Growing China-Japan ties

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Growing China-Japan ties tops forum's agenda
By Jiao Xiaoyang (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-09-16 07:08

TOKYO -- The resignation of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will not affect the promotion of Sino-Japanese relations, a minister with the Japanese government said Monday.

"I firmly believe the newly elected leaders will lead Japan to further promote our relations with China," Hiroya Masuda, minister of internal affairs and communications, said at a welcoming ceremony at the start of the fourth Tokyo-Beijing Forum.

The meeting, which opens on Tuesday, will involve dialogue between the two neighbors at the highest level, and comes in the wake of the changes to the Japanese government.

More than 100 political, business and academic leaders from both countries will discuss ways to develop bilateral relations in terms of political dialogue, economic cooperation, media exchanges, food safety, environmental protection and disaster relief.

Several Chinese government ministers, including Wang Chen, head of the State Council Information Office, and former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing are at the forum.

Among the Japanese contingent is Liberal Democratic Party policy chief Sadakazu Tanigaki and Katsuya Okada, vice-president of the opposition Democratic Party.

"I am optimistic about relations between the two countries," Okada said.

"As long as we maintain full-scale and in-depth exchanges, relations will have a solid foundation," he said.

The forum, co-founded by China Daily and Tokyo-based nonprofit group Genron-NPO, serves as a platform for high-level dialogue between the two countries.

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Chinese, Japanese personages discuss bilateral relations at Beijing-Tokyo Forum

TOKYO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Fourth Beijing-Tokyo Forum began its plenary meeting Tuesday in Tokyo. Personages and prominent figures from various circles of the two nations had in-depth exchanges of views on bilateral relations and were of the same opinion that promoting two-way exchanges and mutual trust will be conducive to the advancement of bilateral ties. At the start of the plenary meeting, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura and Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai, on behalf of their respective governments, advocated joint efforts Tuesday to push forward the Japan-China relations and conveyed good wishes for their further advance. Komura said that the Japanese government attaches great importance to its ties with China and it is his conviction that this general trend will not be reversed. The two nations have made joint efforts to push forward bilateral ties as well as address regional and international issues in recent years, said Komura, adding that under the guiding principle of the Japan-China strategic and mutually beneficial relations, the two nations have witnessed advances and improvements in their ties. Cui, for his part, said that national interests of the two countries entail both friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation. And the stable, sound and long-term development of China-Japan relations serves as an important factor in maintaining both nations' prosperity and stability in the volatile international environments. In his keynote speech at the meeting, Wang Chen, director of the State Council Information Office of China, hailed the China-Japan cooperation as a fine example for countries with different social systems. He said that there are important bases and favorable environments for the long-term development of bilateral friendly relations. For China-Japan friendship, geographical proximity is the natural link, political mutual trust serves as an important basis, mutually beneficial cooperation the economic basis and long-term people-to-people exchanges the important bridge, said Wang. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of China's reform and opening-up, he said, adding that China has made world-acknowledged outstanding achievements in its development in the past 30 years. Wang said that China's development, characterized by its peace, openness, cooperation and harmony, offers a brighter prospect for the development of both nations. The current world is undergoing profound changes, he said. And China is willing to work with Japan to actively participate in international cooperation in various areas, jointly promote world peace and achieve common development of the human race. The two sides need to deepen mutual understanding in a bid to continuously promote the sound development of bilateral ties, said Wang, expressing his belief that with goodwill as well as cooperative attitude aimed at win-win results and sincerity for frank exchanges of views, the friendly relations between the two nations are sure to be continuously cemented. Representatives from political circles as well as friendship bodies, including Zhao Qizheng, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Chen Haosu, head of the Chinese People's Association of Friendship with Foreign Countries, Li Zhaoxing, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), Yusuhisa Shiozaki, Japan's former chief cabinet secretary, Koichi Kato, chairman of Japan-China Friendship Association, also participated in the discussion of the general situation of China-Japan relations. Later in the day, the forum had panel dialogues in terms of their respective subjects on such issues as politics, region, media, economy, security, environment and food. Having had frank and in-depth exchanges of views on the relevant issues, representatives of both sides were of the same mind on some issues though remained divided on some others. Most of the participants, however, agreed that the face-to-face exchange of views should be promoted as it helps deepen mutual understanding of the two nations. The Fourth Beijing-Tokyo Forum opened with a dinner party late Monday. In their speeches at the party, Hiroya Masuda, Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Wang Chen lauded the role the forum has played in the development of bilateral ties and wished it a success. Present at the three-day forum are more than 100 personages from various circles of both countries. The annual forum, co-sponsored by China Daily and the non-profit Japanese organization Genron NPO, is held alternately in Beijing and Tokyo. The first Tokyo-Beijing Forum took place in Beijing in August 2005.

