Franco-Japonais Nuclear Deals

Ignoring broad skepticisms about nuclear power generation in Japan, the leaders of Japan and France, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President François Hollande, agreed on further cooperation for development of nuclear technology. For France, Japan has been one of a few reliable partners for stabler promotion of nuclear power plants. For Japanese pro-nuclear group, France is a hopeful supporter, both technologically and psychologically, to maintain nuclear ambition. As the result of their desire, they declared to exercise some unrealistic policies.

Both leaders delivered a joint statement, in which they agreed on broadening the cooperation between authorities for nuclear regulation, based on shared recognition that enhancing security was prior issue. With this notion, they reconfirmed their positive stance in exporting nuclear reactors to developing counties.

It was surprising for nuclear skepticisms that the leaders looked to resumption of operation in a nuclear reprocessing facility in Aomori. That facility was aimed for extracting uranium and plutonium from used nuclear fuel. Although a French company, Areva, has been supporting the project with technological assistance, the building process has not been completed, coupled with a number of accidents of used liquid leakages and growing amount of cost.

In terms of nuclear fuel recycle project in Japan, it is highly unclear whether the government can be completing it. The high-speed breeder Monju, the core facility of the cycle in Fukui, has no prospect of starting its full-operation, because the regulation authority stopped its demonstrative operation with lack of safety requirement. There is a potential question about the existence of active faults underground. Nevertheless, two leaders reconfirmed to maintain cooperation toward full-operation. For more export of nuclear reactor, they appealed Mitsubishi-Areva joint project as the safest technology in the world, whether or not it was true.

It was possible that France, feeling pressure from its traditional rival neighbor, Germany, of growing need of renewable energy and of getting rid of nuclear generation, wanted to emphasize its presence as a nuclear power with the cooperation with Japan. Hollande also appealed the presence of France as Pacific power. “France, as one of the Pacific states, shares interest with Japan in respecting the principle of international maritime law and maintaining the freedom of navigation,” told Hollande.

However, it would be more useful for the Japanese that France is taking more responsibility on stabilizing European economy, or on securing Sahel region for Japanese businessmen in Algeria not to be targeted by terrorists attack, than being worried about Chinese maritime expansion.