week(567)
That kind of move is not good for China
China's Public Security Ministry on Thursday denied it was possible for
pesticide that contaminated frozen gyoza in the recent food-poisoning scandal
to have gotten mixed into the dumplings in that country.
Yu Xinmin, deputy director general of the ministry's Criminal Investigation
Bureau, said that there was little possibility that the gyoza became
contaminated with the pesticide in China.@Yuu suggested the possibility that
the pesticide might have been bought in a foreign country and taken into Japan.
Yu would not say if he thought the poison was added in Japan. But he obviously
suugested possibility that happned in Japan.
Yu complained in the inview that his agency did not get full cooperation from
their Japanese counterparts in the conference made with Japanese police agency
men who visited China to investigate the case in the factory concerned.
In Tokyo, National Police Agency chief Hiroto Yoshimura expressed his
displeasure with China's response. This interview in China was held only after
one day that Japanese police team had come back from China. The Japanese team
has stressed the importance of the corporation between two countries in order
to solve this difficult case when they came back from China. But China's
authority betrayed Japanese team in that manner.
Following to Hirohito Yoshimura, Chief of National Police Agency, Shinnya Izumi,
Minister of National Public Safety Committee, expressed his concern about this
announcement made by China. He said the issue should be solved scientifically
and not politically. He requested China's agency to provided the information
data on how methamidophos is penetrated into inside of the package of gyoza
dumpling. That kind of penetration is very impossible according to the
investigation made by Japanese police team.
Although there exists no definite conclusion shown yet from two investigating
team of Japan and China, the issue is very critical especially for China at
any rate. Shintarou Ihihara, Governor of Tokyo, expressed his strong criticism
on such political move shown by China at this time. He said that kind of
explanation without any scientific data on the case would stir up more distrust
on the safety of Chinese food from international community. Ishihara is quite
right, I think.
It is very strange that no other major government high officials and major
politicians made any comments on this issue. It may be because that Hu Jintao
President of China is coming to Japan soon in April and political world in
Japan seems to avoid disturbing welcome mood for Hu Jintao. I understand this
move partly in a way.
But I don't understand why Japanese mass media especially most major papers are
not reporting much about this. They reported the facts, of course. But I have
not seen any of major Japanese papers made any critical comments on this
strange move made by Chinese public safety agency at this time. I don't say
that they should write the same way as Governor Ishihara said but should point
out China's approach at this time is not appropriate at all not only from
scientific point of view but also from political point of view.
China's move obviously reflect their strong concern about the effect of
gyoza dumpling case for coming Beijing Olympics. They are trying to seal off
the case until the end of Olympics in this autumn.
But how many people and countries in the world believe what China's agency
said at this time? Do they believe that consumer side is more responsible for
the case rather than producer side? I don't think so.
China should not underestimate the feeling of distrust against Chinese foods
in international communities for they have seen a lot of specific food
contamination cases at various countries of the world.
That kind of approach is no good for China not only for short range Olympic
Game but also for the trust of the country as a whole in the long run.
2008/3/1
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(568):
DPJ's hard-line stance is reasonable
The nation's politics are about to enter a stormy phase of spring. The
major opposition Democratic Party of Japan, the majority party in the
House of Councilors, has stiffened its attitude toward the ruling coalition
over the fiscal 2008 national budget. The coalition passed the budget bill
at the House of Representatives without attendance of lawmakers of
opposition parties. The ruling coalition forced through the budget and
a set of bills to maintain the provisional high rates of gasoline and
other road-related taxes at a plenary session of the house on the night
of Feb.29 in the strong objection from opposition.
The diet session is expected to start at the House of Councils starting
this week, but DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan) and all other opposition
parties do not agree to start discussing those 2008 budget plan. Opposition
fronts said they could not start discussing budget bills for the time
being expressing protest against forcible passage of bills at the House
of Representatives.
There is certainly a possibility that the road-tax related bills will not be
voted on by the upper chamber before the end of March, causing the provisional
extra gas taxes to expire, the DPJ has noted. Another important issue in
question is appointment of new Governor of Bank of Japan. The ruling coalition
is proposing to nominate Toshiro Muto but DPJ do not agree with his appointment.
Without agreement with DPJ, ruling coalition could not appoint new Governor of
Bank of Japan by March 15, the deadline date for appointment of new Governor.
Under this political situation, ruling coalition repeatedly criticized DPJ
saying they are not following very important rule of democracy. They said
DPJ should start discussing the issue at the House of Councils and reject the
bill by the end of March so that ruling coalition can pass the budget bills
with 2/3 vote again at the House of Representatives. Without any vote at the
House of Councils, all of budget bills including gasoline tax bill will expire
after March 31. Ruling fronts are responsible for it from my point of view.
