Hatoyama unveils Asia-focused foreign policy

Mieko Kawashima / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

SINGAPORE--Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama emphasized his Asia-orientated foreign policy in a speech in Singapore on Sunday, saying he will make his East Asian community concept the key pillar of the policy.

Hatoyama also stressed that the United States would play an important role in the region.

In the speech on Asian policy, which he gave in English at a Singapore hotel, the prime minister listed the fields for potential cooperation with other Asian countries, such as the economic measures, efforts against global warming, disaster prevention, sanitation management and antipiracy steps. Regarding the economy, he said negotiations over an economic partnership agreement, or EPA, with Australia, India and South Korea would be accelerated.

As for East Asian community member countries, Hatoyama called for vigorous discussion on what kind of community would be desirable and suggested he was willing to hold negotiations with each of the countries.

The prime minister pointed out that the the United States plays a vital role for peace and prosperity in Asia. He also noted that he and U.S. President Barack Obama had agreed to deepen and develop the Japan-U.S. alliance during their talks in Tokyo on Friday and emphasized that this alliance would continue to be the axis of Japan's foreign policy.

Hatoyama also declared a policy to start a so-called Yuai boat project from next year that would involve using Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels to support measures such as medical aid efforts and other activities by civilians or nongovernmental organizations.

Asked to outline the project after the speech, Hatoyama made it clear he was not thinking of sending vessels to conflict-hit areas and such activities would first require legal backing, suggesting that for the time being the activities would be restricted to offering medical and other assistance in areas hit by natural disasters.

As for measures against global warming, Hatoyama urged developing countries to use Japanese companies' energy-saving technologies and to state their greenhouse gas emission-reduction targets.