From the Senate Desk

Statement

During the April Senate recess, I was proud to travel to Japan to participate in a symposium hosted by the Washington Post and Yomiuri Shimbun, the Tokyo newspaper, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa, which first established diplomatic and economic ties between our two countries.

I was invited to participate as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as a former governor with close ties to Japan. I took part in a panel to discuss U.S.-Japanese relations and security interests.

It was an interesting discussion that included other panelists such as: John Ikenberry, Professor of Geopolitics and Global Justice at Georgetown University; Lt. Gen. Thomas Waskow, Commander of U.S. Forces Japan; Shinichi Kitaoka, Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations; and Masakazu Yamazaki, President of the University of East Asia. The panel was moderated by Goro Hashimoto of Yomiuri Shimbun.

Vice President Cheney and former Japanese Prime Minister Nakasone delivered keynote addresses at the symposium.
While the majority of panelists focused on the past 150 years of U.S. - Japan relations, my focus was on the last 25 years, which is the part I know best.

In my first year as governor in 1979, other governors and I met with President Jimmy Carter, who told us to "go to Japan to persuade them to make in the U.S. what they already sell in the U.S."

I took that challenge seriously, and traveled to Japan repeatedly to encourage them to invest in Tennessee. At the time, there was very little Japanese investment here. Then Nissan made the decision to come to Tennessee, bringing thousands of jobs. So did a number of other companies, like Sharp and Bridgestone.

Over the last 20 years in Tennessee alone, the coming of the auto industry raised our family incomes from 80 percent of the national average to 100 percent of the national average. Today, one-third of Tennessee manufacturing jobs are in the automotive sector. But in 1979, we'd never even made a car in Tennessee before.

No two countries have grown more alike in the last 25 years than Japan and the United States. Forty-three percent of the world's gross domestic product is between us - that's an astonishing figure.

Looking forward, I would like to see three things happen in the next 25 years between the U.S. and Japan:

One, I would like to see serious work begin on a free trade agreement between our two countries. It may take five or 10 years to conclude, but we need to start working on it now.

Two, I would like to see the huge capacity for research in our two countries used not only for our own benefit, but for the world.

And finally, together we're part of all the world's most important organizations. Fifty percent of all the world's foreign aid comes from our two countries. We need to work together as we continue to face challenges around the world.

Along with the symposium, while in Yokohama, Japan, I had the opportunity to test-drive the new Nissan XTrail Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle. As chairman of the Senate Energy Subcommittee, I sponsored President Bush's hydrogen proposal to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to clean the air. It is a bold proposal that directs the Secretary of Energy to explore the possibility of a hydrogen economy and to develop the next generation technology that would include hydrogen. It is one example of why it is so important for Congress to pass an energy bill to set a policy to lead this country in the right direction.

As co-chairman of the Senate Science and Technology Caucus, I was pleased to receive a briefing about Japan's Earth Simulator, a super, high-speed computer that is the most powerful computer in the world. It is giving Japan an advantage in scientific advancements and commercial competitiveness. In March, I co-sponsored a bill to put the United States back in the forefront of high-performance computing by putting more focus and investment in the Department of Energy and computing facilities.

It was also nice to visit with Ambassador Howard Baker while there. Ambassador Baker's long and distinguished leadership continues as he works to strengthen U.S. - Japanese relations. I appreciate his legacy of service and commitment to representing all Americans in his role there.

I look forward to continuing work with Ambassador Baker and Sen. Frist in the United States Senate to foster economic growth and foreign investment in our Tennessee communities and support legislation that creates good paying jobs across the U.S.

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