JAPAN

In a potential major policy shift that could anger the United States, Japanese Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi dropped a strong hint that Japan will sign a global land mine ban treaty spurned by Washington. “It would be contradictory for Japan on one hand to contribute to the removal of land mines in Cambodia and not accept the treaty on the other hand,” Obuchi said. Previously, Japan had thrown its support behind Washington, which wants to use antipersonnel mines on the tension-filled Korean peninsula, the last Cold War frontier, for nine more years because of the uncertain situation there.