There are a number of arguments from mass media criticizing such strong stance
of DPJ. Many mass media indicated the necessity of compromise between two
major parties and start negotiating change of bills to avoid such confusion
at the diet. DPJ is rejecting any easy adjustment of bills for the issue is
not the tax rate of gasoline but it is concerned with the fundamental
political framework of country. While ruling coalition stick to the special
finance to construct roads, DPJ insist to abolish the special finance to
construct road which has continued so many years in the past.
I support the stance of DPJ without any reservation at this time. I really
don't understand why ruling coal ion continue to stick to special road finance.
According to recent survey made by Asahi Newspaper, 59% of people voted for
the abolition of special finance to construct roads. They agree with the
idea that generalization of road construction finance is necessary.
A number of serious waste of money which are from taxes has been disclose
in the diet debate. But Fukuda Cabinet and ruling coalition are still trying
to maintain such waste related with road construction.
It is very obvious that there is no room for DPJ and opposition parties to
compromise to amend the present budget bills at the House of Councils which
is not functioning at the moment. The ruling fronts are fully responsible
for it.
It seems that the only way to normalize this serious political situation
for Prime Minister Fukuda is to dissolve the House of Representative and
ask the judgment of people which roads they would choose to go through
general election.
2008/3/7
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(569):
Dream and reality of space project
The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour was launched into space with Japanese
astronaut Takao Doi and part of the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo to be
attached to the International Space Station. The segment being delivered
this time is a sort of storage room. The main building and a terrace will
be delivered on two following missions, and the lab is scheduled for
completion next year.
Every time when space shuttles were launched into space, all Japanese mass
media reported lots about it and treated Japanese astronaut as heroes. I
have just realized the fact through the mailing list of high school alumni
association that Takao Doi is a graduate of the same high school which I
graduated from in my young days. So I personally have some special feeling
and emotion about the success of the project at this space flight. I believe
all Japanese people feel the same way. It is really a big dream not only for
us Japanese but also for all human being.
In the mean time, I happened to read the editorial of Nikkei Newspaper on
March 13, titled "Let us see the achievement of the space project rather than
just dream".
The scales felled down from my eyes. The editorial insisted that it is now
necessary to make cost benefits analysis on this space project to some great
extent.
For a long time, the United States and Russia were the only countries that
had facilities for human activities in space. It is a significant development
that Japan, along with Europe, has joined them. But what is important is
how to use the facility and make it valuable.
Kibo's construction cost has reached 550 billion yen. From now, it will take
about 40 billion yen a year to deliver supplies and operate the lab. Including
the expenses incurred in preparatory stages, Kibo is a huge project that costs
a total of 1 trillion yen. Whether Japan can come up with results commensurate
with such a huge investment is being tested.
While we are talking about the dream about space development, it is really
necessary to talk about the reality on earth. Japan is facing now serious
financial difficulties and the country must tackle a number of serious
environmental and social and political problems to solve to survive on the
earth.
Lots of money may be invested first on earth rather than space projects now
underway. I don't see any discussion is being made on this issue at the
current diet sessions which are mainly concerned with the national budget
for next fiscal years and years to come. The space projects is obviously one
of other very important issue to talk about in the diet at this moment.
2008/3/15
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(570):
Mass media are responsible for confusion in politics
Twice Prime Minister Fukuda tried, and twice he failed before BOJ Gov.
Toshihiko Fukui's five-year term ended Wednesday. Now the top banking post
in the world's second-largest economy is vacant. While there rise a lot
of financial crisis in world market, such political situation in Japan
is criticized very much by inside and outside mass media.
It is obvious that it is Fukuda's fault. Despite the Democratic Party of
Japan-led opposition bloc's opposition to former Finance Ministry bureaucrats,
he first nominated BOJ Deputy Gov. Toshiro Muto, a former vice finance
minister who was rejected by the opposition controlled House of Councils.
Then Fukuda stunned Nagatacho on Thursday by nominating Koji Tanami,
another former vice finance minister. Thanami was rejected again at Upper
House for the same reason.
The DPJ, the largest opposition force, has repeatedly stressed that the
central bank should not be run by former finance bureaucrats to avoid
jeopardizing the BOJ's independence from the government. "I am disappointed
by Fukuda's choice and that the Finance Ministry is defeating him," DPJ
Secretary General Yukio Hatoyama told reporters. "We must create a nation
in which the public plays the key role, not the Finance Ministry. It is
dangerous that the prime minister's office has fallen under the leadership
of the Finance Ministry."
I understand what DPJ insists to say and support their reason why the
party rejected Fukuda's proposal. Fukuda and ruling fronts are fully
responsible for what happened.
