Producing Prosperity

Video of book presentation Producing Prosperity: Why America Needs a Manufacturing Renaissance on October 3, 2012 with author Dr. Gary Pisano of Harvard Business School in Washington, DC after a day of private meetings with congressional staff, White House officials, and think tank experts arranged by Asia Policy Point.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule Oct 1-7

October 1, 2012 (MON) * Inauguration of the Third Reshuffled Noda Cabinet

AM
09:32 Office
09:34 Mr. Fujimura
09:37 Mr. Saito joins
09:42 Both leave
11:09 Mr. Saito
11:32 Extraordinary ministerial meeting
11:40 Meeting adjourns

PM
12:48 Meeting with Mr. Jimi, People’s New Party’s President; Mr. Koshiishi; Mr. Fujimura; and Mr. Shimoji, Secretary General of People’s New Party
12:57 Launch Cabinetmaking Headquarters
01:15 Press conference
01:38 Call in new ministers
04:11 Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor for PM
04:52 Imperial palace, New ministers sworn in
06:37 Office
06:58 Issue appointment for new ministers
07:11 The first ministerial meeting
07:35 Photo shooting
07:40 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor for PM
08:06 Residence

October 2, 2012 (TUE) * Decision on Senior Vice-Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and Special Advisors to the Prime Minister

AM
09:32 Office
09:42 Mr. Taketoshi, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
09:48 Mr. Taketoshi leaves

PM
01:03 Ministerial meeting
02:02 Japan-Liechtenstein Summit Meeting; Mr. Shiba, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
02:23 Meeting ends
04:27 Imperial palace, new senior vice ministers sworn in
06:40 Office
07:10 Photo shooting with new senior vice ministers
07:19 Vice ministerial meeting
07:37 Mr. Honda, Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry
08:20 Issue appointment for new parliamentary secretaries
08:35 Photo shooting
08:42 Parliamentary secretaries’ meeting
09:04 Issue appointment for new PM’s special advisors
09:07 Photo shooting
09:11 Residence

October 3, 2012 (WED)

AM
08:58 Imperial palace; greeting ceremony for King Abdul Halim, Malaysian King; Mrs. Noda attends
09:53 Office
10:25 Hotel Lungwood, Higashi Nippori, Tokyo
10:26 RENGO's Central Committee
10:57 Mr. Koga, President of Rengo (Japan Trade Union Confederation)
11:36 Office
11:38 Mr. Kazuhiko Takeshima, former Japan Fair Trade Commission chair
11:47 Mr. Takeshima leaves

PM
02:01 Mr. Fumiya Ito, winner of Nigen Ryoku (Human Strength) Award
02:15 Mr. Jiro Saito, President/CEO of Nippon Yusen (NYK)
02:23 Mr. Saito leaves
03:31 Mr. Okada, Deputy Prime Minister
03:58 Mr. Taketoshi, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
04:15 Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
04:19 Mr. Morimoto, Minister of Defense
04:29 Mr. Gemba and Mr. Fujimura join
05:29 All leave
06:04 Residence
06:40 Imperial Palace, Dinner Party with King Abdul Halim of Malaysia
10:04 Residence

October 4, 2012 (THU)

AM
09:23 Office
09:25 Mr. Sugiyama, Director-general, Asia and Oceania Affairs Bureau, MoFA
09:55 Mr. Ogushi, Special Advisor for PM
10:18 Mr. Ogushi leaves
11:00 Hibiya Hall, The 50th Anniversary National Ceremony of the Japan Federation of Senior Citizens Clubs

PM
12:13 Office, stand talk with Mr. Eikei Suzuki, Governor of Mie Prefecture
01:47 Mr. Kawakami, Special Advisor for PM
01:58 Mr. Nagahama, Minister of Environment; and Mr. Tatsuo Hirano, Minister for Reconstruction in the Response to the East Japan Earthquake
02:43 Mr. Nagahama leaves
03:06 Mr. Hirano leaves
05:38 Pays a Courtesy Call on Their Majesties The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and The Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia
06:02 Residence

October 5, 2012 (FRI)

