May 28 (LPAC)--In a development which should be seen as "a thumb in the eye" to the British World War 3 policy, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda addressing the fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) summit with 52 nations, many represented by heads of state, that opened in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo, said: "As Africa seeks to achieve its own Green Revolution [no, not windmills -ed], I would like to put out a call for action aiming to double the current rice production output of 14 million tons over the next 10 years."

"With a wealth of agricultural experience, Japan is willing to cooperate with countries and international organizations to develop irrigation systems, improve the varieties of crops raised and foster workers in the field of agriculture," he said. "If I were to liken the history of African development to a great narrative, then what we are about to do now is to open to a new page, titled the `century of African growth.' In the future, Africa will become a powerful engine driving the growth of the world. Through preparations for TICAD IV, I believe that we have come to share a common intuition about Africa's prospects for the future.

"Here at this juncture, Japan wants to walk alongside the African people, shoulder to shoulder. In order to boost the momentum for African growth, the most important thing is the development of infrastructure The infrastructure that Japan is to build must be the `people's infrastructure,' bringing prosperity to communities and the people living there," Prime Minister Fukuda said.

As the world drags towards a new World War, any real student of history should remember which side the Japanese chose in both World Wars 1 and 2. This time, the British may have one less ally.