U.S. military not a factor in territorial waters decision: Nakasone+

TOKYO, June 22 Kyodo -
Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone denied Monday that Japan considered the U.S.
military in its decision to set a narrow limit for its territorial waters along
five key straits although the maximum allowable limit is much wider.
Nakasone made the remarks after Kyodo News reported Sunday, quoting former
Japanese vice foreign ministers, that such a decision was made to avoid
political issues arising from the passage of U.S. warships carrying nuclear
weapons.
Japan set its territorial waters along the five straits -- Tsugaru, between the
main Honshu and Hokkaido islands, Soya, Osumi, Tsushima and Korea -- at 3
nautical miles (5.6 kilometer) instead of the maximum allowable limit of 12
nautical miles (22 km) out of the view that ''it is appropriate to guarantee
unrestricted passage of foreign ships as a maritime state,'' Nakasone said.
''Ensuring such a guarantee is essential from the viewpoint of our
comprehensive national interests,'' Nakasone said, stressing that the decision
was not made from a military standpoint.
U.S. vessels carrying nuclear weapons, including nuclear-powered subs with
nuclear missiles, must have passed through the key straits during deterrence
operations in the Sea of Japan to counter the nuclear threat from the former
Soviet Union, China and North Korea, according to the former officials.
If territorial waters had been set at 12 nautical miles, there would have been
no areas of open sea in some sections of the straits, forcing the vessels to
cross Japanese waters, thus infringing on Japan's three nonnuclear principles
of not possessing, producing or allowing nuclear weapons on its territory, they
said.
==Kyodo