AM
09:33 Office
10:02 Ministerial meeting
10:24 Mr. Nakao, Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Ministry of Finance; Mr. Yamazaki, Director General, International Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Finance
11:01 Mr. Yoshitake Yokokura, President, The Japan Medical Association
11:20 Mr. Masuko, DPJ Policy Research Council Chief
11:31 Mr. Kawai, Administrative Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Mr. Okada

PM
12:04 Government DPJ Three executives meeting
12:58 Parliament
01:01 DPJ executive meeting
01:11 Office
01:29 Parliament
01:31 DPJ ordinary secretary-general meeting
01:40 Office
01:59 Mr. Edano, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
02:42 Both leave
03:00 Mr. Ogasawara, Administrative Vice Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications
03:13 Mr. Adachi, Administrative Vice Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry; Mr. Ueda, Director-General, Trade Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry
03:43 Both leave
04:41 Mr. Kitamura, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office; and Mr. Masayuki Iwao, Maritime Safety Auditor, Japan Coast Guard
05:31 Presents Commemorative Gifts to Members of the Japanese National Team of the London 2012 Paralympic Games
05:48 Photo shooting
06:08 Conversation
06:26 Residence

October 6, 2012 (SAT)

AM
Residence

PM
05:26 Dinner with Mr. Fujio Cho, Chairman of Toyota Mortor Corp; Mr. Motoyuki Oka, Chairman of Sumitomo Corp; Mr. Shoichiro Suzuki, Chairman of Oji Paper Group; Mr. Hirokazu Ikeda, Special Adviser of Asahi Group Holdings; at Garden Court Club in Hotel New Otani

08:28 Residence

October 7, 2012 (SUN) * Visits Fukushima Prefecture

AM
06:50 JR Ueno Station
07:00 Leave the Station; Mr. Nagahama, Minister of Environment and Nuclear Disaster accompanies
09:19 Arrive at JR Iwaki Station
09:55 Give words of encouragement to the police unit at the area patrol team base in Oriki
10:17 J Village, talk with people who worked on-site immediately after the accident
Lunch, measure the radiation level, change to protective gear

PM
12:20 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
01:29 Observe the Unit 4 Reactor
01:52 Control room of Unit 1 and 2
03:20 J Village, measure the radiation level
04:04 Naraha Minami Elementary School, observe decontamination work; receive request from Mayor Yukihide Matsumoto
04:28 Observe the temporary storage site for contaminated soil
04:40 Press interview
04:44 Leave the site
06:21 Observe the inspection laboratory for all of the bags of rice; tasting; Mr. Yuhei Sato, Governor of Fukushima also attends
07:13 JR Koriyama Station
07:53 Leave the station
09:11 JR Tokyo Station
09:28 Residence

Beijing Building Influence, Shelving Competition in the South Pacific

Reprinted from the Jamestown Foundation's China Brief, Volume: 12 Issue: 20, October 19, 2012 

By: Eric Y. Shibuya

NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo in Fiji

The announcement in late August 2012 that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s tour through Asia would begin with a stop in the Cook Islands and coincide with the annual Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting was certainly no small news [1]. While the United States has long held observer status at the Forum, Clinton’s presence was the highest U.S. representation ever at the meeting, trumping the Chinese representation by Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai (Xinhua, September 1) [2]. The visit in itself was generally consistent with the Obama Administration’s “rebalancing” toward the Asia-Pacific—and, generally consistent with Beijing’s reaction to the “rebalancing,” provoked Chinese concern (China Daily, August 29). While Clinton’s participation in the Post Forum Dialogue was a first, Cui was attending his second such event following up on Politburo Standing Committee member Jia Qinglin’s visit earlier this year (Xinhua, May 25). Last month, another Standing Committee member, Wu Bangguo, also traveled to Fiji—exiled from the Pacific Islands Forum since 2009 for its military government—to sign several small loan agreements, boost economic cooperation and thank Fiji for standing by the “One-China Principle” (Xinhua, September 21). These Chinese visits suggest a more deliberate policy to build Chinese influence in the South Pacific—irrespective of other players—to overcome Beijing’s previously haphazard investment in infrastructure there and the fluctuations attendant in countering Taiwan’s checkbook diplomacy prior to 2009.