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China-Japan co-op sets fine example for countries with different social systems

www.chinaview.cn 2008-09-16 11:22:16

Wang Chen, head of the State Council Information Office of China, addresses the opening banquet of the 4th Beijing-Tokyo Forum in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 15, 2008. The annual forum kicked off on Monday. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>> TOKYO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) - China-Japan cooperation may well set a good example for countries with different social systems, said Wang Chen, director of the State Council Information Office of China, at the Fourth Beijing-Tokyo Forum on Tuesday. In a keynote speech at the plenary meeting, Wang said that there are important bases and favorable environments for the long-term development of bilateral friendly relations. For China-Japan friendship, geographical proximity is the natural link, political mutual trust serves as an important basis, mutually beneficial cooperation the economic basis and long-term people-to-people exchanges the important bridge, said Wang. Chinese former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (R) talks to Yasushi Kudo, representative of a Japanese nonpolitical organization, at the opening banquet of the 4th Beijing-Tokyo Forum in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 15, 2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>> This year marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of China's reform and opening-up, he said, adding that China has made world-acknowledged outstanding achievements in its development in the past 30 years. Wang said that China's development, characterized by its peace, openness, cooperation and harmony, offers a brighter prospect for the development of both nations. The current world is undergoing profound changes, he said. And China is willing to work with Japan to actively participate in international cooperation in various areas, jointly promote world peace and achieve common development of the human race. Japanese Internal Affairs Minister Hiroya Masuda addresses the opening banquet of the 4th Beijing-Tokyo Forum in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 15, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>> The two sides need to deepen mutual understanding in a bid to continuously promote the sound development of bilateral ties, said Wang, expressing his belief that with goodwill as well as cooperative attitude aimed at win-win results and sincerity for frank exchanges of views, the friendly relations between the two nations are sure to be continuously cemented. Prior to Wang's speech at the meeting, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura and Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai, on behalf of their respective governments, advocated joint efforts to push forward the Japan-China relations and conveyed good wishes for their further advance. The Four Beijing-Tokyo Forum opened with a dinner party late Monday. In their speeches at the party, Hiroya Masuda, Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications, and Wang Chen lauded the role the forum has played in the development of bilateral ties and wished it a success. Present at the three-day forum are more than 100 personages from various circles of both countries. Later Tuesday the forum will have group discussions in terms of their respective subjects. The annual forum, co-sponsored by China Daily and the non-profit Japanese organization Genron NPO, is held alternately in Beijing and Tokyo. The first Tokyo-Beijing Form took place in Beijing in August 2005.

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Chinese president pledges closer economic ties with Japan

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2...nt_7045041.htm

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-09-22 06:30
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BEIJING -- China would deepen economic and trade cooperation and step up strategic and mutually beneficial relations with Japan, Chinese President Hu Jintao said on Sunday.

"China hopes the two sides would work together to enhance economic and trade cooperation, aiming at realizing mutual benefit and development," Hu told members of a delegation from the Japan-China Association on Economy and Trade (JCAET).

JCAET honorary president Fujio Mitarai and president Fujio Cho congratulated China on the success of the Olympics and Paralympic Games, and expressed willingness to push forward bilateral ties.

Hu expressed gratitude for Japanese aid after the Sichuan earthquake and for supporting the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics, praising the JCAET for "important contributions to the improvement and development of bilateral ties".

"China would work with Japan to enhance strategic trust, mutual contact and coordination in regional and international affairs, in accordance with the two countries' four political documents," Hu said.
"China is willing to handle sensitive affairs appropriately together with Japan," he added.

JCAET was established in 1972 to promote economic exchanges between the two countries.

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Japan - China Space Cooperation

eptember 25, 2008 at 10:34 am | In Space Law |
by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty
From Red Orbit:

Japanese Official Calls for Space Cooperation With China
Posted on: Thursday, 25 September 2008, 09:00 CDT

Text of report in English by Japan’s largest news agency Kyodo

Tokyo, Sept. 25 Kyodo - Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said Thursday that Japan and China should consider cooperating on space development as he expressed hope for success in China’s upcoming manned space mission, which will include an astronaut carrying out the country’s first spacewalk.

“In our mutually beneficial strategic relationship with China…I think the time has come for us to consider cooperating in the area of space,� said Kawamura, who contributed to enacting Japan’s first law setting out the nation’s basic policy on the use of space.

The law was enacted in May, scrapping a decades-old principle that enshrined the “nonmilitary� use of space and paving the way for the development of defence equipment such as full-scale spy satellites.

Kawamura said that he would like to have the space development strategy headquarters set up in the Cabinet in line with the basic space law to consider cooperation between Japan and China.

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Japanese PM seeks friendly ties with Asia

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

TOKYO: Japan’s new Prime Minister Taro Aso said Monday he would seek friendly relations with China and South Korea, while pressing North Korea on its nuclear drive and past abductions.

In a first policy speech to parliament, Aso said he wants to “jointly build peace and prosperity in the region by working together with China, South Korea, Russia and other Asia-Pacific nations.�

Chinese and South Korean leaders congratulated the outspoken conservative on his election last week by the ruling party, largely ignoring his past remarks over the country’s wartime colonialism.

In the speech, Aso said his government will seek “action by the North Korean side in an effort to comprehensively resolve the issues of nuclear weapons, missiles and abductions.�

Tokyo has taken the hardest line against Pyongyang in stalled six-way talks aimed at ridding the communist state of nuclear weapons.

Japan has pressed North Korea for a fuller accounting on the fate of Japanese civilians the regime kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s to train its spies in Japanese language and culture.

Former prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, regarded as a moderate on North Korea, controversially agreed in June to relax some Japanese sanctions after Pyongyang said it would start a new probe into the fate of the abductees.

But North Korea told Japan through diplomatic channels that it was holding off on launching the investigation after Fukuda abruptly announced his resignation. afp


http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\09\30\story_30-9-2008_pg4_5

[wallis]

I can understand the importance or need on the part of the Japanese and Chinese leadership for "burying the hatchet" of the past and growing closer.

I believe the handwriting is on the wall that the United States is slowly withdrawing from Asia in terms of "boots on the ground." The policy of force projection favors the removal of ground and many air troops with the ability of injecting military force from longer distances.

