[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
[April 18, 1996]
[Pages 595-598]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to the Diet in Tokyo
April 18, 1996

    Madam Speaker, Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, ladies and 
gentlemen: Here in this great hall of democracy, on behalf of all of our 
American delegation, including my wife, the Secretary of State, the 
Secretary of Commerce, and all other Americans here, let me begin by 
thanking the people of Japan, the Government of Japan, and of course, 
the Emperor and Empress for the remarkable hospitality we have been 
accorded in our visit here. And let me thank you for giving me a chance 
to address the representatives of the people of Japan and, through you, 
all the Japanese people, perhaps especially your young people.
    I'd also like to thank Madam Speaker for mentioning the 
distinguished Americans who were also born in my home State, General 
MacArthur and Senator Fulbright. I thank you for applauding the mention 
of Senator Fulbright's name. He not only helped many Japanese to get an 
education, but he also gave me a job so that I could complete my 
university education. So therefore, in a very real sense, I would not be 
here today if it were not for him.
    One hundred and thirty-six years ago, Japan sent its very first 
diplomatic delegation to the United States of America. It was a 
remarkable year for our country. Abraham Lincoln was nominated by his 
party to become President, and he subsequently became the first 
President of his party and, many of us believe, the greatest American 
President.
    It was a long time ago, 8 years before the beginning of your Meiji 
Restoration. But some things don't change very much. In his diary of 
that experience, one of your envoys to the United States described his 
visit to our Congress, and here's what he said: ``We were shown to a 
large hall where affairs of state were being discussed. One of the 
Members was on his feet, screaming at the top of his voice and 
gesticulating wildly like a madman. When he sat down, his example was 
followed by another and yet another. Upon our inquiring what this was 
all about, we were informed that all the affairs of state were publicly 
discussed in this way.'' Well, today I hope I can show you at least that 
we Americans have made some improvement in the way we discuss affairs of 
state. [Laughter]
    It seems impossible to believe that it was just 50 years ago that 
the United States and Japan began to forge what is perhaps the modern 
world's most remarkable partnership for peace, prosperity, and progress. 
Today, we celebrate the results. Japan has built one of the greatest 
success stories the world has ever known. You turned a closed society 
into an open, thriving democracy. You transformed economic devastation 
into powerful growth and opportunity for your people. You enriched the 
lives of millions by harnessing technology for positive change. You have 
set an example for all of Asia and, indeed, for all the world.
    After World War II, a wise generation of Americans reached out a 
hand of reconciliation to support your extraordinary evolution, first 
with a security guarantee that allowed you to focus on rebuilding and 
with aid that helped to lay the foundation of economic growth. Now Japan 
and the United States are full partners,

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bound together by shared values and a shared vision. All around the 
world, the spread of democracy and the greater prospects for peace and 
prosperity owe much to the work that our two nations are doing together.
    Today I ask you to look with me ahead to the next 50 years of our 
partnership. What will it bring and how shall we build it? As the 
world's two largest economies and two of its strongest democracies, 
Japan and the United States must forge an alliance for the 21st century. 
Working together and leading together, I am confident that we can seize 
the possibilities and meet the challenges of today and tomorrow to bring 
even greater security and prosperity to our own people and to bring the 
blessings of peace and progress to other people all around the world.
    Forging such an alliance will not be easy or automatic. I am well 
aware that there are people in both the United States and Japan who 
believe that because the cold war is over and won and because the United 
States and Japan face challenges at home, we should pull back from the 
world, and we should pull back from each other. But with all respect, I 
believe those views are wrong.
    Think about the world we live in, the revolution in information and 
technology, from laptops to lasers, from microsurgery to megabytes. This 
revolution has lit the landscape of human knowledge and brought all of 
us closer together. Now information and ideas flash across our planet in 
the stroke of a computer key, bringing with them extraordinary 
opportunities to create wealth, to protect the environment, to prevent 
and conquer disease, to foster greater understanding among people of 
diverse cultures.
