Japan Press Weekly

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2017 April 5 - 11 [JCP]

JCP Koike: Tillerson’s reference to US Syria strike as a message to North Korea is dangerous

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on April 10 at a press conference in the Diet building criticized the U.S. foreign affairs chief’s remark that the latest Syria attack is a “message” to North Korea as highly dangerous, stressing that a diplomatic approach is the only way to deal with the North Korea issue.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in an interview with the major U.S. media network, ABC, which was aired on the previous day, said that the message to be taken from the Trump administration’s military action against Syria is that if North Korea violates international norms and agreements and becomes a threat to others, “at some point a response is likely to be undertaken.”

At the press conference, Koike pointed out that Tillerson’s statement is dangerous as it gave emphasis to employing military options. He said that there is no alternative but to solve the North Korea issue through diplomacy.

Koike criticized the Abe Cabinet’s spokesperson, Suga Yoshihide, for making remarks in favor of the U.S. government move to intensify the military pressure on North Korea. Koike said, “Taking a belligerent attitude toward the North Korea issue is unacceptable. The only solution is to push the country to abandon its nuclear weapons program and missile development through a strict implementation of economic sanctions and unified international action.”

Koike noted that until recently, the Abe government has not questioned the Trump administration on its decision to take military action against Syria. Koike said, “Is it OK for Japan to maintain the course of following the President Trump-led U.S. government which doesn’t hesitate to carry out a military strike unilaterally? It’s high time to put an end to diplomacy that is subservient to the U.S. and instead establish a self-directed, independent diplomacy with which Japan will determine its future course.”

Past related article:
> Cool-headed diplomacy is essential to deal with reckless N. Korea [March 9, 2017]