However, I was quite surprised to see the reaction of many news papers on
this situation. Most of major papers in Japan criticized severely DIP while
they criticized Fukuda's poor decision making. Most papers said they did not
see any good reason why DPJ took negative position on such very important
political issues. A number of papers denounced the party in editorial by
saying DPJ is just utilizing this important issue only for the interest
of the party so that they could get more seats in coming general election.
I have been disappointed with such stance of such Japanese mass media.
Many of them are just like spokesmen of ruling fronts. On various matters
they criticized ruling fronts by right hand and they criticized DPJ by left
hand. They believe that is a fair approach.
Yes, may be so in many situation. But not so in other situation like what
happened at this time on appointment of new bank governor. It seems that
they don't understand there is a big difference in the degree of responsibility.
Needless to say, ruling fronts in power are responsible much higher than
opposition fronts for any circumstances. This is especially true what
happened on the appointment of new bank governor.
There is another very important political issues coming up toward the end
of March. Fukuda finally suggested the necessity of changing special road
finance to general finance scheme which DPJ has insisted so far. But DPJ
will refuse to accept such process to make some slight adjustment of their
original plans. If this happens, many mass media would denounce DPJ again
by saying the party is not responsible for reality of politics.
Many of such important issues should not be decided just by adjustment or
compromise. Ruling and opposition fronts are competing each other on some
basic principles and political philosophies. There should be no easy compromise
or adjustment of that sort.
I think Japanese mass media today are misleading people in many respects as
I mentioned above. They should understand that they are greatly responsible
for the political chaos in Japanese politics at this moment.
2008/3/22
Tadashi HAYASE
My opinion of this week(571):
Fukuda's new proposal
Prime Minister Fukuda on Thursday made a set of new proposals in the hope
of passing by Monday a government tax code bill that includes a special
measure to maintain the provisional gasoline tax rate, which is due to
expire the same day when the current fiscal year ends. The set of new
proposals is to shift tax revenues earmarked for road construction and
maintenance to the general account starting in fiscal 2009.
Fukuda also proposed:
EExamining the provisionally higher tax rates at a later date.
EDrawing up a new five-year midterm road maintenance plan in place of
the current 10-year plan.
Opposition Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) rejected the package
immediately because it did not contain a key demand--the abolition of
so-called temporary road tax rates while they appreciate to make special
road tax revenue shifting to general account.
Most Japanese papers supported Fukuda's proposal in their editorial next
day and suggested DPJ to start necessary discussion to reach a certain
agreement with ruling blocs to avoid confusion expected after April 1
when this temporary tax rate expires.
According to ruling blocs and some mass media, there expected two different
kind of confusions related with this development. One confusion may happen
at gasoline shops. Some stands may decrease price to a certain extent
and some other may maintain price for they have inventory of gasoline
which were purchased with higher price with original tax rate.
But what is the matter with it? The price of gasoline will do down totally
sooner or later while new reduced tax rate is penetrated in some period of
time.
The second confusion which ruling blocs and some mass media insist to happen
when the temporary gasoline tax rate expire after April 1 is that some
serious shortage of revenue would happen at various local prefectures. Total
\2.6 trillion have been gained through this temporary tax and they were very
important source of fund for each prefectures in their finance. Fukuda stressed
the importance of this fund for each prefectures and said at the news
conference that it is not realistic to abolish the temporary tax for gasoline
from this reason. Some mass media agreed with him on this point.
No men will deny the importance of this point. But I have a great doubt about
this assertion. A lot of waste and ill-spent cases have been disclosed at
diet discussion relation with budgets for 2009 and specifically with special
road construction fund. A big new source of fund will be created by diminishing
those waste first. This action is very necessary before arguing lack of fund
resulted from abolishing temporary tax rate for gasoline. Some more fund will
be found in so called hidden money at special accounts. Those waste and hidden
money must be disclosed first before creating new fund to supplement the
shortage resulted from abolishing temporary tax rate for gasoline.
It seems there still remains a great gap in recognition of people and Fukuda
and/or mass media concerning temporary tax rate of gasoline and waste of money
spend for road construction in the past in this coountry. Fukuda and even mass
media underestimate the feeling of people on this issues.
A majority of people support the idea to abolish the temporary tax for gasoline
and generalization of road construction fund. Fukuda's new proposal on
generalization of road construction fund is quite natural course of action as
a matter of fact. People also support the idea to abolish temporary tax for
gasoline at this time. They have created a lot of waste in connection with
road construction in many years in the past.
Now is the time to review all of those conventional waste and malpractice which
have been done by the present ruling blocs in many years. Any easy compromise
and adjustment for the present plans provided by ruling fronts . It is natural
that all opposition fronts are taking very negative stance for Fukuda's new
proposal.
The only fundamental solution may be done through the change of power in
the general election which is expected to happen at the soonest possible
time.
2008/3/29
Tadashi HAYASE
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