The American beef, which has just found its way back on the Japanese dining table, suffered another snub recently. On Jan. 20, after discovering hazardous part susceptible to concentration of pathogens like mad cow disease in beef import from the United States, Japan once again says "no" to American beef.

Japanese supermarkets removed American beef from the shelf and that was only a little more than one month after Japan conditionally resumed import of American beef in mid-December 2005. Needless to say, the resurfacing of the beef trade issue is an inconsonant element in the Japan-US relations which are at their "best period".

Japan and the US have been harassed by the beef issue for over two years. On account of mad cow disease being discovered in the US, Japan announced suspension of beef import from the US in December 2003, and the US beef industry suffered heavy losses as a result. Faced with renewed pressure from the US and even the threat of sanction the Junichiro Koizumi government, out of the consideration of maintaining the Japan-US alliance, agreed to resume import of US beef in December 2005. Its condition was to limit import to calves less than 20 months old that had been rid of hazardous parts like the brain, backbone and ileum.

This time the Koizumi government was quick to impose strict measures primarily, some analysts say, to appease public dissatisfaction and the ban is unlikely to become permanent. Before this, public opinion believed the Koizumi government had given too much consideration to the US interests and ignored food safety for Japanese people. The Japanese public take food safety seriously, but for the government the US-Japan ally is much more important than food safety. Therefore, Japan's agreeing to lift the ban at the end of last year was nothing but the government's inevitable choice after considerable balancing.

The Japan-US alliance is the top priority in Japan's diplomacy. Since taking the office in 2001, Junichiro Koizumi has been dedicated to consolidating the relationship. Japan spared no effort to support the US in its invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. Both George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice are profuse in praising the current US-Japan relations while Japan is intoxicated with the relations which are at their "best period".

That "the Japan-US relations are in a very good state of closeness" is the definition given by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Japan will continue to rely on the US whether in containing Asia through the US or in bidding for a permanent seat in the United Nations (UN) Security Council. For this reason Japan will not damage its alliance with the US while handling the food safety issue.

For the US, it will not allow Japan to make the ban permanent either, for the US-Japan beef trade involves American domestic politics. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association had long been supporting the Democrats. However, it leaned toward the Republic during the 2004 US elections in hope that the Bush administration could make progress in the US-Japan beef trade dispute.

Japan is the largest export market for American beef and is crucial for American beef businesses. US assemblymen from the cattle-raising states repeatedly exert pressure on the administration, which is also the main reason for the US government to force a lift of the ban.

The US midterm election will be held this year. The Republican administration, trapped in Iraq and plagued by the "domestic spying", "secret prison" and "revolving door" incidents, is desperately trying to retain majority in the two Houses in an unfavorable domestic political environment. It goes without saying that the Bush administration will continue as before to pressure Japan.

Koizumi patiently advised Japanese people living around the US military bases that sacrifice must be made for the peace and security brought by the US troops stationed in Japan. By the same logic, Japanese consumers must make some concession on the food safety issue.

The beef trade dispute is of "low-level politics" in the Japan-US relations. But it is this kind of issues that now and then come forth to complicate the politically and militarily close Japan-US relations. It seems that the alliance, however close it may be, cannot cover up the economic issues between them and the Japan-US relations are not as simple as both sides claim them to be.

Editor: Yan