American Lake, China's Challenge

Certainly, the announcement got the attention of officials in Beijing, with the official press expressing concerns that the visit could increase great power tensions in the region (Xinhua, September 1; China Daily, August 29). Since the end of World War II, the Pacific Ocean area has been an area of clear U.S. dominance. Attempts by opposing powers to gain a foothold in the region, whether by the Soviet Union during the Cold War or by China today are usually met with great energy by the United States. However, great energy is not always accompanied with great finesse, as the U.S. predilection toward equating the Soviet Cold War threat to China’s presence today obscures a great deal of nuance between the situations.

China’s interest in the Pacific Island countries is not new and Beijing has participated in these dialogues since 1989 (Xinhua, August 28). Its increased engagement in the region can be traced at least as far back to the immediate post-Cold War period and corresponds to a decrease in U.S. engagement in the region. Beijing’s major foreign policy goals in the region also are not particularly confusing. Mainly, China hopes to deny political recognition to Taiwan and develop economic ties (both access to raw materials and trade markets) within the region [3]. Isolating Taiwan in the international community was a significant issue for Beijing, and the region previously had been the location of a political tug-of-war with Taipei. Some island governments tried to take advantage of this fact, playing one side off of the other for financial gain, but, despite the rhetoric, most relations have been remarkably stable. The most significant shift may have been 2003 when Kiribati shifted recognition to Taiwan. Formal relations between Kiribati and China had been in place since 1980, and the Chinese built a satellite tracking station on Kiribati’s main island of Tarawa in 1997. It was the first space station built outside of China and was said to be playing a major role in the development of China’s space program. More suspicious analysts noted the station was also very close to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, home to the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site. With the election of Anote Tong to the Presidency, the new administration announced it would be establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan, causing a furor. President-elect Tong did not suggest China should leave; indeed, he may have been gambling that the satellite station was too important for China to give up. If so, this was a miscalculation, as China closed down the station and withdrew in a matter of weeks.

China’s exit from Kiribati suggests three things. First, it is doubtful that the station, if it was gathering intelligence on the U.S. missile defense program, was getting anything of significant value. Second, the closure suggests the base’s importance as a part of the Chinese space program, and as a potential future docking point for Chinese ships, had been overestimated. Third and most importantly, the withdrawal suggests, whatever the value of the station, it did not outweigh the importance of the Taiwan issue for Beijing.

In 2009, Beijing and Taipei announced a “truce” between them, ending (at least for now) the previous “checkbook diplomacy” in the region and was tied warming of cross-Strait relations under Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou (Taipei Times, April 14). In terms of raw materials, China receives significant amounts of, among other things, timber and tuna. While it is large, this trade, like tourism, is at the moment more important for the island states than for China. China’s interests, however, extend for the much longer term as the possibilities for accessing seabed minerals and other underwater resources becomes technologically and economically feasible.

Looking Ahead

A larger international profile by China today is practically inevitable considering its economic growth over the last two decades, and there are many areas of mutual interest for China, the United States, and the rest of the world, such as increasing economic development and trade. While much of China’s economic interests (e.g. freedom of navigation and lower barriers to trade) coincide with the United States, the manner in which these interests are secured may come in conflict. For example, the Chinese may consider freedom of navigation best secured by its own growing maritime assets rather than depending upon the United States, and, with concerns already over the development of Air-Sea Battle Doctrine, Beijing’s unease is understandable (Global Times August 6; “China Assesses President Obama’s Asia-Pacific November 2011 Trip,” China Brief, December 20, 2011). On the U.S. side, concerns over China’s naval assets are obvious, and it is telling that the 2012 iteration of the RIMPAC naval exercises held in Hawaii included first time attendees Russia and India.

In the past, China has received a public relations “lift” in Oceania not just because of what it does, but how it does it. China fetes the island leaders with great fanfare, and Chinese officials are quick to avoid any discussion over the internal affairs of the island states. This gives China an edge over the United States, Australia and New Zealand for the latter nations’ perceived arrogance and intrusiveness in dealings in the region. Henderson and Reilly argue that the Kingdom of Tonga’s 1998 switch to recognizing Beijing—after a 26 year relationship with Taiwan—was due in part to concerns that democratizing influences in Taiwan would add to the pressure coming from the United States, Japan and especially Australia for the Kingdom to include greater input from the people in its government [4]. Increasing conditions for some reform in return for aid from the latter countries made recognition and subsequent assistance from Beijing more palatable to Tonga. At the 2011 Forum, China’s Vice Foreign Minister Cui called Chinese assistance to the islands “South-South” aid, and would continue to work bilaterally with the island governments rather than coordinate with other donors (Beijing Review, September 26, 2011).

