US ‘Spied On Japanese Government And Firms’

Japan’s president Shinzo Abe with Barack Obama. Pic: File

MAJOR companies and senior politicians in Japan have been spied on by the US, according to Wikileaks.

In newly-released documents Wikileaks listed 35 telephone numbers that were targeted by the National Security Agency (NSA) for interception.

Wikileaks said the surveillance lasted for eight years, and demonstrates “the depth of US surveillance of the Japanese government”.

The conversations of government ministers – including discussions on trade, climate change policy and nuclear talks – were allegedly scooped up by the US.

Bank of Japan officials were also targeted, Wikileaks said, as well as car firm Mitsubishi and white goods company Matsui.

The information gleaned was shared with the so-called Five Eyes group of Australia, Canada, the UK and New Zealand, Wikileaks added.

In a statement Wikileaks editor Julian Assange said: “In these documents we see the Japanese government worrying in private about how much or how little to tell the United States, in order to prevent undermining of its climate change proposal or its diplomatic relationship.

“And yet we now know that the United States heard everything and read everything, and was passing around the deliberations of Japanese leadership to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK.

“The lesson for Japan is this: do not expect a global surveillance superpower to act with honour or respect. There is only one rule: there are no rules.”

Japan and the US have not commented. SkyNews