Press Conference by the Chief Cabinet Secretary (Excerpt)

Q&As

• The cyber-attack related to the North Korea
• The issue of military development in China
• The public opinion survey on the Diplomacy

REPORTER: I have a question concerning the cyber-attack on a subsidiary of Sony Corporation in the United States. President Obama has indicated that the Government of the United States is looking into countermeasures to respond to this recent attack, including reviewing whether to put North Korea back on the state sponsors of terrorism list. Can I ask for the Government’s views on this matter?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Firstly, with regard to this matter, on December 19 the Government of the United States announced that there was sufficient evidence to conclude that responsibility for the hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. lies with the North Korean authorities and criticized North Korea. In connection with this matter the Government of Japan is working in close cooperation with the United States and supports the measures being taken by the Government of the United States. Cyber-attacks are an important national security issue for Japan too, and the Government strongly denounces the recent hacking incident. I would like to refrain from going into the details concerning the Government’s interactions with the United States on this matter, but in any event we will continue to respond in close cooperation with the United States.

REPORTER: I have a related question. You have just stated that the Government supports the measures being taken by the United States and is working closely with the U.S. Government. There have already been foreign minister-level telephone talks between the United States and China on this issue, so could you tell us if there are any plans at the current point for Japan-U.S. consultations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: There are no such plans at the current point. However, as I just noted the Government will respond to this matter in cooperation with the international community, including the United States. I would like to refrain from going into any further detail.

REPORTER: I have a related question. What impact do you think the United States’ response measures will have on Japan-North Korea consultations?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government does not consider that this matter will have an impact on Japan-North Korea consultations. However, whatever the case the Government will continue to demand strongly that North Korea engages swiftly in investigations and provides a report to Japan on the outcomes of the investigations promptly and honestly.

REPORTER: I have a related question. You just mentioned that the Government is cooperating closely with the United States and supports its measures. Is there a possibility that Japan will also support the United States’ stance if it were to designate North Korea once again as a state sponsor of terrorism?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Firstly, the United States has stated that on the basis of objective and detailed intelligence, responsibility for this incident lies with the North Korean authorities. This information has been shared with the Government of Japan and as I have already stated, the Government welcomes the response being made by the United States.

REPORTER: So are you saying that if the United States designates North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, Japan will support this designation unconditionally?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Although I am aware that the Government of the United States is considering such a response, I would like to refrain from making any premature comment at the current time.

REPORTER: I have two related questions. Was the National Security Council (NSC) involved in the response to this issue? Also, is there any possibility at the current time that Japan will be involved in the response measures to be taken by the United States?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: Firstly, it is naturally the case that the NSC would be involved in cooperating with the United States. Secondly, at the current point the Government has already decided that our basic policy is to cooperate with the United States and the international community on this matter. I would like to refrain from prematurely making any specific comments at this time.

REPORTER: I have a number of related questions and points of confirmation. Firstly, the United States determined that this was a crime committed by North Korea. Can we assume that the Government of Japan shares the same opinion as the United States?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The United States has stated that on the basis of objective and detailed intelligence, responsibility for this incident lies with the North Korean authorities. Information relating to this matter has been shared with the Government of Japan.

REPORTER: I have some further questions. Does the Government believe that there is a possibility that someone in Japan was involved in this cyber-attack? Also, with regard to the direct response to this incident, which ministries and agencies will be mainly responsible for liaising with the United States side?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government of Japan is cooperating closely with the United States. We are of course also in contact with other countries, but I would like to refrain from going into any further detail.

REPORTER: I have a question on a different topic. It has emerged that the Chinese military has started development of a military base on the Nanji Islands, which are situated approximately 300km from the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. The latest radar equipment has already been installed and a heliport is currently under construction, with plans also for construction of a military airstrip. Although this is a matter within China’s territory, could you share with us the Government’s view on these developments?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The Government is of course aware of the reports that you mention. Military developments in China are a matter of great interest for the Government, which is always engaged in the collection and analysis of intelligence. I must refrain from discussing anything specific regarding this matter as doing so may expose our intelligence gathering capacity and other information. In any event, China is rapidly expanding and intensifying its activities in the maritime and aerial domains in the region including in the East China Sea and the Government will continue to closely monitor developments.

REPORTER: According to a Public Opinion Survey on the Diplomacy announced by the Cabinet Office on December 20, the number of respondents who said that they did not feel affinity towards China or the Republic of Korea (ROK) was the highest-ever figure since the survey was begun in 1978. Accordingly, the number of people who responded that they felt affinity towards these countries was the lowest ever. Can I ask for your views concerning these results?

CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY SUGA: The opinion survey did indeed return such results. It is a fact that precisely because China and the ROK are our neighbors, a variety of issues exist. At the same time, both countries are important neighboring countries for Japan and we believe that they are both partners who share responsibility to ensure the peace and prosperity of the region and the international community. In November a Japan-China summit meeting was held at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting. In that meeting it was made clear that Japan and China would work towards improving Japan-China relations by returning to the starting point of a mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests and would continue with dialogue and cooperation in various fields, including on efforts to begin the operation in the near future of a maritime communication mechanism. In actual fact the number of tourists from China has increased approximately 80 percent this year compared with the previous year, reaching 2.22 million tourist arrivals. The Government hopes that mutual understanding will be promoted through such exchanges and seeks also to advance dialogue with the diplomatic authorities of the ROK.