Thursday, March 15, 2007
ABE ALLY CALLS FOR TOUGHER LINE WITH CHINA
By David Pilling and Victor Mallet
Friday, March 16, 2007
A senior member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic party has called for the government to take a harder line on China ahead of a planned visit to Tokyo next month by Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier.
Shoichi Nakagawa, the party's powerful policy chief, said yesterday Tokyo needed to press Beijing harder on issues such as its military buildup, exploitation of gas in waters claimed by Japan and abuse of intellectual property.
“I don't know why, but the Japanese government has not told them [the Chinese] what we need to tell them,” he said in an interview. “Maybe we are trying to be too polite.”
Mr Nakagawa is a conservative ally of Shinzo Abe, the prime minister. But his concerns mirror a broader disillusion among some on the Japanese right that Mr Abe has become too moderate on some issues, for example by repeating government apologies for Japan's wartime atrocities and being deliberately ambiguous about whether he will visit the Yasukuni shrine.
A political heavyweight known for his tough talk, Mr Nakagawa said he welcomed the better Sino-Japanese relations that have followed a breakthrough visit by Mr Abe to Beijing last October.
The two countries, which argued bitterly over history during the previous administration of Junichiro Koizumi, have pledged to fashion a mutually beneficial relationship based on shared strategic interests and Mr Wen is due to visit Tokyo later this year. However, Mr Nakagawa vented frustration shared by some on the LDP's conservative wing that Tokyo has been ceding too much ground.
“To establish a win-win strategic relationship we have to say what we have to say and China has to accept that,” Mr Nakagawa said. “If we cannot do that it's not a relationship of equals but one of subservience.”
Mr Nakagawa argues Japan should be more assertive in its interpretation of history and is prominent among a group of legislators unhappy with a 1993 Japanese statement apologising for forcing sex slaves into wartime military brothels.
There was no evidence, he said, that the Japanese military directly forced women to work in so-called “comfort stations”.
Mr Abe drew international condemnation earlier this month when he made a similar claim.
The issue has since become deeply embarrassing for the prime minister, although it has until now been raised at the party rather than the government level.
On the one hand, Mr Abe has annoyed his rightwing base by refusing to reopen the issue of “comfort women” and pledging to stick to the 1993 apology. But his statements have been even more harshly judged internationally, where they have created the impression that, privately, he shares some of Mr Nakagawa's misgivings.
Robert Dujarric of Temple University said: “What it boils down to is whether there's a difference between you going at gunpoint and raping a woman, and you getting a woman that has been brought by a pimp and raping her. If you think there's a difference, you need your head examined.”
Mr Nakagawa thinks the distinction does matter. “We do not have any intention of denying history,” he said. “If we need to be remorseful about something we will be so. But in some cases there is wrong information and China takes these issues up for political reasons.”
Most commentators judge China to have been remarkably restrained. It has said disputes about history should not hamper a future-oriented partnership. “China has been trying to help Abe get his foot out of his mouth,” said Mr Dujarric.
One senior Japanese government official, grateful at Beijing's restraint, said: “If this had happened a year ago, I don't want to imagine what would have happened.”
Mr Nakagawa, one of the few senior politicians around Mr Abe not to have visited China recently, is rather less effusive.
For example, he welcomes the planned visit by Wen Jiabao to Tokyo next month but points out that the Chinese premier is below Mr Abe in rank. For true reciprocity, he thinks Hu Jintao, China's president, should come. “That,” said Mr Nakagawa assertively, “is what we expect from the point of view of protocol.” ¶ 5:22 PM
Friday, March 16, 2007
A senior member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic party has called for the government to take a harder line on China ahead of a planned visit to Tokyo next month by Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier.
Shoichi Nakagawa, the party's powerful policy chief, said yesterday Tokyo needed to press Beijing harder on issues such as its military buildup, exploitation of gas in waters claimed by Japan and abuse of intellectual property.
“I don't know why, but the Japanese government has not told them [the Chinese] what we need to tell them,” he said in an interview. “Maybe we are trying to be too polite.”
Mr Nakagawa is a conservative ally of Shinzo Abe, the prime minister. But his concerns mirror a broader disillusion among some on the Japanese right that Mr Abe has become too moderate on some issues, for example by repeating government apologies for Japan's wartime atrocities and being deliberately ambiguous about whether he will visit the Yasukuni shrine.
A political heavyweight known for his tough talk, Mr Nakagawa said he welcomed the better Sino-Japanese relations that have followed a breakthrough visit by Mr Abe to Beijing last October.
The two countries, which argued bitterly over history during the previous administration of Junichiro Koizumi, have pledged to fashion a mutually beneficial relationship based on shared strategic interests and Mr Wen is due to visit Tokyo later this year. However, Mr Nakagawa vented frustration shared by some on the LDP's conservative wing that Tokyo has been ceding too much ground.
“To establish a win-win strategic relationship we have to say what we have to say and China has to accept that,” Mr Nakagawa said. “If we cannot do that it's not a relationship of equals but one of subservience.”
Mr Nakagawa argues Japan should be more assertive in its interpretation of history and is prominent among a group of legislators unhappy with a 1993 Japanese statement apologising for forcing sex slaves into wartime military brothels.
There was no evidence, he said, that the Japanese military directly forced women to work in so-called “comfort stations”.
Mr Abe drew international condemnation earlier this month when he made a similar claim.
The issue has since become deeply embarrassing for the prime minister, although it has until now been raised at the party rather than the government level.
On the one hand, Mr Abe has annoyed his rightwing base by refusing to reopen the issue of “comfort women” and pledging to stick to the 1993 apology. But his statements have been even more harshly judged internationally, where they have created the impression that, privately, he shares some of Mr Nakagawa's misgivings.
Robert Dujarric of Temple University said: “What it boils down to is whether there's a difference between you going at gunpoint and raping a woman, and you getting a woman that has been brought by a pimp and raping her. If you think there's a difference, you need your head examined.”
Mr Nakagawa thinks the distinction does matter. “We do not have any intention of denying history,” he said. “If we need to be remorseful about something we will be so. But in some cases there is wrong information and China takes these issues up for political reasons.”
Most commentators judge China to have been remarkably restrained. It has said disputes about history should not hamper a future-oriented partnership. “China has been trying to help Abe get his foot out of his mouth,” said Mr Dujarric.
One senior Japanese government official, grateful at Beijing's restraint, said: “If this had happened a year ago, I don't want to imagine what would have happened.”
Mr Nakagawa, one of the few senior politicians around Mr Abe not to have visited China recently, is rather less effusive.
For example, he welcomes the planned visit by Wen Jiabao to Tokyo next month but points out that the Chinese premier is below Mr Abe in rank. For true reciprocity, he thinks Hu Jintao, China's president, should come. “That,” said Mr Nakagawa assertively, “is what we expect from the point of view of protocol.” ¶ 5:22 PM