    But we know, too, that this greater openness and faster change also 
mean that problems that start beyond our borders can quickly penetrate 
our borders: the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the threats of 
organized crime and drug trafficking and terrorism, environmental decay, 
severe economic dislocation. And in open and flexible societies like 
ours, homegrown forces of destruction can take advantage of the freedoms 
that we all cherish. After the sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway and 
the bombing of Oklahoma City, the people of Japan and the people of the 
United States know this all too well.
    No nation can isolate itself from these problems, and no nation can 
solve these problems alone. To meet and seize the opportunities and 
challenges of the 21st century, Japan and the United States must 
continue to be partners. We must join forces, and we must join with 
those who believe as we do.
    Over the next few years we will have ample opportunities to do that. 
Over the past few years, we have made a good beginning. Of course, we 
have had some differences. What two great, complex nations would not 
have differences? The important point is that we have worked through 
them respectfully, patiently, pragmatically. And we have done so much 
together that today we can say with absolute confidence that the 
foundation for cooperation between the United States and Japan is 
stronger than it has ever been.
    The security alliance between our two nations is the cornerstone of 
stability throughout Asia. We have just completed a security review, the 
product of more than a year's hard work and study. The Joint Security 
Declaration that Prime Minister Hashimoto and I signed yesterday 
reaffirms our commitment to keep this alliance strong and to adapt it to 
the challenges of a new era.
    In our declaration, Japan reaffirmed its fundamental commitment to 
the United States-Japan security framework and to supporting modern 
self-defense forces. To guarantee its security and the stability of the 
region, the United States will maintain 100,000 troops in East Asia, 
including a strong presence in Japan at about current levels, with the 
help of your host nation support. And we will more closely coordinate 
our efforts to meet new security challenges, from stopping the spread of 
weapons of mass destruction to strengthening regional and international 
security cooperation, from countering terrorism to promoting peace.
    Recently, the hospitality the Japanese people extend to our troops 
was put to a terrible test in Okinawa. The American people profoundly 
regret the horrible violence done to a young schoolgirl there. Our 
hearts go out to her, to her family and her loved ones, and to the 
entire Okinawan community. We are gratified that justice has been done.
    In the months since this incident, we have worked with the 
Government of Japan to minimize the burden of our military presence on 
the Japanese people. The joint action plan we announced this week calls 
for the consolidation of our bases in Okinawa and a major reduction

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in inconveniences to the people who live there, like noise and training 
and exercises. These steps will reduce the burden of our bases without 
diminishing our mutual defense capability or our commitment to safeguard 
a Pacific at peace.
    I want to say again how much I appreciate the leadership of the 
Prime Minister and his government and the opportunity the United States 
has been given to do something we probably should have done some time 
ago. I thank you for that.
    Both our nations recognize that peace has its price. But the price 
is much less than the cost of putting peace at risk. Consider what might 
happen if the United States were to withdraw entirely from this region. 
It could spark a costly arms race that could destabilize Northeast Asia. 
It could hinder our ability to work with you to maintain security in a 
part of the world that has suffered enough in the 20th century through 
world war and regional conflicts and that is now in the midst of 
profound change. It could weaken our power to deter states like North 
Korea that may still threaten the peace and to take on urgent problems 
like terrorism, organized crime, and drug trafficking.
    Let me say especially to the young people here in Japan and back 
home in America who will inherit the stewardship of our nations: Some 
people in my country believe our security alliance is basically a favor 
to Japan, and some people in Japan doubtless believe that our security 
alliance is basically a favor to the United States. The truth is, our 
security alliance benefits both our countries, the entire region, and 
the world. So to the young people I say, this alliance is our commitment 
to your freedom and to your future.
    And what an extraordinary future it can be. The economies of the 
Asia-Pacific region are the most dynamic on Earth, already accounting 
for one-quarter of the world's output and growing every day, improving 
the lives of your own people and creating ever-expanding markets for 
others who produce competitive products and services.
    Many of these products and services, of course, are American. 