It is no longer the case, however, that China’s growing presence in the region is completely welcome—it now has a record in the region that it must run against. China’s assistance has been biased toward grand infrastructure projects (e.g. stadiums, government buildings, etc.) but with little thought for continuing upkeep and maintenance. Over time, this may prove to be the deciding factor between closer relationships between island governments and Beijing or a resurgence of relationships with more traditional partners. This may explain why Cui at this last Forum stated Beijing would support ongoing fisheries management, increase technical assistance and training, add to the number of scholarships for study in China and support energy-saving infrastructure upgrades (Fmprc.gov.cn, August 31). Beijing also invested in a Confucius Institute at University of the South Pacific, a Xinhua branch in 2010 and local community colleges, so a steadier Chinese presence is developing (Xinhua, September 1; Beijing Review, September 26, 2011). While China seeks to expand its role in Oceania and the United States and its regional allies hope to manage such an expansion, the island governments themselves are attempting to balance between the two, hoping to maximize benefits in assistance and trade. Like others in the Asia-Pacific region, the island nations do not want to be in a position where they would have to “choose” between a relationship with Beijing or Washington.

Perhaps the biggest question, then, is whether China’s increased activity in Oceania constitutes a zero-sum game for the island nations as well as the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and others. Oceania experts Edgar Porter and Terence Wesley-Smith note, “China’s growing regional presence allows Pacific leaders to contemplate alternatives to established networks of power and influence and entrenched models of economic and political development” [5]. This fact causes understandable consternation for the traditional powers of the region, but perhaps more importantly highlights the fact that the Pacific Island leaders are not inanimate pawns in some “Great Oceania Game,” but independent agents in their own right. Moreover, China is not the only “new” player in the game in Oceania. The United Arab Emirates has created a $50 million program on renewable energy with the Pacific Islands, and during the 2012 Forum, Fiji’s Foreign Minister was attending the Non-Aligned Movement meeting in Tehran and formalizing relations with Iran (Island Business September 4). If it is to weather the “China Challenge,” the United States must show resilience and a commitment to engagement in the long term, not simply “one-off” high-profile events. Long-term commitment is not usually a strong suit in U.S. foreign policy, and the United States must be careful not to disappoint the region with exaggerated promises as Beijing steadies Chinese engagement.

Notes:

1. Originally called the South Pacific Forum, it changed its name in 1999 to better note the membership of island countries (Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, and Palau) north of the equator.
2. The highest previous representation was 2011 in Wellington—the Forum’s 40th Anniversary—by Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides and Assistant Secretary or State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell.
3. Currently, Taiwan has diplomatic relations with Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu.
4. Benjamin Reilly and John Henderson, “Dragon in Paradise: China's Rising Star in Oceania,” The National Interest, No. 72, Summer 2003, pp. 94–104.
5. Edgar A. Porter and Terence Wesley-Smith, “Introduction: Oceania Matters,”in Terence Wesley-Smith and Edgar A. Porter, eds., China in Oceania: Reshaping the Pacific?, New York: Bergham Books, 2010, p. 3.

Prime Minister of Japan's Schedule September 10-30

September 10, 2012 (MON)

AM
09:18 Imperial Palace, report of return
09:34 Office
09:50 Mr. Okada, Deputy Prime Minister; Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Saito, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Gemba, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Edano, Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry; Mr. Hosono, Minister of Environment; and Mr. Furukawa, Minister of State for National Strategy 
10:55 Mr. Fujimura leaves
11:06 All leave
11:16 Ceremony to Present the Prime Minister's Commendation to Contributors for Disaster Prevention for FY2012, at Hotel Grand Arc Hanzomon, Hayabusa-cho, Tokyo
11:39 Office
11:42 Mr. Kaneko and Mr. Asonuma, New and Old Administrative Vice Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare
11:53 Both leave