Secondly, China is a growing power, especially in the market place. Any isolation of China would effectively close the markets. And it is in the market place where money is made.

From trade comes cooperation. From cooperation understanding culture blossoms. Friendly hands outstreched across the East and Yellow Seas will create a stability in the region, and it is an Asian region.

While many people around the world feel that North Korea remains a significant threat, friendly cooperation will continue the maintanance of that rogue state until such a time that North Korea can be reintegrated into the global community. China does not want to invade NK should that government implode. Japan does not want to see a united Korea. And, South Korea does not want to absorb NK at this time, as it will completely bankrupt them. At the same time, friendly hands will prevent the NK from committing suicide by reinitiating the Korean War.

To reiterate, I believe North Korea is a secondary issue in this demonstration of friendly ties. I feel that the market place and economic benefits are driving the efforts to reach across both the past and seas that separate the two nations.

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Japan's young turn to Communist Party as they decide capitalism has let them down

With its gleaming designer stores, the world's second largest economy and an insatiable appetite for luxury labels, Japan has long been regarded as the land of the rising capitalist.

By Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo
Last Updated: 9:19AM BST 18 Oct 2008

But a wave of discontent among its younger workers is fuelling a change in the nation's political landscape: communism is suddenly back in fashion.

What many young Japanese view as an erosion of their economic security and employment rights, combined with years of political stagnation, are propelling droves of them into the arms of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), the nation's fourth largest political party.

New recruits are signing up at the rate of 1,000 a month, swelling its ranks to more than 415,000. Meanwhile a classic proletarian novel is at the top of the best-seller lists, and communist-themed "manga" comics are enjoying soaring success.

A further sign of disaffection among young Japanese - who in recent years have been more renowned for their political apathy than their revolutionary zeal - is the increasing frequency of rallies by workers on the streets of the capital.

Earlier this month, crowds of up to 5,000 young Japanese workers marched through the streets of central Tokyo to express their growing discontent with the government over working conditions.

And the job losses, financial insecurity and social dissatisfaction that are expected to go hand in hand with the current global credit crisis are expected to increase the ranks of the party further.

Spearheading the lurch to the Left are young Japanese in their twenties and thirties, who have become increasingly disillusioned with changes to employment laws which they blame for creating a climate of insecurity.
Some 44 per cent of country's workforce are part-time only, while a profusion of short-term contracts has created a generation of freelancers who are often between jobs.

Kimitoshi Morihara, deputy director of the Japanese Communist Party's international bureau, said: "Working conditions dramatically changed for younger generations in 2002 when new temporary working laws were introduced.

Today, more than one in three Japanese is in temporary work. They have almost no rights, no security and no future.

"The political climate in Japan is changing and more young Japanese are becoming politically aware because these issues have long been ignored by other parties." The revival of hard left politics comes as Japan faces the prospect of an general election in coming months, following the parliamentary deadlock which led to last month's sudden resignation of Yasuo Fukuda, the third prime minister in less than three years.

The country's schlerotic political system has enabled the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to hold power for an almost unbroken five decades, although its powers were critically curtailed last year when the main opposition party won control of the upper legislative chamber.

Resurgent Japanese communism is deploying all the tools of the 21st century, with the internet and on-line video sites playing a vital role.
The party's charismatic chairman, Kazuo Shii, triggered a rush of new recruits with a rousing parliamentary speech attacking the "exploitation" of young workers, which has become cult viewing among young Japanese on video websites.

With his grey salaryman suit and glasses, 54-year-old Mr Shii appears a far cry from conventional revolutionary stereotypes. However, after eight years at the helm of the party he has been propelled to prominence to become something of a media personality.

Among those who have recently come under his sway is Miki Tomohiro, a 34-year-old freelance writer from Fukutsu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. "When I saw Mr Shii speaking, I felt as if he was exposing capitalism in its crudest form," he said. "I surfed the internet to find out more about the party before joining." Oomori Shuji, 30, a temporary worker for Toyota, from Aichi Prefecture, who joined the party in June, added: "Since my graduation, I have never been fully employed. At a JCP workshop, I learned about the realities of temps hired by the day and the working poor, who are without social security or bonuses, and are often easily fired.

"The party is considerate of the plight of young people, including their jobs and living conditions. It has a concrete policy on these questions." Another sign of the growing allure of the Left is the sudden surge in popularity of a classic Japanese novel, Kanikosen - the Crab-Canning Ship *- about embattled factory workers who rise up against their capitalist oppressors.
Nearly eight decades after it was written by Takiji Kobayashi, a communist who was tortured to death for his political beliefs aged 29, its sales have leapt from a slow annual trickle of 5,000 to 507,000 so far this year, unexpectedly catapulting it to the top of the nation's bestseller lists.

A "manga" comic book depicting the same Marxist tale is also winning over young Japanese, with 200,000 copies sold in a year. Kosuke Maruo, editor at East Press, which publishes the manga version, said: "The story succeeds in representing very vividly the situation of the so-called working poor today.

"They cannot become happy and they cannot find the solution to their poverty, however hard they work. Young people who are forced to work for very low wages today may have a feeling that they are in a similar position to the crew of Kanikosen." Kyudo Takahashi, 31, a freelance writer from Tokyo, attributed the popularity of the story to a growing sense of displacement among his generation.

"Kanikosen was a textbook in school but we didn't read it seriously then," he said. "Now, we're reading it again because we're frustrated with the government.

