Posted on 03/07/2006 4:38:31 PM PST by Flavius
Japan and China need to establish a “strategic partnership based on equality”, according to the policy chief of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party, acknowledging that Tokyo could no longer afford to treat China as an upstart power.
Hidenao Nakagawa, who is expected to be an important figure in any future cabinet led by Shinzo Abe, the frontrunner to replace Junichiro Koizumi as prime minister in September, told the Financial Times: “There is no precedent in Asia for two big countries to have a strategic partnership based on equality. We want to establish such a strategic partnership with China. That’s what we’re aiming for.”
The comment by Mr Nakagawa, one of two senior Japanese politicians to visit Beijing last month, could be interpreted as an important acknowledgement of realpolitik. China, including Hong Kong, has surpassed the US as Japan’s biggest trading partner and become a significant manufacturing base for many Japanese companies.
The political relationship between the two countries, however, has deteriorated under Mr Koizumi’s premiership, largely over the issue of his annual pilgrimage to Yasukuni shrine, considered by the Chinese to be a symbol of Japanese nationalism.
Jeff Kingston, professor of Asian studies at Temple University, said of Mr Nakagawa’s remarks: “I think this is very encouraging. If Abe’s actually on board with this, it could make a world of difference.”
He said both countries might be looking for a face-saving way to build a more pragmatic relationship after Mr Koizumi stepped down. “These remarks are an early signal that there is a possibility of a better relationship, going forward as equals,” he said.
Mr Nakagawa was, however, uncompromising about the issue of Yasukuni, where the souls of Japan’s war dead, including 14 A-Class war criminals, are said to reside.
The question of whether Mr Abe intends to visit the Tokyo shrine should not be a topic for the LDP’s September leadership election to decide Mr Koizumi’s successor, he said.
“I don’t think the election should be decided on the basis of who is friendly and who is unfriendly to China,” he added, saying questions about how to improve Ja-pan’s economy should come first.
Beijing has recently accepted visits from senior Japanese politicians, including Mr Nakagawa and Toshihiro Nikai, the trade minister, who is regarded as Japan’s most pro-China cabinet minister. Mr Nakagawa rebuffed any suggestion China could influence the LDP election, saying: “They might be interested [in doing so], but the next prime minister is decided by us, not [by] China.”
Yesterday, in what some see as a sign of good faith, Japan and China began to discuss in Beijing a dispute over gas reserves claimed by both nations.
The two sides have proposed joint development of gas fields in the East China sea, but cannot agree on the related issue of how to demarcate their maritime exclusive economic zones.
Japanese officials say privately a breakthrough is unlikely until Mr Koizumi steps down.
They will need their own military now, far beyond their self Defence Forces.
This development is rather inevitable. Economic relationship between China and Japan is currently at the highest point ever; part of Japan's economic rebound and increased consumer spending this past year has been because of cheap Chinese products entering the Japanese market.
Better Sino-Japanese relations is not a bad thing, just it's going to be difficult to realize.
How idiotic can some countries get. First, we have South Korea making overtures to the North, and now this!!!! Japan even wants better relations with the Russians.
yeah, ever feel like you are alone in the world
To coin a phrase from the old Cold War, the
"Finlandization" of Japan vis a vis China has begun.
i dont know anything but this seemed to me like someone hedging their bets
There are factions in Japan that are very China-obsessed, and constantly talk about "Kanji civilization" (kanji bunmei) or "Kanji cultural sphere" (kanji bunkaken). But since Koizumi's administration, they've been pushed into the sidelines. It looks like some are trying to assert themselves again.
kanji = Chinese characters, which the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans (to a lesser extent) use. Chinese characters have a very strong pyschological influence on the entire region (like the Latin alphabet in the West or Arabic script in Middle East). Arguably also one of the strongest unifying force within China.
In other news, scientists baffled by sudden loss of spine all across japan.
I don't know about that... it takes a lot of guts for the PM to visit a shrine that includes the names of a dozen convicted Class A war criminals. Especially considering ALL of East and Southeast Asia oppose this.
Japan is motivated now to get friendly with China for economic reasons (i.e., pro-business lobby).
Japan won't concede anything just yet. The Japanese respect only power, economic strength, and cultural proliferation. Until China's GDP is at least 5 times larger than Japan's, and the Chinese have finally abandoned their communist experiment and restored their traditional cultural prestige, Japan will not concede to China and will not sincerely view China as an equal. If China achieves all that though, then all bets are off. The Japanese could very well abandon the US and go back to their historical "Kanji cultural sphere" China-fetish again. In some sense then, a democratic and prosperous China could be the biggest threat to American dominance in East Asia.
The Japanese have a tendency to either look down or look up to other nations. Ideas of equality do not swallow well for them.
Then again if china was a strong vibrant capitalist democracy who could police the actual bad boys in there neighborhood, abandon North Korea or better yet take care of it themselves, and be a reliable counterbalance against Russia in the region then I don't see why we would have much interest in the region anyway and would welcome a strong china in east Asia. However, that path dose not look like it will be taken for some time to come.
Another point I want to add: Many Japanese respect and admire ancient Chinese civilization, but today see themselves as more authentic carriers of that spirit.
Japanese youths really enjoy tales of famous Chinese military battles during China's feudal age, much more so than the American Civil War, the Roman expansion, or the Napoleonic Wars, etc. In other words, if all were equal (democratic and well developed), the Japanese would prefer a relationship with China.
Agreed. China can go two ways... it can take advantage of its opportunity for reform and economic dominance or squander it by alienating all of its neighbors, and most importantly, by repressing its own people. The trend toward censorship, etc does not bode well for the future of China.
"Chinese characters have a very strong pyschological influence on the entire region (like the Latin alphabet in the West or Arabic script in Middle East). Arguably also one of the strongest unifying force within China."
Well, the communists in the PRC modified many of the characters showing disregard for traditional Chinese culture. It would have been better in my opinion had they just adopted a modified Western alphabet for daily use and left the characters as they were. The Japanese still use the traditional characters.
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