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<DIV>"In Response"</DIV>
<DIV>Prime Minister Shunichi Sato</DIV>
<DIV>Japan</DIV>
<DIV>March 3 2014</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>-------</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sato was leaving a meeting of the DPJ Caucas when the reporters caught up
to him in the halls of the Diet Building.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Mr. Prime Minister, what do you have to say to President Williams
accusations that Japan has no real labour unions?" asked one of the reporters
from NHK her camera man following behind her.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Sato stopped and smiled. "Actually he said they were practically corporate
owned, but I think anyone sensible and certainly the management of Japan's
corporations know better. I certainly hope the American government will look at
the latest reports from the International Institute for Labour Studies,
which show that Japan's unions are indeed fiercely independent bodies struggling
with the same challenges as their American counter parts: lower wages overseas,
countries willing to sacrafice standards of production and safety for more jobs.
Japan, however is not one of those countries, our standards of safety are
excellent, our wages are fair and our products are a benchmark for quality
world wide."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Do you think that President Williams equates all Asian's with the image of
cheap labour?" asked the reporter from the Asahi Shimbun.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"I won't pretend to know what President Williams is thinking," Sato replied
with a smile.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The reporters laughed. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Do you feel this court case will have an effect on Japanese US
relations?"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Well I hope the US won't harbour too many hard feelings when we win," Sato
replied keeping his smile in place. "But, no, this government has no plans for
retaliation beyond preparing a successful defense of our position and I hope we
can keep relations friendly in these turbulent times."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Do you feel that the government's continued support of the Chinese
occupation of North Korea is the motive for the US allegations?"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"I hope not, because our activities in North Korea have always been on
behalf of North Korea, somewhat like the US's involvement in the Mt. Baekdu
disaster. Our goal is to help establish a propserous and healthy North
Korea."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Do you support the actions of the Chinese troops in North Korea and
President Hong's surge of 200,000 more troops?"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"I think the whole Korean situation is concerning as are all armed
conflicts and I hope that stability will prevail. We have offered to all legally
recognized bodies involved in this situation our aid as a neutral arbitrator and
we remain hopeful that they will accept. In the meantime we continue to serve
our North Korean neighbours and help them achieve a better standard of
living."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>One of Sato's aides waded through the scrum and nodded to the Prime
Minister.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Well I have to go, but thank you," he said and mad his way free of the
scrum and down the hall as the shouts for his attention followed.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Actions:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1. Respond to the drama.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>