FOCUS: Japan eager to build ties with Obama amid domestic political turmoil+

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 Kyodo - With Barack Obama sworn in as the new U.S. president, Japan is certain to step up efforts to forge a good working relationship with his administration.

Many Japanese officials stationed across the United States heaved a sigh of
relief when Hillary Clinton said last week the alliance with Japan is a
''cornerstone'' of U.S. policy in Asia.
Tokyo's next goal is to realize a summit between Japanese Prime Minister Taro
Aso and Obama as quickly as possible in a few months' time in a bid to confirm
what Clinton said at the highest level.
''It's no wonder Japan wants to set a bilateral summit at an early date,'' said
a Japanese official based in the United States. ''It should take place earlier,
rather than later.''
Some officials said Tokyo hopes to have a summit ''well before'' the second
summit of the Group of 20 major economies to take place in London on April 2.
The first bilateral summit, they said, should not be held on the sidelines of
the multilateral meeting, where Obama would meet other leaders, but as a
stand-alone one probably in Washington.
A senior State Department official told Kyodo News that although it is
premature to refer to a possible date, Obama would also be hopeful about an
early summit with Aso.
''Any Japanese prime minister will always get a warm welcome in Washington,''
he said. ''Any Japanese prime minister will be treated as a valued ally and
will be on the priority list of world leaders that any U.S. president will want
to consult with and meet with.''
Speculation abounds that Aso will dare to travel to Washington for a meeting
with Obama anytime before the financial summit if it is welcomed by the new
U.S. leader.
But even those officials who hope to see a bilateral summit held early
acknowledge that now is not the best time for such talks in view of the fluid
political situation in Japan.
The disarray resulting from a divided parliament and Aso's unpopularity has
gotten in the way of policy implementation, putting Aso's hold on power at
risk.
''Any bilateral summit will be useless as long as Japanese politics remains
unstable,'' said another U.S.-based Japanese official, citing the possibility
of Aso's resignation after his party's likely defeat in a general election that
must be held by September.
He and other officials said Obama would not want to meet any foreign leader who
could lose his or her job in the not-too-distant future because any deals made
during talks would carry the danger of being thrown away.
Japan faces a plethora of challenges on which it has to work with the United
States, including North Korea's nuclear programs, the stability and
reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan, the realignment of U.S. military forces
in Japan and the global financial crisis.
It is widely believed that the next general election in Japan will undoubtedly
toss Aso and probably his ruling Liberal Democratic Party from power, with a
government led by the No. 1 opposition Democratic Party of Japan an
increasingly likely outcome.
A recent Kyodo News survey found the approval rate for Aso's Cabinet came to
19.2 percent, down 6.3 percentage points from the previous survey in December
and falling far below the ''critical'' 30-percent mark.
''Under the circumstances, we bureaucrats have to work harder than ever,'' said
another Japanese official. ''It's impossible for us to act on behalf of
politicians, but we can do something for our national interest.''