"In the book, people are exploited again and again. They are not treated like humans, more like cows at a hamburger factory. That is how many people feel today. When we find work, someone is always exploiting us. We cannot feel secure about the future."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...them-down.html

[Ryan Ruck]

New recruits are signing up at the rate of 1,000 a month, swelling its ranks to more than 415,000. Meanwhile a classic proletarian novel is at the top of the best-seller lists, and communist-themed "manga" comics are enjoying soaring success.

This is fairly big news! Of course it goes unreported in the MSM...

What this is is the neutralization of Japan as a reliable ally in the Pacific. The only way for this to be countered is if Japan outlaws Communism and forces it underground and jails thier ringleaders.

You had better believe Russia and China have their hands DEEPLY involved in this as this HUGELY affects the balance of power in the region. Just look at my one post in the thread about the growing US Communist party about how the KGB planned to make West Germany neutral. This is a similar tactic in a move toward the same type of end.

Thanks vector for posting this disturbing but important news.

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China and Japan seek closer ties

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U.S.- China ties weaken Japan alliances

Posted by chinaview on November 25, 2008
The Japan Times, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008 -

As the United States works harder than ever to strengthen relations with China, there are signs its alliances with Japan and Taiwan are weakening. A conspicuous sign of change in Japan-U.S. ties came early Oct. 12 when President George W. Bush telephoned Prime Minister Taro Aso to inform the latter of the decision to remove North Korea from Washington’s list of terrorism-supporting nations.

Officials of Japan’s Foreign Ministry had suspected that Washington would take this action despite Tokyo’s repeated pleas not to appear conciliatory toward North Korea before the fate of Japanese citizens abducted by Pyongyang in the 1970s and ’80s was resolved. The phone call came only half an hour before the State Department announced its decision.

Other signs indicate that Washington is more interested in promoting ties with Beijing than in maintaining existing military alliances with Japan or Taiwan. For one thing, Washington has refused to provide Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force with the next-generation F-22 Raptor fighter. For another, the U.S. has declined Taiwan’s request for attack helicopters and diesel-powered submarines.

To make matters worse, a Chinese diplomat hints that North Korean strongman Kim Jong Il has regretted pursuing “mea culpa� diplomacy with Japan since admitting to then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2002 that his followers were responsible for the abductions. A handful of abductees were returned to Japan; Pyongyang has not made known the whereabouts of others.

Ever since the end of the Cold War, the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait have been hot spots for American military operations in Asia. The Bush administration, however, has shifted its diplomatic strategy toward building a stronger cooperative relationship with China, as Washington has been beset with wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and annual military expenditures of $200 billion.

Even though Russia has developed Su-35 fighters and China has come up with Jian-10 fighters, to compete with the F-22 Raptor, the U.S. has refused to provide the ASDF with its most advanced fighter apparently because Washington attaches greater importance to easing tension with Beijing than to strengthening the military alliance with Tokyo……. (more details from The Japan Times)

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America Calls on Japan to Reinterpret Its Pacifist Constitution

January 22, 2009 | From theTrumpet.com

But should Japan oblige, it would not strengthen America’s position on the world scene.

The United States has urged Japan to reinterpret its pacifist constitution so that its Self-Defense Forces can take on more global security responsibilities. Agence France-Presse reported January 14:

Japan should play a greater role in global security, including reinterpreting its pacifist constitution to allow it to defend an ally if attacked, the outgoing U.S. ambassador said Wednesday.

Thomas Schieffer, wrapping up his tenure in Tokyo as U.S. President-elect Barack Obama prepares to take over the U.S. administration, said a “redefinition would be appropriate� of the post-World War ii U.S.-Japan security alliance.

“I think we ought to talk about it and we ought to try to understand where we want the alliance to go in the years ahead. I think America would welcome an alliance of equals, and I think Japan would too,� he told a news conference.

“But an alliance of equals is one that has equal responsibilities and equal shares in the future,� Schieffer said. “I think Japan can speak with a louder voice in international affairs.� …

If a Japanese destroyer failed to eliminate a missile launched from Asia on the basis that it was headed for the U.S., “I think the American people would find that very difficult to understand the value of the alliance with Japan.�

The fact that Japan’s post-World War ii constitution bars it from maintaining land, sea and air forces of any kind has not stopped the nation from building what is widely considered the fourth-most-powerful military in the world. This military force has been built with American approval under the pretext that it is a “civilian� self-defense force. Now, the U.S. is urging Japan to reinterpret its constitution even further so that it can become a stronger ally against authoritarian regimes like China and North Korea.

The fact of the matter is, however, that Japan no longer regards its East Asian neighbors as enemies. Last February, the Japan’s chief of the Joint Staff Office of the Self-Defense Forces, Takashi Saito, met with China’s Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan in Beijing; the two military leaders agreed to enhance military cooperation between their two countries.

With its own state-of-the-art defense force and its growing military alliance with China, Japan is swiftly approaching the point where it no longer needs America as a military partner. In the future, it will cooperate with its East Asian neighbors instead. By exhorting Japan to increase its military spending, the U.S. is ultimately strengthening, not countering, its East Asian rivals.

For more information on Japan’s changing loyalties, read “A Military Love Triangle: America, China and Japan.� •

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Japan fears losing out to China in relations with US

Japan's leaders believe that they are becoming increasingly "isolated" from Washington as the United States forges closer ties with China.

By Julian Ryall in Tokyo
Last Updated: 8:16PM GMT 15 Feb 2009

A senior adviser to the Tokyo government said that it is concerned that the developing defence relationship between Washington and Beijing means the US is ceding its role of peacekeeper in the Far East to China.