PM
01:33 Lower House Member Second Office Building. Ceremony for the DPJ Presidential election
01:59 Office
02:45 Hotel The Prince Park Tower Tokyo
02:48 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor for PM; and Mr. Yosuke Kondo, DPJ Lower House member
03:02 Joint Press Conference with the DPJ Presidential candidateMr. Hirotaka Akamatsu, former Minsiter of Agriculture; Mr. Kazuhiro Haraguchi, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications; and Mr. Michihiko Kano, former Minister of Agriculture
04:22 Conference adjourned
04:35 Office
05:20 Mr. Tezuka
05:45 Mr. Gemba; Mr. Morimoto, Minister of Defense; Mr. Ihara, Director-General of the Foreign Ministery North American Affairs Bureau; and Mr. Nishi, Director-General of Defense Ministry Policy Affairs Bureau
05:50 Mr. Fujimura; and Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor for PM, join
06:25 Mr. Fujimura and Mr. Ihara leave
05:29 All leave
05:34 Party Hosted by the Prime Minister Accompanying the Meeting of the Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Force Senior Personnel; Mr. Fujimura and Mr. Morimoto join
07:30 Press interviews
07:37 Pay respect for the late Former Finance Minister, Mr. Matsushita
07:48 Residence

September 11, 2012 (TUE)

AM
08:57 Office
09:06 Ministerial meeting
09:27 Issue appoint for Mr. Kidera, Assistant Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
09:59 Ministry of Defense
10:00 Honor guard
10:13 Meeting of the Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Force Senior Personnel
10:46 Office
11:16 Visit to the Reconstruction Agency and Gives Words of Encouragement
11:34 Office

PM
01:26 Mr. Ogushi, Parliamentary Secretary Cabinet Office
01:43 Mr. Ogushi leaves
04:15 Mr. Ogasawara and Mr. Okamoto, New and Old of Administrative Vice Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications
04:20 Mr. Minagawa and Mr. Machida, New and Old Administrative Vice Minister of Agriculture
04:26 Mr. Sato and Mr. Masashi Shukuri, New and Old Administrative Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation
04:32 Mr. Kawai and Mr. Sasae, New and Old Administrative Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
04:42 Mr. Yonemura, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management
05:00 Mr. Tezuka
05:30 Japan-New Zealand Summit Meeting and Joint Press Conference with Prime Minister John Key
06:16 See off Prime Minister Key
06:19 Residence

September 12, 2012 (WED)

AM
09:02 Office
09:11 Mr. Okada, Deputy Prime Minister; Mr. Gemba; Mr. Hirano, Minister of Education and Science; Mr. Edano; Mr. Hosono; Mr. Fujimura; Mr. Furukawa; and Mr. Saito
10:25 All leave
10:44 Mr. Ritsuo Hosokawa, former Minister of Health; and Mr. Akira Nagatsuma, another former Minsiter of Health
11:02 Both leave

PM
12:54 Nippon Press Center Building; DPJ Presidential Debate hosted by Japan Correspondence Club
03:06 Office
04:03 Lower House Second Member’s Building
04:29 Office
04:58 Rengo Kaikan Building; meeting with Mr. Nobuaki Koga, President of Rengo (Labor Union Confederation)
05:36 Office
05:45 Mr. Tezuka
06:15 Residence
08:51 Office
09:15 Conversation with Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide; Mr. Furukawa and Mr. Hirano attend
09:39 Residence

September 13, 2012 (THU)

AM
09:53 Japan Shobo Kaikan
09:59 The 31st Memorial Service for Firefighters Who Lost Their Lives on Duty
10:35 Office
11:30 Mr. Tezuka
11:47 Mr. Honda, Special Advisor for PM

PM
12:20 Haneda Airport
12:35 Leave the airport on JAL Flight 117
12:28 Arrive at Itami Airport, Osaka
02:00 Osaka, Kita-ward, Rihga Royal Hotel Osaka; Funeral Ceremony of Late Mr. Masaharu Matsushita, Emeritus Chair of Panasonic
02:26 Sheraton Hotel Miyako Osaka
03:00 DPJ Presidential Rally
04:31 Meeting adjourns
04:53 Itami Airport
05:36 Leave the airport on JAL flight 128
06:45 Haneda Airport
07:24 Residence

