Chronologies
US - Japan
Chronology from Jan 2002 to Mar 2002
: Premier Yu announces decision of conditional approval for Taiwan investment in 8-inch wafer fabrication plants in the PRC.
: Kyodo News Agency poll shows that Koizumi Cabinet approval rate hits record low of 44.8 percent, dropping below 50 percent for the first time.
: Executive Yuan approves draft legislation authorizing PRC investments in Taiwan.
: PRC Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says planning for Hu Jintao visit to the U.S. continues.
: The Naha District Court sentences U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Timothy Woodland to 32 months in prison on rape charge.
: Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard Myers praises SDF dispatch, saying “My assessment is that it’s superb,” in an interview with Kyodo News Agency. Myers also expresses hope for longer support from SDF for U.S. war on terrorism.
: Premier Zhu criticizes U.S. violation of communiqués, calls for cooperation.
: Japanese Diet passes FY 2002 general account budget totaling ¥81.23 trillion.
: Beijing’s MOFTEC launches anti-dumping investigation of South Korea and Taiwan.
: Over 300 Ground Self-Defense Forces members leave for East Timor on UN peacekeeping operations.
March 26, 2002: Japanese Cabinet approves JDA head Nakatani’s proposal to extend SDF support for the U.S. in the war on Afghanistan for six months beyond the original deadline May 19.
March 26, 2002: Secretary O’Neill says that the Japanese economy needs “to grow at a faster rate, again not only for their own people but for the (benefit) of the world economy,” in Washington, D.C.
: PRC Foreign Affairs spokeswoman hints U.S. visits by Jiang and Hu are in question.
: U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta warns that the U.S. will consider blocking Japanese airlines if Japan does not accept a transfer of slots from Delta Airline to Federal Express at Narita airport.
: Financial Service Minister Yanagisawa Hakuo counters Hubbard’s comment.
: Japan files complaint in the WTO over U.S. tariffs on steel imports.
: Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Glenn Hubbard warns exports are not the route to economic recovery and urges resolution of the nonperforming loan problem.
: Private Taiwan fisheries delegation ends talks in Beijing on seamen issue.
: PRC Vice Foreign Minister Li again protests U.S. meetings with Minister Tang.
: Taiwan Representative Chen says TECRO seeks meetings at U.S. State Department.
: People’s Bank of China approves representative offices for two Taiwan banks.
: Defense Minister Tang attends nongovernmental business conference in Florida, meets Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly.
: PRC protests U.S. issuance of visa to Taipei Defense Minister Tang Yiau-ming.
: Japan requests bilateral talks with U.S. to resolve the dispute regarding steel imports.
: Premier Zhu Rongji’s report contains standard low-key statement of Taiwan policy.
: President Bush announces three-year tariffs of up to 30 percent on steel imports from Japan.
: Diet members petition the U.S. Embassy, protesting the exclusion of Japan from the list of contributors to the war on terrorism.
: Kyodo News Agency reports that U.S. agreed to return land used for the Senaha Communication Station in Okinawa.
: Asahi Shimbun reveals Bush letter to PM Koizumi dated Jan. 17 that expressed “strong concern” for Japanese economy.
: FM Kawaguchi demands clarification of why the U.S. excluded Japan from the contributors’ list for the war in Afghanistan. Japan is added to the list upon MOFA’s complaint.
: Bank of Japan eases monetary policy by buying ¥1 trillion ($7.44 billion) every month and eases restrictions on borrowing by companies to fight deflation.
: Taipei reports cross-Strait trade down 7 percent to $30 billion in 2001.
: First PRC ship transports cargo from Xiamen to Kinmen.
: Department of Defense releases list of contributors to the war in Afghanistan; Japan is left off the list.
: PRC Foreign Ministry spokeswoman criticizes Taiwan for “incremental independence” steps.
: Taipei Foreign Ministry sets up task force on using “Taiwan” in names of unofficial offices.
: Qinghua students challenge President Bush on U.S. Taiwan policy.
