Japanese Foreign Minister Ms Makiko Tanaka has criticised US President George W Bush's missile defence plan as being influenced by oil executives in his native Texas, reports said today.
All Japan's major newspapers reported that Ms Tanaka raised the concerns over Washington's National Missile Defence (NMD) project in separate meetings last month with Australian Foreign Minister Mr Alexander Downer and Italian Foreign Minister Mr Lamberto Dini.
"President Bush is surrounded by conservative people such as advisors to his father when he was the president," she reportedly said during talks with Downer in Tokyo on May 28th.
"I suspect there is influence from his support groups such as oil industry people in his homeground Texas," she was quoted as saying.
The newspapers also quoted Ms Tanaka as telling Mr Downer she feared the US missile plan could anger China, which has expressed its vehement opposition.
"We may not have had such a situation if Gore had won the US presidential election," she reportedly said.
Ms Tanaka however has denied making the reported remarks.
The confusion prompted the foreign ministry to issue an unusual statement which said that the government "understands" the NMD project.
The leaked comments are the latest in a series of gaffes by Ms Tanaka. However, Japan's first female foreign minister remains popular and has helped boost public support for the government of reform-minded Prime Minister Mr Junichiro Koizumi.
AFP