Speaking ahead of the arrival in Japan today (MON) of Hillary Clinton, on her first overseas trip as US secretary of state, a leading defence analyst said that plans to redeploy 8,000 US marines based in Japan have left Tokyo anxious that its old ally is no longer as committed to the region.

"The US is busy elsewhere so they're giving greater leeway and co-operating with China to keep the peace in the Far East," said the analyst, who asked not to be identified.

Chinese and US warships already work in tandem and share intelligence in antipiracy operations off the east coast of Africa.

President Barack Obama has made no secret of his plans to engage with China, and Mrs Clinton is due to meet Chinese leaders during her regional tour.

Tokyo fears a new era of "Japan passing", in which Washington not only sees Beijing as its main economic ally in the region but also its key defence partner.

Japan annually calls on the Chinese government to be transparent in its military spending, which Beijing says rose from $52 billion (£36 billion) in 2007 to $61 billion in 2008. But there are new concerns in Tokyo as China will this year lay down the keels of two aircraft carriers and has secretly constructed an underground base for nuclear submarines on the southern tip of Hainan Island.

Beijing has also recently deployed DF31 intercontinental ballistic missiles, a solid-fuel, nuclear-capable weapon that replaces the ageing liquid-fuelled variants and provides a powerful second-strike capability.

There was a close sense of trust between the former Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, and the administration of President George W. Bush, the analyst said, but those links no longer exist. "Japan's strategic and defence officials feel very isolated," he said.

Japan and China recently sent warships to each other's shores on goodwill visits, yet Japan remains reluctant to push the pace of a relationship that has been even in the recent past very troubled.

The two countries are embroiled in territorial disputes over islands in the East China Sea and a row about natural resources beneath the seabed, while Beijing frequently refers to Japan's brutal occupation in the 1930s and 1940s.

An American official in Tokyo said that "the US is looking at members of the international community to play appropriate roles in issues that affect all members of that community".

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China, Japan agree to lead Asia through financial crisis

May 2, 2009, 4:03pm

BEIJING (DPA) – China and Japan want to lead a regional recovery from the global financial crisis by promoting their own domestic demand and helping Asian neighbors, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said.

The two nations agreed to work together to promote macroeconomic policies based on domestic demand, to deter protectionism and assist other Asian nations, Aso told reporters after talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

''I think it is important that we do our utmost, centering on our domestic economies, for the Asian and the world economy,'' Aso said.

The agreement to cooperate between the world's second and third-largest economies to overcome the financial crisis was the ''most important achievement'' of Aso's two-day visit to China, which began on Wednesday, he said.

In a speech in Beijing earlier on Thursday, Aso urged Japanese and Chinese young entrepreneurs to cooperate more closely in tackling the financial crisis.

''I believe we could learn a lesson from the crisis and build a stronger economy and a management mechanism as well,'' he said.

Aso said Japan and China should promote a regional framework for cooperation and dialogue, including the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization, a regional pool of foreign currency reserves, and large infrastructure projects in Asia.

''It's extremely important that Japan and China, the world's second and third largest economies, keep in step with each other,'' he said when talking about tackling the economic downturn. ''We confirmed that Japan and China jointly work on issues such as macroeconomic policy centered on measures to boost domestic demand, preventing protectionism, and supporting other Asian developing countries.''

Cooperation between China and Japan was key to Asia realizing its great potential as an open center of economic growth, he said.

In his talks with Hu and earlier with Premier Wen Jiabao, China and Japan also agreed to share information and cooperate closely in fighting the spread of swine flu, Aso said.

They promised to increase cooperation in energy saving and environmental protection, and agreed to make joint efforts to revive stalled six-nation talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, he said.

Prime Minister Taro Aso also called for Tokyo and Beijing to unite in facing the world's environmental and economic challenges, while playing down concerns over China's military power.

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Don't miss this article.

Yukio Hatoyama: Japan's first Russophile Prime Minister

Japan-Russian relations ought to blossom under its new Prime Minister.

The outcome of Japan's election is really big news. "This is the end of the post-war political system in Japan" as one observer put it. At long last, Japan's hopelessly corrupt LDP party has been swept from power and Japan has joined the ranks of the world's mature democracies.

AP explains that the "Democratic Party of Japan claimed a majority of seats, the first time in postwar history that a single opposition party has gained a majority. . . . Yukio Hatoyama, the head of the Democrats, is a near certainty to become Japan's next prime minister and replace Aso."

The press is chattering about what the election victory will mean for Japan's relations with China. That is, of course, a big question.

But Japan is not the only major power in East Asia which has reason to be obsessed about its relations with China. That other country I am thinking about is Russia. And we shall see, Hatoyama's victory ought to shed new light on this important coincidence.

No country has to be more concerned about the rise of China than Russia. Russia has a big China problem, and it's the mother of all Russian problems. How, faced with a declining population, can Russia hold onto the richest piece of real-estate on the planet? How can Russians hope to retain for themselves the vast expanse of sparsely populated territory lying adjacent to the most populous nation on earth? Of course, I'm talking about Siberia.

Russia desperately needs a friend. In the future, Russia will likely find an ally in Japan. That's because like China, Japan also seeks resources. But unlike China, Japanese immigration does not pose any kind of a threat to Russian sovereignty. Russians will find it inconceivable that Japanese investment in Siberia would be as politically destabilizing as Chinese investment.

