16 April, 2005

Tired of ...

Finally the time has come. It can be time to write about this. Before anything else, I must say - I am a Japanese and therefore look at this matter through the viewpoint of a Japanese.

» BBC News | Thousands join anti-Japan protest
Yes, I'm going to write about China's recent anti-Japanese movements.

» Guaradian Unlimited | Textbook solution

Japan has apologised many times for its aggression against China, but many Chinese - readily encouraged by their government and by their own "patriotic" textbooks - feel it has not shown enough contrition for episodes such as the notorious Rape of Nanking in 1937 in which many thousands were massacred by Emperor Hirohito's soldiers.

So how can we show "enough contrition" and satisfy Chinese people, if they don't admit the fact that Japan has apologised many times? And this kind of comment may trigger their anger. They'll say "that's why Japanese don't take this serious". The Guardian concludes its article as follows;

Part of this problem is that trust can only be created by regular communication, and there has been no official visit to China by Mr Koizumi since 2001, and none by a Chinese president to Japan since 1998. Bilateral disputes have to be handled on their merits, but China and Japan should stay cool, refrain from stoking these fires - and follow the example of the commission set up by France and Germany after 1945 to agree a common account of their tangled history. It will need a conscious effort before Asia's bloody past can become another country.

» Times Online | Unleashing the mob

Mr Koizumi must prove that he is a genuine reformer by finding a different ceremony to honour the nation’s war dead and to ensure that the annual ritual of textbook tension is brought to an end. Meanwhile, China’s leaders must understand that they will be the ultimate losers if they encourage a marauding mob mentality.

I don't think Koizumi, our prime minister who is all mouth, can deal with this matter. But this part - China will be the ultimate losers - is pretty hard and surprises me.

» Independent | The 5-Minute Briefing: What's behind the spat between China and Japan?

China makes much less fuss about other historical enemies, including the British, who fought two wars to supply opium to the country, or the US, who for years bankrolled the nationalists against the communists. Tokyo believes Beijing is whipping up anti-Japanese sentiment to deny it a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. And hypocrisy looms large: Chinese students learn little of the invasion of Tibet or the crimes of Chairman Mao. In the background, the tectonic plates of Asian politics are shifting to accommodate the growing economic bulk of an increasingly confident and assertive China, which some in Japan view with alarm. The Trade Minister, Shoichi Nakagawa, called China "a scary country".

Hot in economics, cold in politics is the phrase used in Japan, and the hope is that this booming trade will trump the present tensions. But some fear the heady brew of history, nationalism and politics that hangs above relations between these two old enemies like a pall will eventually drag them into further confrontation.

An internet-led boycott of Japanese goods is picking up speed in China, where anti-Japanese feeling is high following decades of patriotic education. And anti-Chinese sentiment is hardening in Japan, which is to terminate aid to China after providing billions of dollars over the past two decades.

If there is anti-Chinese sentiment in Japan like Independent says, it's not exactly anti-Chinese sentiment. It's more like longstanding sickness. There are so many discrepancies between us, including history. Even in recent history, they can be observed. For example, ODA. Although Japan is the largest ODA donor of China, the government doesn't want to clarify that fact to the public.

So what is true and what is not???

How about this? Bring this matter to the UN or whatever. Otherwise this will never end. And so will the matter with Korea.

The series of anti-Japanese movements has originated from two factors; Japan's ambiguous attitude in diplomacy that basically postpones dealing with problems and has caused many trouble in East Asia, and the Chinese government's control over the public, including "patriotic" textbook which focus on wartime Japan defined as a hard-to-forgive brutal state. These two points can be true. There are misunderstandings between us.

The Times points out;

China has exploited and exacerbated historic bitterness for political purposes: first, to divert attention from domestic tensions over economic disparities, unemployment, corruption and political restrictions; and secondly, to limit Japan’s influence in Asia at a time of growing political and economic competition with China.

The Communist Party is now playing a nationalist card to win backing at home. But creating an atmosphere viscerally hostile to Japan, which some Chinese companies no doubt hope will blunt Japanese competition, could have dangerous consequences.

In the end, I'm anxious about my friend who is working in China.