Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - Shanghai Cooperation

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PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #3792 2290212
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170212Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6566
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RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
RUALSFJ/COMUSJAPAN YOKOTA AB JA PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 2617
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 5041
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 1641
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 3379
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 6232
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 8442
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UNCLAS TOKYO 003792

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - SHANGHAI COOPERATION
ORGANIZATION SUMMIT - TOKYO

1. LEAD STORIES: Top items in Friday morning national
papers included worldwide stock-market plunges and the
scorching heat wave sweeping Japan.

2. "SCO reinforces unity to check US." The business-
oriented Nikkei reported from Bishkek, Kyrgyz (8/17):
"The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO) adopted Thursday the 'Bishkek Declaration'
calling for enhanced unity on the security and energy
fronts. The member states are separately holding a
joint military exercise in Russia around the same time,
with Moscow putting forward the idea of regularizing
the drill in order to counter US plans to deploy
missile defense platforms in Eastern Europe. The
proposal represents Russia's desire to check the US by
using the SCO as leverage... Russia had long been
asking the other parties that a summit declaration use
strong wording to criticize Washington's attempt to
deploy MD in East Europe. But, the adopted declaration
stopped short of directly criticizing the US due to
other members' hesitancy. The fact that remarks made by
Chinese President Hu and other leaders in the summit
were mostly about economic cooperation signals a
difference of views on the future direction of the SCO
between Russia and other partners, with the latter camp
not being so enthusiastic about Moscow's desire to make
the SCO a more militaristic forum."

MESERVE

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