Already more than 50 percent of America's trade is with the nations of 
the Pacific, sustaining 3 million good American jobs. Business and 
tourism are growing rapidly, and they will continue to do so. And to 
cite just one example of this region's extraordinary potential, in the 
next decade alone, East Asia plans to spend 1 trillion United States 
dollars on infrastructure projects alone.
    My country, with 7 million citizens who trace their roots to Asia 
and five States which border the Pacific Ocean, wants to share in and 
add to this promise. That's why we convened a summit of the leaders of 
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation nations in Seattle 3 years ago. 
There, aided by the leadership of Japan, we began to give an 
extraordinarily diverse region a common identity and purpose, that of a 
community of nations committed to free trade and investment, to taking 
down barriers that block commerce and building stronger bridges of 
cooperation among our people.
    As the world's economic leaders, Japan and the United States must 
set a good example. And we are, from our common commitment to bring free 
trade to the Asia-Pacific nations to our efforts to improve our own 
economic relationship.
    Three years ago, our nations entered into a framework agreement to 
better structure our economic dialog and open markets here in Japan. 
Since then, we have completed 21 separate trade agreements that are 
making a difference to people on both sides of the Pacific. The sectors 
covered by these agreements, from auto parts to medical supplies, have 
seen their sales to Japan grow by some 85 percent, more than twice as 
fast as exports in other sectors.
    Of course, for the American people, these exports mean more jobs at 
better pay. For the people of Japan, allowing these American goods and 
services to compete for the favor of the Japanese consumer means greater 
choice at lower prices. Your own Keidanren projects that deregulation 
will cut consumer prices to Japanese citizens by 20 percent by the year 
2000. Already, to cite one example, because cellular telephone companies 
can now compete here, there has been a one-third cut in the cost of 
startup and service fees in the Tokyo region.
    Of course, our trading relationship is not entirely free of 
friction. More work will have to be done to fully implement the 
agreements we have reached and to deal with other issues. But the 
important part is that after years of frustration on both sides, for the 
first time we have actually established a way to work through our 
differences and to resolve them.
    Beyond sustaining our security and building a future of open 
markets, there are other responsibilities that Japan and the United 
States have decided to assume because of our position

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in the world today, responsibilities we have committed to a Common 
Agenda: bringing the blessings of peace, democracy, and rights to 
others; protecting our shared environment; harnessing the power of 
science and technology for the benefit of all. Together, our nations 
have a unique opportunity to help people the world over to learn, to 
change the way they work, indeed, to transform how they live. We must 
seize this opportunity because it is also our responsibility.
    The United States is very grateful that, more and more, Japan is 
taking on the responsibility of leadership that flows from its place as 
a great nation. From peacekeepers in Cambodia to minesweepers in the 
Arabian Gulf, Japan is there. From financial and political support for 
the Middle East peace process to the $500 million reconstruction package 
you have just announced for Bosnia, Japan is there. The people of Bosnia 
and the entire international community are grateful for this 
extraordinary effort on your part. From seeking an end to polio by the 
year 2000 to finding better ways to respond to natural disasters like 
earthquakes, Japan is also there leading the way. From cleaning up the 
environment here on Earth to exploring the heavens above, Japan is 
there. We are all better off for your commitment to this kind of 
leadership.
    Today, to the Japanese people, whose pride in the past is now 
matched by your focus on the future, I say, stay true to that commitment 
to lead. Make it even stronger. We have come so far in the last 50 
years. Think about it: from the waste of war to the wealth of peace; 
from conflict to cooperation and competition; from mistrust to 
partnership.
    Now, I submit to you that our generation has a sacred duty to make 
the next 50 years even better for all of our people. In this time of 
remarkable possibility, I am absolutely confident that we will succeed 
if we continue to lead and work together as allies, as partners, and as 
friends.
    Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 9:52 a.m. in the Chamber of the House of 
Representatives. In his remarks, he referred to Takako Doi, Speaker, 
House of Representatives, and Juro Saito, President, House of 
Councillors.