Kyodo news summary

Japan Policy & Politics, May 2, 2005

TOKYO, April 29 Kyodo

---------- Bush says 6-way talks 'best' to deal with N. Korea, but eyes UNSC

WASHINGTON - U.S. President George W. Bush reaffirmed his commitment Thursday to solving the issue of North Korea's nuclear ambitions diplomatically, calling six-party talks on the issue ''the best way'' to deal with the North.

But Bush also told reporters that the United States will consider other options together with the other parties to the talks, including referring the North to the U.N. Security Council if they agree to do so.

---------- Asia financial leaders to meet amid continued healthy growth outlook

TOKYO - Financial chieftains from the Asia-Pacific region are to assemble in Istanbul, Turkey, next week for an annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank amid prospects that the regional economy will continue a healthy expansion.

At a three-day gathering starting next Wednesday, they are expected to vow to maintain the strong growth momentum gained through last year's spectacular economic performance.

---------- U.S. House resolution calls for stopping China hosting Olympics

WASHINGTON - U.S. Congressman Tom Tancredo introduced a resolution Thursday calling for stopping China hosting the 2008 Olympic summer games unless Beijing makes ''significant'' progress in ending human rights abuses, including its return of North Korean refugees.

The resolution marks the first drastic measure proposed against China in the U.S. Congress, where lawmakers are increasingly criticizing Beijing not only for human rights abuses but also for failing to fully use its influence on North Korea to resume six-party talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions and convince the North to abandon its nuclear programs.

---------- Masumoto joins protest rally at Chinese Embassy in Washington

WASHINGTON - A representative of the families of Japanese abducted by North Korea joined about 80 other people who gathered Thursday before the Chinese Embassy in Washington to protest China's human rights abuses, including its forced return of North Korean refugees.

''We are angered by the continued human rights abuses conducted by the Chinese government on the Sino-(North) Korea border,'' said Teruaki Masumoto, secretary general of the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea.

---------- Japan to invite Iraqis to study at graduate schools

SAMAWAH, Iraq - Japan has begun inviting Iraqis in the southern Iraqi city of Samawah and Baghdad to apply for Japanese government scholarships that allow two successful applicants to study at Japanese graduate schools.

Japan offers similar scholarship programs to graduate students around the world but has suspended the program in Iraq because of the Iraq war and other reasons.

---------- Koizumi, Singh to seek U.N. reform, stronger economic ties

NEW DELHI - Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are expected to call Friday for each other's cooperation in their countries' bids to get permanent U.N. Security Council membership as well as for stronger economic ties.

In New Delhi on the first leg of Koizumi's four-nation tour of South Asia and Europe, the two leaders are expected to seek an early start to an agreed joint study on ways to strengthen bilateral economic relations.

---------- Record high rate of women receive gov't decoration

TOKYO - Female recipients make up a record high 8.4 percent of the 4,057 honorees to be decorated this spring by the Japanese government for their contributions to the nation and community, the government said in releasing the list of recipients Friday.

Among the 339 female recipients was classical Japanese dancer Hanayagi Shozaburo, 74, whose real name is Takako Yamamoto. She will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.

---------- Nonnuclear confab in Mexico urges compliance with NPT

MEXICO CITY - Nonnuclear states at the Conference of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones adopted a final declaration Thursday to urge nuclear-weapon states to honor the ''irreversible'' commitment made at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review meeting in 2000 to achieve a nuclear-free world.

''We...urge all states to comply immediately with the obligation set forth in Article VI of the NPT '' the document said, stressing the need for the nuclear-weapon states to carry out an ''unequivocal undertaking'' to accomplish the ''total elimination of their nuclear arsenals.''

---------- S. Korea unveils alternative models for UNSC reform

NEW YORK - South Korea on Thursday proposed boosting the membership of the 15-member U.N. Security Council by 10 but warned the world body not to make a hasty decision on the issue.

South Korean Ambassador Kim Sam Hoon said at an informal meeting on U.N. reform that South Korea and a group of like-minded countries are exploring and developing ''alternative models'' because neither model A nor model B enjoys broad support among member states.