Japan also needs a new friend. With American power set to decline -- even if only gradually -- the extent of America's ability to meet its future security commitments to Japan will grow increasingly uncertain. Japan stands in need of an ally close to home.

Who better to kick off what promises to be the start of a beautiful friendship than Yukio Hatoyama, Japan's first Russophile prime minister? Here are some little-known facts* about Hatoyama's credentials as a Russophile (Kommersant, h/t Sanjuro):

Hatoyama's only son (trained as engineer like his father) works at the Moscow State University Hatoyama served as chairman of the Russia-Japan Society Hatoyama's grandfather personally travelled to Moscow in 1956 to restore diplomatic relations with the USSR
Both Hatoyamas are rumored to be well-connected in Russia.

But this love affair won't happen overnight. According to a 2006 Gallup Poll, only 9% of Japanese hold a favorable view of Russia. From the Japanese perspective, this relationship can only grow warmer. Which it almost certainly will under Hatoyama, as it is in the interest of both countries to resolve the longstanding territorial dispute concerning the Northern Territories/Southern Kurils.

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Japan's Hatoyama to visit China for 1st time as PM

Associated Press 2009-09-24 06:05 PM

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama will travel to China next month in his first visit there since taking office, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday.Hatoyama will take part in three-way talks on Oct. 10 with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters. China-Japan relations have frequently been fraught with lingering Chinese anger over Tokyo's invasion last century and Japanese concerns about China's rising economic and military power. However, ties have been relatively smooth since former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi left office in 2006. Koizumi enraged Beijing by visiting a shrine honoring fallen soldiers, including convicted war criminals. Jiang said foreign ministers from the three countries will meet in the commercial hub of Shanghai on Monday to discuss the agenda for the leaders' meeting, along with regional and international issues and the future direction of their ongoing dialogue. The economies of the three countries are closely linked and all are participants in negotiations aimed at convincing North Korea to dismantle its nuclear programs. The talks, which also include the U.S. and Russia, have been stalled since last December, when negotiators were unable to bridge a dispute over verification of North Korea's past nuclear activities.

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Stronger China-Japan ties eyed

Source: Xinhua/Shanghai Daily | 2009-9-23 | EDITION

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Chinese President Hu Jintao (right) meets with Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York yesterday. Photograph byTsutomu Kobayashi More in photo gallery

CHINESE President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama have agreed to advance ties between their two countries, working together for peace and economic stability in Asia, including steps to achieve the removal of nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula.

The two leaders met on Monday in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

"I believe that during the tenure of Prime Minister Hatoyama, China-Japan relations will show a new state of more active growth and usher in greater prospects," Hu said.

Hatoyama told Hu that Japan would concentrate on promoting the relationship.And he floated the idea of an East Asian community inspired by the European Union.

"I spoke about the relationship based on fraternal feeling that I would like to build with China," Hatoyama told reporters after the meeting.

"While recognizing one another's differences, we should overcome them and build a relationship of trust," he added. "That would be the focus of the East Asian community I want to build."

Hatoyama, who has said he wants to steer a more independent course from the United States and build closer links with Asia, has long advocated an East Asian community with a single currency, though admitting this would take time to bring about.

The meeting was the first between the two leaders since Hatoyama was elected prime minister on September 16.

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What the Japan-U.S. Rift Means for Northeast Asia

Tension between Washington and Tokyo is growing ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Japan this Saturday and Sunday. The reason is Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's repeated comments since his inauguration in September that Japan has relied too much on the U.S. and will seek a more equal relationship. Hatoyama told lawmakers on Oct. 29 a "comprehensive review" is needed in U.S.-Japan relations.

Hatoyama's cabinet wants to revise a 2006 agreement over the relocation of the Futenma air base in Okinawa. Some lawmakers in the ruling Democratic Party want the air base out of Japan altogether. That is threatening a U.S. strategy to reorganize its troop presence in Asia.

The U.S. and Japan even canceled a foreign ministerial meeting planned in Washington. Some experts are saying the rift is too deep to patch up in a hurry. The U.S. government and media have said recently that Japan is not what it used to be, criticizing it for replacing China as Washington’s "headache." The U.S. has considered its ties with Tokyo the cornerstone of its diplomatic strategy in Asia, which is why it is so sensitive.

But Hatoyama is showing no signs of backing down, saying he is against the U.S. attempts to solve problems in Afghanistan by military means. All the while, Hatoyama is looking for closer Asian integration, proposing an East Asian Community.

Hatoyama is not rejecting U.S.-Japan ties. He has repeated that the Washington-Tokyo relationship is the "cornerstone" of Japanese diplomacy, but it is clear that U.S.-Japan relations, which have been among the closest over the last 55 years, are undergoing the pains of transformation. These changes cannot be seen solely as the result of Hatoyama's decisions. Behind his new policies in Asia is a widespread realization that Japan cannot walk its own foreign policy path against the background of China's inexorable rise by relying on Washington alone.

In August, Hatoyama claimed that the era of U.S.-led globalization is coming to an end and the world is heading toward a multipolar order. Washington is bogged down in two wars, and the global financial crisis is testing its resources. Even under the Liberal Democrats, Japanese officials worried whether Washington's diplomatic policies favored Tokyo or Beijing. But Japanese officials were shocked to see the Obama administration raise its relationship with China to a "strategic partnership." Until then, Washington had viewed China as both a cooperative partner and a country to be wary of. The reason the Hatoyama administration is seeking to change Japan's 100-year-old diplomatic style by focusing more on Asia is not just due to the threat to Washington's dominance but to the need to adopt quickly to the shift in policies by the Obama administration.

