We cannot allow an important decision for Japan’s future to be made on such untrustworthy grounds — never without sufficient disclosure of information or national debate on the issue. The joint statement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks issued Friday, February 22, after a meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and United States President Barack Obama does not offer any guarantee that Japan can maintain tariffs on key farm products, which is one of the six items the Liberal Democratic Party listed in its campaign pledge, as well as for other five items such as universal health insurance coverage. It is far too hasty to decide to join the TPP negotiations with such an insufficient ascertainment. We are determined not to approve of the government’s decision to participate in the talks.
The joint statement confirms that “all goods should be subject to negotiation” and that the final outcome of whether Japan can maintain exceptions for tariff elimination “will be determined during the negotiations.” This by no means indicates that exceptions are ensured. Abe no doubt is tricking the public by overstating that the negotiations do not require unilateral eliminations of all tariffs without exceptions.
Moreover, as for other five items, it was only Abe who mentioned them in the meeting, and he could not get any assurance from Obama on the issues. There is no guarantee at this moment whether Abe can meet the pledge concerning universal health insurance coverage, safety of food products and investor-state dispute settlement clause. To make an announcement to join the TPP talks based on this joint statement clearly goes against the LDP’s pledge. It is a breach of trust against the Japanese people, and we should not accept it on any account.
Abe was expected to have a meeting with the leader of his party’s coalition partner and hold an LDP board meeting Monday, February 25, to report the outcomes of the Japan-U.S. summit. These meetings were expected to be followed by intra-party procedures in LDP and New Komeito for reaching an agreement among the parties to entrust the government with the decision to join the TPP talks. We urge the parties to demand the government in the procedures to show a clear guarantee that it can meet the LDP campaign pledge on six items including maintaining tariffs on key products.
An LDP group calling for an immediate withdrawal from joining the TPP adopted a resolution before Abe’s visit to the U.S., asking him to hold on to the six items in the pledge. To protect the national interests, it states that tariffs on key agricultural products such as rice, wheat, beef, dairy products and sugar should be exempted from elimination or be separately renegotiated. Unless there is a guarantee that the government will follow the resolution, the government should not be entrusted with making decisions on the TPP. 236 members of the group, which accounts for more than 60% of the LDP’s Diet members, should closely cooperate to carry through their strong will of opposing Japan’s participation in the TPP talks.
In its campaign pledge for the December 16 Lower House elections, New Komeito stressed the importance of sufficient disclosure of information and discussion among the Japanese people, and it has been asking for an establishment of a research commission or a special committee in the Diet. After the change of government last December, no disclosure of information or nationwide discussion has been made. To entrust the government with making decisions on the issue under this condition means a disregard of the pledge.
The TPP talks are not a mere free trade agreement. It is an agreement which leads the government to make important decisions which determine the nation’s fundamental structure. The TPP gives serious damage on the nation’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector and the rural economy. Under the principles of protecting market competition and investors’ interests, the laws and systems to protect medical services, labor, environment and safety of food products may have to be revised. The interests of global enterprises will be given priority and we will face the danger of losing the national sovereignty. We must recognize the significance of the campaign pledge and never accept political decisions which could become a tremendous bill to pay in the future.
(Feb. 25, 2013)