September 14, 2012 (FRI)

AM
07:35 Office
08:40 Mr. Sasaki and Mr. Okada, New and Old Vice-Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
08:57 Ministerial meeting
09:14 Headquarters for Administrative Reform Implementation
09:34 Ministerial Council on Monthly Economic Report and Other Relative Issues
09:58 Meeting adjourns
10:36 Mr. Okada; Mr. Fujimura; Mr. Saito; Mr. Hosono; Mr. Hirano; Mr. Furukawa; Mr. Edano; Mr. Makino, Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry; Mr. Takahara, Director-General, Agency for Natural resources and Energy
11:55 All leave

PM
01:31 Reconstruction Promotion Committee
01:53 Mr. Muneo Suzuki, former Lower House Member, President of New Party Daichi/True Democratic Party;
02:34 Both leave
04:30 Energy and Environment Council
04:53 Mr. Ogushi, Parliamentary Secretary of Cabinet Office
06:01 Mr. Kitamura, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office; Mr. Kinomura, Director of Defense Intelligence Headquarters; and Mr. Manabe, Deputy Director-General of Defense Ministry Policy Affairs Bureau
06:15 Mr. Kinomura and Mr. Manabe leave
06:32 Mr. Kitamura leaves
06:49 Residence

September 15, 2012 (SAT)

AM
Residence

PM
Residence

September 16, 2012 (SUN)

AM
06:43 Mr. Tezuka
07:05 Fuji TV, Daiba, Tokyo
07:30 Make appearance on a news program
08:06 Program ends
08:34 NHK Broadcasting Hall, Kioi-cho, Tokyo
09:00 Make appearance on another news program
09:55 Program ends
10:03 Residence

PM
04:11 Mr. Kawai, Administrative Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Mr. Yonemura
05:08 Both leave

September 17, 2012 (MON)

AM
Residence

PM
12:36 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor for PM
01:00 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Yonemura, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management; and Mr. Kawai, Administrative Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
01:30 All leave
02:33 DPJ Headquarters
03:00 Join the DPJ Internet joint speech-meeting
04:44 NHK Interview
05:01 Residence

September 18, 2012 (TUE)

AM
09:47 The 65th Anniversary Ceremony of the Nippon Izokukai (Japan War-Bereaved Families Association)
11:16 Office
11:45 Courtesy Call from Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all the Rus'; Mr. Gemba, Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Mr. Saito, Deputy Cabinet Secretary, also attend

PM
12:04 Meeting Adjourns
12:06 Mr. Gemba
12:18 Mr. Gemba leaves
01:31 The Council on National Strategy and Policy
02:31 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary; and Mr. Nagahama, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor for PM, Mr. Saiki, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs; and Mr. Hiramatsu, Deputy Vice-Minister for Foreign Policy/Director-General
02:46 All leave
02:48 Mr. Nagashima, Special Advisor for MP
02:52 Mr. Morimoto, Minister of Defense; and Mr. Ihara, Director-General of North American Affairs Bureau, Minister of Foreign Affairs
03:00 Mr. Fujimura and Mr. Gemba
03:42 All leave
04:10 Mr. Yonemura, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management
04:41 Mr. Kawai, Administrative Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
05:17 Mr. Takashi Yagi, Ambassador for India; and Mr. Yoshitaka Akimoto, Ambassador for Australia
05:30 Mr. Tezuka
05:50 The Establishment of the New Child-Rearing Support System and Gathering of the Relevant Parties Thereof
06:22 Mr. Kitamura, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office
07:03 Residence
10:33 TBS in Akasaka, make appearance on a news program
11:52 Residence

September 19, 2012 (WED)

AM
09:12 Residence
09:22 Ministerial meeting
09:58 Mr. Okada, Deputy Prime Minister
10:17 Mr. Okada leaves
11:11 Mr. Ishii, DPJ Vice President; Mr. Saito, and Mr. Nagashima
11:33 Mr. Kenichiro Hamda, NHK Management Board Chair; Mr. Fujimura; and Mr. Tezuka attend
11:39 Issue an appointment for Mr. Kenzo Oshima as a member of Nuclear Regulation Authority
11:48 Issue an appointment for Environment Minister Hosono as Minister for the Restoration from and Prevention of Nuclear Accident
11:56 Mr. Shunichi Tanaka, Nuclear Regulation Authority chair