It remains to be seen how Hatoyama's new foreign policy will shape up and whether it proves no more than a temporary escape from traditional policies. But it is clear that diplomacy in Asia, where the interests of South Korea, China and Japan are closely intertwined, will change. South Korea faces the task of preparing for eventual reunification with North Korea and must fine-tune its national strategy by accurately forecasting the changes from U.S.'s decline and China's rise. The sounds of discord between Washington and Tokyo should be taken as a wake-up call for South Korea in shaping its national strategy in the increasingly fluid and complex diplomatic landscape of Northeast Asia.

englishnews@chosun.com / Nov. 09, 2009 12:42 KST

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Will Japan Emerge from its Shell? – Part II


The new government finds charting a new course not so easy
Daniel Sneider

YaleGlobal , 5 February 2010

Forgive and forget: Democratic Party of Japan's kingmaker Ichiro Ozawa (left) with Chinese President Hu Jintao: seeking new friends

PALO ALTO: The dramatic end to Japan’s half-century of conservative rule in a late August election led almost immediately to a public spat with the United States. An inward-looking Japan that had reflexively followed the American lead suddenly was no longer an obedient ally.

At a time when the US was trying to woo a recalcitrant China to become a “strategic partner�, Japan’s insistence on reopening an agreement over US military bases seemed to upset the regional balance. But there are recent signs of a concerted effort on both sides to put underlying strategic interests back in the forefront, propelled in part by the recent eruption of frictions between China and the US.

The row began with the newly elected Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s call for more “equalâ€� relations with the US, his advocacy of an East Asian Community Ã* la the EU, and his focus on repairing ties with China. Put together, some saw a nascent urge to abandon the post-war security alliance. A senior State Department official went so far as to tell the Washington Post in late October that the “the United States had ‘grown comfortable’ thinking about Japan as a constant in US relations in Asia. It no longer is, he said, adding that ‘the hardest thing right now is not China, it’s Japan.’â€�

American officials were loathe to reopen an agreement that had taken years to negotiate and believed the Japanese government exaggerated its domestic political constraints.

The trigger was growing frustration over the Hatoyama government’s handling of the relocation of the US Marine air base at Futenma on Okinawa. The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) consistently opposed the deal to relocate the base elsewhere within Okinawa, expressing sympathy for the disproportionate burden of the US military presence in Japan born by Okinawans. American officials were loathe to reopen an agreement that had taken years to negotiate and believed the Japanese government exaggerated its domestic political constraints.

At the same time, Japan seems eager to hew its own course with China, to improve relations and begin to build the foundation for a new Asian community. If one is to believe US officials, alarm bells have been ringing among their allies and others in Asia over the rift with Japan. The talk of building a regional organization that might exclude the US made Singapore, Australia, South Korea, the Philippines and even Vietnam worried that this would only aid Chinese ambitions.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration itself was ardently wooing China. President Obama, on the eve of a trip in November, spoke of creating a “strategic partnership.� In Beijing, the President avoided public finger wagging. Discussion of difficult issues such as human rights, Tibet and sanctions against Iran were conducted largely, if at all, behind closed doors.

Given their own pursuit of Chinese partnership, American officials could hardly object to Tokyo’s efforts along the same lines.

Given their own pursuit of Chinese partnership, American officials could hardly object to Tokyo’s efforts along the same lines. In public, they said this is not a zero sum game, that an easing of Sino-Japanese tensions could aid security and stability in the region for everyone. But some US officials soon saw evidence of Sino-Japanese collusion to push the US out of Asia. Privately they pointed to what was considered a telling moment following a trilateral summit of Chinese, Japanese and South Korean leaders in Tianjin in October. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Hatoyama had spoken about Japan’s desire to lessen its “dependence� on the US. American officials considered Hatoyama’s actions a gross display of obeisance to the Chinese.

Accusations that Japan was drifting into Chinese arms grew louder after DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa led a group of about 140 lawmakers on an adulatory visit to China in early December. Then Hatoyama and Ozawa raised hackles when they pushed for the Emperor to receive a visiting Chinese senior official, the heir apparent for leadership, Xi Jinping.

However, these depictions of Tokyo lurching toward Beijing ignore the gradual evolution of Japanese policy and the deep-seated rivalry that persists.

Sino-Japanese relations reached a low point five years ago after anti-Japan demonstrations were apparently sanctioned by Chinese authorities.

Sino-Japanese relations reached a low point five years ago after anti-Japan demonstrations were apparently sanctioned by Chinese authorities.

Unresolved wartime historical issues drove those outbursts, prompted by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visits to the Yasukuni shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead. Disputes over oil and gas rights in the East China Sea threatened to explode. And China launched a campaign to block Japan’s bid for permanent membership in the UN Security Council.

Japanese policymakers began to worry about the impact of these tensions on Japan’s growing economic interdependence with China. They were critical of Koizumi’s one-sided focus on the US-Japan security alliance.

“To weather the wild seas of the 21st century, Japan’s diplomacy must have two elements: the Japan-US alliance and a Japan-China entente,� wrote Makoto Iokibe, a defense specialist who now heads the Japanese Defense Academy, in the summer of 2006. “A combination of a gas field accord and a depoliticized Yasukuni issue would provide Japan and China with a clear view for the joint management of East Asia.�

Beginning in late 2006, a succession of Japanese administrations has made concerted efforts to repair ties with Beijing and Seoul. Though the atmosphere with China has improved, substantive differences remain. In January, Japan’s foreign minister warned that Tokyo would take action if China continued to violate a 2008 deal to develop oil and gas fields jointly. When Ozawa met the Chinese defense minister in December, he said the Japanese see China’s military modernization as a threat. Ozawa suggested that if such fears were not eased, Japan might be prompted to undertake its own arms build up.

