At today's Senate confirmation hearing for Rahm Emanuel, nominated to be the next US ambassador to Japan, Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez closed the hearing about the kidnapping crisis with Japan.
He noted, "More than 475 US children have been kidnapped to Japan and the US has named Japan a top-three worst offender of international parental child abduction."
He furthered there has been no significant improvement since Japan became a Hague Abduction Convention signatory in 2014. He asked Mr. Emanuel to make it a priority to get the Japanese government to understand, "When you enter into an international convention and when American children are involved we certainly expect you to live up to your obligations under the convention."
Mr. Emanuel underscored his view, "Your word is your bond. If you signed into an agreement to be trusted as a partner and ally, you must uphold the principle of that agreement."
He noted, "More than 475 US children have been kidnapped to Japan and the US has named Japan a top-three worst offender of international parental child abduction."
He furthered there has been no significant improvement since Japan became a Hague Abduction Convention signatory in 2014. He asked Mr. Emanuel to make it a priority to get the Japanese government to understand, "When you enter into an international convention and when American children are involved we certainly expect you to live up to your obligations under the convention."
Mr. Emanuel underscored his view, "Your word is your bond. If you signed into an agreement to be trusted as a partner and ally, you must uphold the principle of that agreement."
Excerpt is from the 3:49:30 mark of the full Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing video.
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