politics

Kawaguchi censured in upper house for extending China trip

16 Comments

The upper house of the Diet on Thursday passed a censure resolution against Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker Yoriko Kawaguchi, which removed her from her position as head of the Diet's committee on environmental issues.

It is the first time that the head of a Diet committee has been removed from such a position.

Seven opposition parties submitted the censure motion against Kawaguchi for extending a trip to China last month without getting official Diet approval, TV Asahi reported.

Kawaguchi, a former foreign minister, visited Beijing on April 23 and was supposed to return to Tokyo on April 24. However, her April 24 meeting with a senior Chinese government official was postponed until April 25. Kawaguchi got the OK from senior LDP officials to remain in Beijing but did not notify the Diet. A meeting of the environment committee, scheduled for April 25, had to be canceled as a result.

Kawaguchi told a news conference after the vote that she thought the outcome was irrational and that it showed the deterioration of the opposition parties. She said she believed it was in Japan's national interests for her to attend the high-level meeting with the Chinese government official and that her deputy could have stood in for her at the environment committee meeting in Tokyo.

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16 Comments
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she believed it was in Japan’s national interests

It was not her job to believe something. Her job was to properly notify the responsible parties about the situation, and not take individual action. Kicking her out was just about the right decision.

-13 ( +1 / -15 )

Is this right? : This issue is her missing the meeting meeting of the environment committee without notification, which could easily have been done. The Prime Minister controls foreign policy, so there was no rule that the Diet must be informed about the change in schedule in China.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The opposition were waiting for an excuse to start some LDP-style antics, and now they have it. The opposition claim that Kawaguchi's absence forced the cancellation of an environment committee meeting, suggesting that they place great importance on attending such meetings and there is no excuse for missing them.

So it's very strange that the same opposition have recently been boycotting meetings at the Diet for various spurious reasons. If these meetings are so important, why don't you show up to all of them yourselves? Bunch of clowns.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

This is such total BS.

If this is how the opposition chooses to kick off a new session, it can only worsen the image of politicians as useless back-biters and infighters.

Meanwhile, ex-PM Mori gallivants around the world, apparently free from any restraints.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Yoriko Kawaguchi is a China sympathizer and not good for Japan and it's people. China is trying to bribe her with lots of money to push Chinese interests in Japan. That's why she got kicked out. She is a traitor to Japan.

-5 ( +2 / -6 )

When the LDP was in opposition, they always tried censures and no-confidence votes against the then-ruling DPJ!

Now, since they're ruling again, it's their turn to face the censures and no-confidence votes!

it's only fair!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Politics as usual. Lots of drama, mud-slinging, and talk, but precious little real work. The whole lot of them should be censured and shown the door.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I don't understand the logic of it other than the smear the LDP. Waste of time seeing she will likely be sent back to China to relay Japan's environmental concerns but this time as part of a group envoy.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

She said she believed it was in Japan’s national interests for her to attend the high-level meeting with the Chinese government

she might have expected 'promotion' as well !

0 ( +1 / -1 )

So what exactly did her meeting with this so called senior Chinese government official accomplish? All Kawaguchi was doing was wasting time on the government dime.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Remember that even university employees in Japan must submit a request to travel abroad that includes their destination, contact information, and departure and return schedule, even when traveling during school holidays on private business. It does make them look foolish to a public unschooled in parliamentary procedure. There is a fundamental problem at issue in that they at least wish for the LDP to follow existing parliamentary regulations, however. What chance will the opposition have to submit any voice in any matter before the Diet after the LDP defeats them in July, and changes the constitution to make the emperor the seat of national authority, and justifies anything else it wants on that basis, if the Diet has no rules at all?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

peanut666 god forbid we have more japanese sympathizers

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Kawaguchi told a news conference after the vote that she thought the outcome was irrational and that it showed the deterioration of the opposition parties"

The DPJ is so petty that it does anything it can to disrupt Japan's ruling party.

Glad the DPJ is out and hopefully that PRC puppet party will dissolve some more.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

She is not a China sympathizer. She happened to be a rare person from Japan who can communicate with Chinese government in her fluent English. Just like many Chinese officials who has American university education, she has Master in Economy from Yale. Can Diet find people like her to communicate with China? Only one person who can do is Takagi who tried to please male politicians by telling she goes to Yasukuni but she has different jobs. Women politicians in Japan seem to have rough time, yet.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

She probably is only a Japanese who can push Japan's wish to China diplomatically and politeness,

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yoriko Kawaguchi is a China sympathizer and not good for Japan and it's people. China is trying to bribe her with lots of money to push Chinese interests in Japan. She is a traitor to the Japanese people who should tell China with her great communication skills that Japan will no longer continue to apologize for WWII, and if there's any territorial dispute, Japan will wholeheartedly respond with military action. Unless she does that, she is no good for Japan and the rest of S.E. Asia.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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