George R. Packard
President, International University of Japan;
Director of the Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University, President, U.S.-Japan Foundation
George R. Packard was dean of SAIS from 1979 to 1993 and is now director of the Edwin O. Reischauer Center for East Asian Studies as well as professor of East Asian studies at the school. He is also president of the International University of Japan. From 1965 to 1967, he was chief diplomatic correspondent for Newsweek. Prior to that, he served as special assistant to U.S. Ambassador to Japan Edwin O. Reischauer. In March of 1998, he was appointed president of the U.S.-Japan Foundation.
Packard Report - Dec. 2007
Prime Minister Fukuda made a low-key visit to Washington on November 15-16 lasting just 26 hours. There was no White House dinner, and no joint press conference with the President of the sort the Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair normally conducted. Fukuda had a cold and looked a bit tired Many difflcult issues - base support, abductees, and Japan's withdrawal of the MSDF from the lndian Ocean - meant that the visit could have been disastrous. But it was not a disaster. In fact, Fukuda's stature grew visibly here in those 26 hours.
Washington's "Japan handlers" found Fukuda far stronger and more impressive that either of the two prime ministers who preceded him. On the issues, he was well informed but not dogmatic, reasonable but not strident, firm but allowing for future compromise. In short, he came off as a statesman and not a hungry politician.
On the key issue of "delisting" North Korea from the designation as a terrorist state, Bush apparently remained on course to negotiate a deal with North Korea but Fukuda was able to persuade him to consult with Japan before taking any action. Bush, Secretary of State Rice, and Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill are determined to strike a deal if at all possible in order to salvage their pathetic diplomacy of the last seven years. Cheney is playing a game in the shadows, ready and eager to shoot down the negotiations at any pretext. In this jungle environment, Bush has no choice but to press on. But he will respect Fukuda's political requirements in Tokyo.
Fukuda left the impression that Japan can find a way to compromise on the abductee issue if given time and cover. He impressed observers as trustworthy and reliable, but also as tough. Therefore Bush will certainly consult with Japan before taking any drastic new steps with the North Koreans. Fukuda bought time and evidently will use it to try resolve the abductee issue on a bilateral basis.
Fukuda was also able to convince Bush of his sincerity in trying to win passage of a new anti-terrorism bill that would allow the return of MSDF ships to the lndian Ocean. Bush is better able to understand Fukuda's problem with Ozawa and the Democratic Party of Japan, now that both Houses of the US Congress are controlled by the opposition Party.
Perhaps Fukuda's greatest triumph was in the fact that he met with some 25 representatives of the academic, intellectual and non-profit world at Prime Minister Kato's official residence in Washington. I was told that no visiting Japanese Prime Minister has ever held such a round-table meeting.
Present and sitting across from the Prime Minister were Kurt Campbell, Michel Green and myself. I was encouraged to ask the first question and make the first comment. Others from high schools, the Kennedy Center, think tanks, graduate schools and Japan studies programs sat around the table and almost everyone got a chance to make a comment.
Fukuda opened the meeting by saying that he wants to establish three Japan pillars in this area: more US-Japan intellectual exchanges, more grass-roots exchanges, and strengthening Japanese language teaching in America. Participants responded enthusiastically to his imitative, and a number of good ideas were put forward.
One notable moment was when Kurt Campbell told the Prime Minister how well respected Ambassador Kato was in Washington, drawing applause around the table and a response from Fukuda that gWell, I will have to ask him to stay longer in that case." Kato is already the longest serving Japanese Ambassador to Washington ever, and Fukuda's response was well received.
In all, Fukuda came across as a serious man of peace, culture and intellectual strength - something we rarely see in our own politicians. He got off to an excellent start and l believe that neither the Pentagon nor State Department will ignore his wishes in the future. They will certainly be rooting for him in the next general election.
George R. Packard
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