PM
01:48 Mr. Taketoshi, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
02:00 A Request from Some First Term Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) Diet Members
02:25 Mr. Toshimi Kitazawa, former Minister of Defense
02:54 Mr. Kitazawa leaves
03:30 Mr. Tezuka
04:27 JR Shinjuku Station, Street Speech
05:29 Office
06:15 Mr. Saito
06:55 Residence
09:35 TV Asahi, Roppongi, make an appearance on a news program
11:07 Residence

September 20, 2012 (THU)

AM
09:09 Hotel the Prince Park Tower Tokyo, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
09:32 Office
11:15 Mr. Akashi Uchikoshi, DPJ Lower House member
11:30 Mr. Uchikoshi leaves

PM
02:19 Mr. Hirohisa Fujii, DPJ Tax Research Council Chief
02:56 Mr. Kawai, Administrative Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
03:30 Mr. Yonemura, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management, joins
03:49 Both leave
03:55 Mr. Tezuka
04:21 Mr. Adachi, Administrative Vice Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry; and Mr. Ishiguro, Director-General of Policy Bureau, Ministery of Economy
05:26 Mr. Kitamura leaves
06:15 Aoyama Funeral Home; funeral of Mr. Shincihi Nishimiya, Ambassador for China
06:41 Residence
08:01 Nihon TV
08:15 Make an appearance on a news program
09:01 Residence

September 21, 2012 (FRI)

AM
09:23 Office
09:32 Ministerial meeting
09:41 Meeting adjourns

PM
12:27 Hotel New Ohtani, meeting for the DPJ presidential election
1:00 DPJ ad-hoc Party General Assembly
01:09 Speech for the DPJ Presidential election
01:19 Speech ends
02:12 DPJ Presidential Election Voting
02:48 Made a remark for reelection as DPJ president
03:16 Phone conference with Mr. Jimi, President of People’s New Party
03:29 Press conference
03:49 Office
05:00 Mr. Yonemura, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management
05:20 Mr. Tezuka
05:59 Residence
06:02 Mr. Koshiishi, DPJ Secretary-General
06:41 Mr. Koshiishi leaves

September 22, 2012 (SAT)

AM
09:32 Imperial Palace, attends autumn festival ceremony
11:01 Residence

PM
01:00 Hair cut at Spa & Barber Carju Rajah Tiado at the Capitol Hotel Tokyu, Nagatacho
02:33 Residence
03:59 Interview with WSJ
04:26 Mr. Nagahama and Mr. Taketoshi, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretaries; Mr. Kidera, Assistant Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary; Mr. Nagashima; Mr. Saiki, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs; and Mr. Hiramatsu, Deputy Vice-Minister for Foreign Policy/Director-General
05:00 All leave

September 23, 2012 (SUN)

AM
Residence

PM
04:39 Ryogoku Kokugikan
04:40 Kitanoumi, Chair of Japan Sumo Wrestling Association
04:56 Watch Sumo matches
05:40 Honor Harumafuji, champion of the fall tournament
06:04 Residence
06:40 Mr. Koshiishi
07:36 Mr. Koshiishi leaves

September 24, 2012 (MON)

AM
09:32 Office
09:40 Mr. Morimoto and Mr. Nagashima
09:55 Mr. Kawai, Administrative Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
11:43 Mr. Ikeda, Director-General of Nuclear Regulation Agency

PM
12:54 DPJ Headquarters; call on Mr. Azumi, Minister of Finance; Mr. Hosono, Minister of Environment; Mr. Kazunori Yamai, DPJ Lower House member; and others who would be the new DPJ executive members
01:46 Press interview
01:52 Office
02:46 Mr. Okada, Deputy Prime Minister
03:21 Mr. Yonemura, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management
03:55 Mr. Tezuka, Special Advisor for PM
04:19 Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary
04:32 Press interview
04:55 Haneda Airport
05:21 Leave for the UN General Assembly in New York

Local Time September 24

PM
Arrive at JFK International Airport
Dinner party with local Japanese at the Japanese Consulate Residence in New York
Stay at the Intercontinental Hotel

