1.   But senior officials in Washington forced him to retire the same day after the Japanese foreign ministry expressed outraged at the comment.

2.   Japanese foreign ministry officials, in turn, said Japan would promote the idea of government aid rather than tying up private money, a riskier prospect.

3.   Japan has honored its pledge to introduce more competitive bidding for public works projects, said a Japanese foreign ministry official, who declined to be named.

4.   No dates have been set for these meetings, a Japanese foreign ministry official said.

5.   The two ministers plan to talk in Italy next month at the annual meeting of the major industrialized nations, a Japanese foreign ministry official said.

6.   A Japanese foreign ministry official said the pledge was the result of pressure by his government.

7.   A Japanese foreign ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity Wednesday, would say only that Japan was considering whether to go ahead with the loan.

8.   A Japanese foreign ministry official will attend the briefing.

9.   Albright called Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura early Friday, the Japanese foreign ministry said.

10.   Hato spoke to Dow Jones Newswires in Bangkok on the sidelines of a conference between the Japanese ministry and economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.