There is growing evidence of an emboldened China that seems to interpret America’s bid for a strategic embrace with the country as a sign of weakness.

The Hatoyama government has also moved to upgrade ties, including security links, with Asian powers that share a fear of China, including India, Indonesia and South Korea. Ozawa stopped in Seoul after his visit to China where he apologized for Japan’s colonial rule in Korea and pledged to push through legislation granting voting rights to Korean residents in Japan, an issue of great importance to Koreans and opposed by conservatives in Japan.

Recent events seem to have caused the US to reassess its handling of relations in Northeast Asia. There is growing evidence of an emboldened China that seems to interpret America’s bid for a strategic embrace with the country as a sign of weakness. The authorities in Beijing took a tougher line toward internal dissent, openly clashed with the US at the climate change talks in Copenhagen, balked at cooperation on sanctions against Iran, and brushed off American protests over evidence of cyber attacks on Western firms.

After all this, America has begun to soften its tone toward Tokyo. Officials pledge patience as the new government looks for a solution to the base problem, while also mounting a public effort to convince Japan that the Marine presence in Okinawa is key to “deterrence� of North Korea and China. There is a renewed emphasis on broadening the security agenda to include other issues, from cyber security to climate change. Hatoyama, too, has emphasized that the Japan-US alliance remains “a cornerstone for Japan to enhance its cooperative relations with other Asian countries, including China.�

Whether any real lessons have been learned in Tokyo or Washington remains to be seen. But perhaps the turn in Sino-US relations has reminded people in Tokyo and Washington that there remains a strategic purpose to the alliance.

Daniel Sneider is the Associate Director for Research of the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University.

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New Chinese ambassador to Tokyo will improve relations

By Randy Poehlman

Cheng Yonghua kicked-off a new diplomatic mission to Tokyo this morning. The new Ambassador arrived on Sunday and will be busy from the beginning. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is planning on making an official state visit to Japan in the spring. The announcement of Cheng as Beijing’s representative to Japan is expected in some ways to bridge the divide between the two major economies of Asia.

Cheng is replacing previous Chinese Ambassador to Japan, Cui Tiankai.

Cheng is well versed in Japanese affairs, speaks the language fluently and has well-established business connections. He has spent nearly 15 years working for the diplomatic mission in Tokyo in the past. He was the deputy director-general of the department of Asian affairs at the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry and a Minister at the Embassy. His most recent posting was overseeing the Embassy in South Korea and prior to that was head of the Malaysian mission.

The appointment is being viewed as a step forward in relations with China and Japan because Cheng is expected to build suitable relations with Hatoyama’s government. The post-election statements made by the Japanese Prime Minister in the fall of 2009, signaled to Jiabao’s Beijing, that the time was ripe to develop a closer relationship with Japan. As the two governments work towards common goals and move further from tense relationships of the past, they have to move with caution. The growing relationship with China will cause continued problems with Japanese- American relations.

As America continues to maintain a great interest in Japanese relations and views Japan as the cornerstone to American influence in the East Asia Pacific region, Japan is finding itself a popular piece of real estate.

China is seeking to boost relations with Tokyo and America is seeking to maintain a historically close relationship. The signal that Jiabao is sending to Hatoyama with the appointment of Cheng is that China got the message about increasing relations with Korea and China and that they are slowly implementing a program that will meet both countries stated objectives.

Is the current Japanese government ready to be an international player? Is a move towards increased relations with China the correct step for Japan at this point? Are Japan and China capable of working together in a meaningful and functional way, for the benefit of both?

Of course, these questions are yet to be answered. In regards to Hatoyama, and the current government’s readiness to become a true international source of power, I think that the Japanese government is making the right initial steps, to make the nation a touch more dynamic and global. Japan cannot continue to ignore the realities of Asia and the accumulated power of Japan, Korea and China. The three, when working together on issues and counter-balancing each others independent power in favour of a consensus can accomplish great things in the region. As a condition to this, China is certainly going to have to put pressure on North Korea to give up ambitious weapons programs and to make steps in the direction of normalcy. Japan will have to open domestic markets and allow Korean and Chinese companies more inroads in Japan.

In regards to the question about the move towards a closer relationship with Tokyo and Beijing. The move is definitely coming at the right time. With the financial meltdown caused in large part by the sluggish American economy, the Japanese, and the rest of the world are second guessing American capitalism and the free flow of credit backed by international investors. The appointment of a Japanese- friendly Ambassador by China is a seemingly small step towards improving relations, but these seemingly small steps are starting to add up, and there is little doubt that relations between China and Japan are growing closer.

Yes, China and Japan are capable of working together. The Democratic Party of Japan has been welcoming the growing ties and the Chinese have a lot to gain by winning Japanese hearts and minds. As China grows closer to Japan over time, they will be increasingly seen as a legitimate power in global affairs and Asian affairs specifically. Japan has much to gain from balancing relationships with China and America, because being well placed in the middle of two giants has its advantages.

The appointment of Cheng as the representative of Beijing in Tokyo will be another positive step in the direction of Japanese-Chinese relations and the ultimate out-come of such moves will bring about a net benefit for both Japan and China.