Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka's first official trip to Washington has ended with a measure of success. In a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, reportedly held in a friendly atmosphere, she reaffirmed the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and exchanged views on missile defense and Okinawan bases. It may be premature to conclude, however, that Mrs. Tanaka has completely erased U.S. concerns over a series of controversial remarks she reportedly had made in conversations with her foreign counterparts from China and other nations.
Still, her impressive performance in Washington seems to have given a sense of relief to the Japanese people, at least for now. Earlier she was questioned in the Diet about her conduct of foreign policy, prompting her critics in the Liberal Democratic Party to demand her resignation. Now that she has successfully completed her U.S. visit, it must be hoped that the "misfortune will be turned into a blessing," as the saying goes, and that the Foreign Ministry, wracked by internal discord, will get back to business.
Before departing for Washington, Mrs. Tanaka had emphasized that she was not going there just to "apologize" for her seemingly pro-China comments. In fact, she has maintained her aplomb as the foreign minister of Japan, having gained the trust of Washington's foreign-policy team. But she probably owes this partly to good will and generosity on the part of her hosts.