: Japan Auto Manufacture’s Association Chairman Okuda Hiroshi denies Japanese automakers’ intention to use weaker yen to increase exports. Okuda also says he plans to talk with top executives of U.S. automakers.
: MAC’s Tsai calls for normalizing cross-Strait economic relations and establishment of a proper “communication mechanism.”
: JDA head Nakatani expresses caution about applying the antiterrorism law in the event of a U.S. military attack on Iraq.
: WTO orders U.S. to change antidumping measures against Japanese surface-treated steel sheet exports.
: In Japanese Diet speech, President Bush reaffirms U.S. commitment to Taiwan.
: President Bush meets with PM Koizumi in Japan and promises continuing U.S. commitment to Japan and the region in his speech to the Diet.
: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohsen Aminzadeh visits Japan. Aminzadeh’s message decrying Bush’s “axis of evil” comment was later passed from PM Koizumi to President Bush and FM Kawaguchi to Secretary Powell.
: Kyodo News Agency reports that Japan Defense Agency (JDA) head Nakatani Gen recommends creating an Asian version of NATO as “cooperation to secure collective safety is the trend of the world.”
: Chrysler President Dieter Zetsche warns that weak yen gives advantage to Japanese automakers.
: Ehime Maru memorial ceremony held in Honolulu; U.S. participants include Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Robert Willard.
: Assembly of the town of Chatan in Okinawa adopts statement calling upon the U.S. to clean up a polluted former U.S. shooting range.
: U.S.-Japan working-level meeting on military equipment issues in Washington, D.C.
: U.S. International Trade Commission launches study of U.S.-Taiwan Free Trade Agreement.
: The annual Economic Report of the President characterizes Japan’s banking and corporate sectors as “moribund” and says past fiscal and financial measures “have done little thus far” to improve economic prospects.
: First group of overseas PRC tourist arrives in Taiwan.
: Japan launches H2A rocket.
: Kishimoto Tateo, pledging to accept the relocation of the U.S. forces’ heliport, is re-elected mayor of Nago.
: Yu Shyi-ku sworn in as Taiwanese premier; Yu proposes sending economic delegation to China.
: Kawaguchi Yoriko is sworn in as foreign minister.
: USTR Zoellick urges Japan to combat deflation and promote free trade.
: TAO’s Zhang amplifies Qian’s remarks at end of Taiwan Work Conference.
: Nikkei closes at 9,919.48, first time below 10,000 since Oct. 10.
: Bank of Japan Governor Hayami Masaru says weaker yen will not solve Japan’s economic problems.
: FM Tanaka Makiko resigns.
: American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman Richard Bush gives talk in Taipei voicing support for view that “one China” should not be precondition for dialogue.
: Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) gives cautiously positive response to Qian.
: Statement by PRC Vice Premier Qian Qichen contains new formulations on DPP and reference to a new “economic cooperation mechanism” with Taiwan.
: PRC Vice President Hu Jintao attends meeting on anniversary of Jiang’s eight points.
: Secretary O’Neill warns that Tokyo should not tolerate a weak yen as a solution for nonperforming loans.
: Taiwan Premier Chang Chun-hsiung resigns.
: Japanese Finance Minister Shiokawa Masajuro meets Secretary O’Neill in Tokyo.
: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell visits Japan for Afghanistan reconstruction conference, meets with Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro and Foreign Minister Tanaka Makiko.
: Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) Deputy Zhou Mingwei in Washington.
: Yokohama District Court sentences three crew members of the USS Kitty Hawk to four years in prison for robbing and injuring a taxi driver.
: Japanese Environment Minister Kawaguchi Yoriko urges U.S. to reconsider its rejection of the Kyoto protocol at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) ministerial meeting in Beijing.
: Treasury Secretary O’Neill urges Japan to attain annual real economic growth of 2 to 3 percent.
: PRC Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says adding “Taiwan” is step toward independence.
Jan. 15, 2002: Taipei announces 2,000 plus new items authorized for import from China.
: President Chen announces the word “Taiwan” will be added to ROC passports.
: Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) Minister Takenaka Heizo meets with U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Zoellick in Washington, D.C.