Democratic Party of Japan leader Seiji Maehara said Saturday that Japan should place strong emphasis on its relations with other Asian countries, criticizing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi for leaning too much on ties with the United States.
Maehara made the comment in his speech on the last day of the main opposition party's two-day convention, in which the DPJ mapped out its policy platform for fiscal 2006 amid internal friction stemming from Maehara's earlier remarks on China and Japan's right to exercise collective defense with its allies.
The DPJ platform calls for resuscitating the party after being routed in the Sept. 11 general election and resuming its attempt to come to power. It describes the House of Councilors election slated for 2007 as a "decisive political battle" that will determine the party's value.