英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun July 1, 2013
Simply calling for end of nuclear power is irresponsible
幹事長討論会　安易な「原発ゼロ」は無責任だ（6月30日付・読売社説）

Full-fledged debates for the House of Councillors election have kicked off before its official campaign period starts on July 4.
　参院選は、７月４日の公示を前に本格的な論戦がスタートした。

In Osaka, the Kansai Press Club hosted a meeting on politics with the secretaries general and their equivalents of nine ruling and opposition parties.
　大阪では２９日、関西プレスクラブの主催で、９政党の幹事長クラスによる政治討論会が開かれた。

At the meeting, there were striking divergences in opinions on nuclear power plants. Asked if they aim to end the use of nuclear power generation, every attending party except the ruling Liberal Democratic Party replied yes.
　目を引いたのは、原子力発電所政策の違いだ。「原発ゼロを目指すか」との質問に対し、自民党以外はすべて賛成した。

To reduce the nation's use of nuclear power to zero, the proportion of electricity generated by alternative sources such as thermal power generation and renewable energy sources such as solar power must be increased drastically. This will require increased imports of fuel for thermal power plants, which will inevitably hollow out domestic industries due to higher production costs.
　原発をゼロにするには、代替の火力発電や太陽光など再生可能エネルギーの割合を大幅に増やす必要がある。火力発電の燃料輸入が増大し、生産コスト上昇による産業空洞化も避けられまい。

There also are concerns about the increased carbon dioxide emissions produced by thermal power plants. Japan will be tested on how to overcome global issues, including nuclear nonproliferation, if it chooses the zero nuclear power generation option.
　火力発電による二酸化炭素（ＣＯ２）排出量の増大も懸念される。核不拡散など、世界的な課題をどう克服するかも問われよう。

Balance of sources important

Referring to those issues, LDP Secretary General Shigeru Ishiba said at the meeting, “A responsible political party must not consider reducing the nation’s dependence on nuclear power generation without thinking about the balance of its power sources.” We think his view is quite reasonable.
　自民党の石破幹事長は、こうした課題に言及し、「バランスを考えたうえで、原発依存度を減らすことを考えなければ、責任ある政治とは言えない」と指摘した。妥当な見解である。

The LDP stipulated in its election pledges that the state should take responsibility for trying to obtain the consent of local governments hosting nuclear power plants, which have been checked and judged safe, so they can be reactivated.
　自民党の公約は、「安全と判断された原発の再稼働については、国が責任を持って地元自治体の理解が得られるよう努力する」としている。

We applaud the LDP on this point, but the party also should clarify the prospects for its medium- to long-term nuclear policies.
この点は評価できるが、中長期的な原発政策についても見通しを明らかにすべきだ。

Details on specific steps to deal with nuclear fuel recycling and nuclear waste disposal also need to be discussed.
　核燃料サイクルや核廃棄物処理への取り組みに対して、具体的な方策を詰める必要がある。

At the meeting, no party supporting the abolition of nuclear power generation gave a detailed and convincing explanation on the denuclearization process. How can Japan, a nation with few natural resources, end its use of nuclear power generation? Parties supporting zero nuclear power generation must answer this question properly.
　「原発ゼロ」を掲げるどの党からも、その道筋について具体的かつ説得力のある説明はなかった。資源の乏しい日本で「原発ゼロ」をどう実現するのか。疑問にきちんと答えてもらいたい。

Exports of nuclear plants

Goshi Hosono, secretary general of the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, criticized efforts led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to promote exports of Japanese nuclear reactors to other countries. “It makes me feel uncomfortable,” Hosono said.
　民主党の細野幹事長は首相が率先して原発輸出を推進することに「違和感がある」と批判した。

However, exports of infrastructure, including nuclear reactors, are a pillar of the government’s growth strategy and require partnership between the government and private sectors. What does the DPJ think about the high expectations other nations have for Japanese technology?
　だが、原発などインフラ輸出は成長戦略の柱であり、官民の連携が重要だ。国際的にも日本の技術に対する期待が高いことを民主党はどう考えるのか。

In Tokyo, party leaders held a meeting Friday to discuss issues related to the upper house election.
　参院選をテーマに２８日、東京では党首討論会が開かれた。

In their discussions, Abe’s remarks on relations between Japan and China, which have been at loggerheads over the Senkaku Islands, attracted considerable attention. “The Chinese side told us it would not agree to have a bilateral summit meeting unless Tokyo accepts a certain condition,” the prime minister revealed.
　安倍首相が、尖閣諸島を巡って対立が続く中国との関係について、「中国側は、ある一定の条件をのまなければ首脳会談をしないと言ってきている」と明らかにしたことが、注目された。

Of course, there is no need to hold a summit meeting with Beijing if it comes at the expense of Japan’s national interest. However, it is also true that both Japan and China will lose out if they do not improve bilateral ties.
　国益を損なってまでも首脳会談を実現する必要がないのは当然である。ただ、関係改善できないことは、日中ともにマイナスだ。

We expect all political parties to also have constructive discussions on diplomatic and national security strategies, and on measures to handle territorial issues.
　外交・安全保障戦略や領土問題の対処についても、各党の建設的な議論を望みたい。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, 　　June 30, 2013)
（2013年6月30日01時29分 読売新聞）