Forgetting the fact that Japan had been
reluctant to join it, Shinzo Abe administration forcefully stepped forward to
ratification of Trans Pacific Partnership. Special Committee on TPP in the
House of Representatives passed on Friday related bills for TPP ratification
with approval of Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito and Japan Restoration Party.
Democratic Party and other opposite parties could not block it. Without any
perspective on ratification of United States, Japan is trying to be the leader
of that free-trade pact.
The focus of their discussion was not about
substance of TPP, but qualification of Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries, Yuji Yamamoto. Yamamoto boasted last month that it was the Chairman
of the Committee on Rules and Administration, Tsutomu Sato, who was going to
decide whether the leading party would coercively vote on the ratification,
inviting strong protest from the opposite parties. Although it was obvious that
the leading party could pass the bills with stable majority in the House, the
opposite parties demanded thorough discussion over the details of TPP deals.
Yamamoto did not stop his gaffes. After he
apologized his boasting, Yamamoto explained his speech as a joke, fueling the
anger of the opposites. In another party meeting, Yamamoto invited the leaders
of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives to his Ministry, indicating some sort of
benefit to give. The opposite parties required resignation of Yamamoto, who was
in charge of agricultural policies to protect farmers or ranchers suffering
from TPP.
In the session before voting, Yamamoto
apologized again about his reckless words. Afterward, Chairman of the Special
Committee, Ryu Shionoya, took votes, during the opposite parties surrounded
Shionoya to disturb the proceeding of the Committee. Although the Committee
passed the bills, it was unclear who supported or opposed the ratification of
TPP.
What had to be discussed was whether it was
right or not for Japan to ratify TPP, before United States would make a
decision. Both candidates of U.S. Presidential election, Hillary Clinton and
Donald Trump, are against ratification of TPP. It is highly likely that next
President will reject TPP to implement her/his campaign promise, which will
alienate Japan in the framework of TPP.
Behind the confusion over TPP, House of
Representatives failed to approve Paris Agreement on climate change on Friday.
It made Japan absent in the first conference of the parties on Paris Agreement.
Other bills such as revision of Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement with
U.S. were also left behind. Internal dispute over gaffes directly disturbed
foreign policy of Japan.
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