Local Time September 25, 2012 (Tue) * First day of the UN General Assembly

AM
Japan-Australia Summit Meeting with Prime Minister Gillard in the UN Headquarters

PM
Japan-Indonesia Summit meeting with President Yudhoyono at the UN Headquarters
Japan-Mongol Summit meeting with President Elbegdorj at Millennium UN Plaza Hotel
Japan-Columbia Summit meeting with President Santos at the Intercontinental Hotel
Press interview
Reception at Japan Society hosted by Prime Minister Noda
Stay at the Intercontinental Hotel

Local Time September 26, 2012 (WED) * Second Day of the UN General Assembly

AM
Japan-Egypt Summit meeting with President Morsy
Meeting with UN Secretary General, Bank Ki-moon

PM
Speech at the UN General Assembly
Press interview at the Intercontinental Hotel
Leave JFK International Airport

September 27, 2012 (THU)

PM
07:35 Arrive at Haneda Airport
08:05 Residence

September 28, 2012 (FRI)

AM
09:28 Imperial palace, report of return
09:45 Office
10:01 Ministerial meeting
10:15 Mr. Okada
10:41 Mr. Koshiishi
11:27 Mr. Nakatsuka, Senior Vice Minister of Cabinet Office
11:47 Mr. Nakatsuka leaves

PM
12:38 Mr. Hirohisa Fujii, DPJ Tax Research Council Chief
01:02 Meeting with Mr. Jimi, People’s New Party President; Mr. Koshiishi, and Mr. Shimoriji, People’s New Party’s Secretary General attend
02:00 Parliament
02:03 Make a speech at DPJ Diet assembly
02:30 Make courtesy calls for factions of each party; Mr. Koshiish; Mr. Hosono, New DPJ Policy Research Council Chief; Mr. Yamai, DPJ Parliamentary Affairs Chief; and Mr. Azumi, DPJ Secretary-General, attend
03:00 Office
04:25 Rengo Kaikan, Meeting with Mr. Nobuaki Koga, President of Rengo
05:02 Office
05:14 Mr. Satsuki Eda, DPJ Upper House Member; Mr. Saito attends
05:33 Both leave
05:45 Mr. Tezuka
06:04 Mr. Kitamura, Head of Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office; and Mr. Yonemura, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary for Crisis Management
06:22 Mr. Yonemura leave
06: 29 Mr. Kitamura leaves
06:58 Residence

September 29, 2012 (SAT)

AM
Residence

PM
Residence

September 30, 2012 (SUN)

AM
10:01 Mr. Koshiishi, DPJ Secretary-General

PM
12:54 Mr. Azumi, DPJ Deputy Secretary General; Mr. Yamai, DPJ Parliamentary Affairs Chief; and Mr. Fujimura, Chief Cabinet Secretary
06:17 All leave

Manufacturing: Presidential Politics

What Policy Initiatives Are Needed To Help U.S. Manufacturing? 

What the Candidates are Saying

Dr. Jared Bernstein

Former Principal Economic Adviser to Vice President Joseph Biden

and

The Honorable Grant D. Aldonas

Principal Managing Director, Split Rock International,

Former Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade

Moderated by Hedrick Smith

Author of Who Stole the American Dream and Former Editor, The New York Times

Friday, October 19, 2012

Noon–1:30 p.m.

The Aspen Institute

One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC

A buffet luncheon will be served

Reservations

Sue Sumler

 (202) 736-5853

The U.S. manufacturing sector has seen significant job loss and other strains for many years. Though it has been one of the bright spots in the U.S. economy since 2009, growth has slowed after a strong first quarter in 2012. A bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on September 12, 2012 calls for a bipartisan, public-private process to “forge an actionable plan to promote the success of  American manufacturing,” and the July 2012 report of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology also calls for establishing a “national advanced manufacturing strategy.” Do we need a more robust and focused set of public policies to promote faster growth in coming years? Do we need to focus additional attention on trade issues related to manufacturing? What policy changes might be needed in this area? Join a distinguished panel to discuss what a future manufacturing strategy might look like and what macroeconomic environment would nurture the sector, focusing on what the two major presidential candidates are saying.