At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama stood at the podium at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. He was speaking at the dinner banquet for the International Conference on the Future of Asia. The forum, hosted by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, a major Japanese newspaper specializing in financial and business news, was attended by leaders from many Asian countries.
Prime Minister Hatoyama spoke with composure about his vision to create a regional community for East Asia. But as he concluded his speech, he raised his voice suddenly. "This morning, the results of the investigation into the sinking of a South Korean warship on March 26 were announced in South Korea. They determined that the sinking was caused by a North Korean torpedo."
Hatoyama continued, growing visibly exercised. "North Korea's actions cannot be condoned by any means, and Japan strongly condemns it together with the international community. Japan firmly supports the Republic of Korea, and will closely collaborate with the countries concerned, not least with the United States, so as to respond to this situation in cohesion with the entire international community." |