2005/11/19(Sat)
昨日、これまで、ＷＴＯの交渉の中心に立ってきた農林水産省の総括審議官が、突然、官房付きに異動になったことについて、次の11月15日付のフィナンシャルタイムズの記事での総括審議官の発言が原因しているのではないかと、憶測する向きもある。
原因となったであろう記事原文は、「Japan ‘Not Ready To Open Food Market’ 」という論説である。
以下に、「Japan ‘Not Ready To Open Food Market’ 」の問題箇所の概訳を記しておく。
なお、今日のBBCニュースなどで、早速、この更迭人事を伝えている。(Japan’s Agriculture Ministry replaces WTO official over remarks )
以下、「Japan ‘Not Ready To Open Food Market’ 」より
Kenichi Ito氏(伊藤健一総括審議官)は、「日本の経済産業省は、自由貿易について、非現実的な見解を示し続けることになるであろう」といった。
Kenichi Ito氏は、フィナンシャルタイムズの記者に対して、「中川大臣が、経済産業大臣から農林水産大臣へ移動したことは、貿易自由化にむけての経済産業省の政策を、より、保守的な農林水産省にもぐりこませていこうとするトロイの木馬計略の到来を先触れすることにはならなかった。」
「中川農林水産大臣は、日本列島の北、北海道の農業中心の選挙区選出であり、この点について、うまく立ち回れる余裕は、ほとんどない。」
「もし、中川農林水産大臣が、来月(１２月１３日)、香港で開かれる閣僚会議で、大きな譲歩をするとすれば、中川農林水産大臣は、いったん、日本へ帰国し、(譲歩の)決断をしようとしていることを、(コメなど重要品目への上限関税導入で)追い詰められた農業者たちに説明しなければならないであろう。」
「中川農林水産大臣でさえ、我々の立場を、これ以上、変えることは出来ない。中川農林水産大臣の出来ることは、限られているのだ。」
といった。
原文
Japan has no intention of moving quickly to open up its market to foreign food imports in spite of hints from Junichiro Koizumi, prime minister, that Tokyo is considering important concessions in the interests of global free trade, the agriculture ministry says.
This month Mr Koizumi moved Shoichi Nakagawa from his position as trade minister to head the agriculture ministry, in what Toshihiro Nikai, his replacement at trade, said was a clear signal that the prime minister wanted the two ministries to work together in the interests of free trade.
In the past, trade ministry efforts to open up foreign markets for Japanese industrial goods have been undermined by infighting with the agriculture ministry, which sees its mission as protecting Japanese farmers and national food security.
Kenichi Ito, director-general for international affairs at the agriculture ministry, said the trade ministry continued to take an “unrealistic” position on free trade.
Mr Nakagawa’s move to agriculture did not herald any Trojan horse policy by which trade ministry policies on trade liberalisation were being smuggled into the more conservative agriculture ministry, he said.
Mr Ito said that Mr Nakagawa, who represents an agricultural constituency(on the northern island of Hokkaido), had very little room for manoeuvre.
If he made big concessions at next month’s World Trade Organisation meeting in Hong Kong, he would need to come back to Japan and explain what he had done to the country’s hard- pressed farmers, he said.
“Even Nakagawa can’t change our position further,” he said.
“There are not many things he can do.”
Mr Ito said US and Brazilian proposals on lowering agricultural tariffs were a non-starter.
“If we accepted the US proposal, we would be deluged with foreign products and Japanese farmers would be wiped out.”
“We are not saying we can’t do anything more, but as long as the US or Brazil stick to their unrealistic demands, we can’t start realistic talks.”
The agriculture ministry says Japan is the world’s biggest net importer of farm products with average tariffs lower than those in Europe.
But it continues to protect sensitive areas such as rice, where tariffs are 700 per cent.
Trade ministry officials said there might be more room for manoeuvre than the farm ministry let on.
“They can’t say much for fear of giving their hand away in negotiations,” said one. Of Mr Koizumi’s apparent warming to the theme of trade liberalisation, the official said:
“I’ve never thought he was an ardent believer in free trade, but he does think Japan has to be engaged.”
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