adminYonezo Fukuda
For some time now, China has been conducting a global propaganda campaign against Japan, as evident in Ambassador Lin Lin’s article in The Herald (“Rising threat by the Japanese Govt”, January 18, 2014).
Ambassador Lin is obviously under the pressure of Beijing to isolate Japan in the international community.
I wish to briefly outline some facts that should contribute to deeper understanding of and fair evaluation by the readers about recent tensions in East Asia. First of all, the Yasukuni Shrine, which was the focus of Beijing’s most recent round of anti-Japan articles around the world, is a place where remains of those who sacrificed their lives for the country since the Meiji Restoration of 1868 have been quietly enshrined. It is natural for the Japanese people to visit Yasukuni to pay respects and pray for their souls.
This is a place to pray for the souls of the war dead, totalling more than 2.4 million, not to glorify WWII nor honour or justify a small number of Class A war criminals.
As prime minister Abe says in his statement of “Pledge for everlasting peace”, which he released after visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, his visit to the shrine and Chinreisha, another remembrance memorial to pray for the souls of all the people regardless of nationalities who lost their lives in wars but not enshrined in the Yasukuni Shrine, was to make a pledge for everlasting peace based on his severe remorse for the past.
Like many other Japanese people, he wished to visit the shrine in sincere remembrance of the suffering and sacrifice of Japan’s own soldiers and non-Japanese alike, not to pay homage to Class A war criminals and not with the intention of hurting the feelings of the Chinese or Korean people. He has stated that he would like to convey his true intention to the leaders of the two countries with sincerity.
It is important to note inconsistencies in China’s stance toward Yasukuni.
More than 60 visits to Yasukuni were made by Japanese Prime Ministers since the end of WWII, with almost half after it was made public in 1979 that 14 Class A war criminals had been enshrined there by the Shrine in 1978.
China began raising this issue from 1985, by which time more than 20 of these visits had gone unchallenged.
This makes one wonder what the intentions of the Chinese side are. China also formally expressed its positive evaluation of Japan’s post-war record as nation of peace in the Japan-China Joint Statement of 2008, after all of these visits. Has Japan suddenly turned militaristic within five years? Certainly not. Furthermore, the government of Japan has repeatedly expressed feelings of deep remorse and stated heartfelt apologies for causing tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly in Asia. And so did prime minister Abe in the statement expressing his sincere conviction that “Japan must never wage a war again” based on “the severe remorse for the past”.
He has inherited and will honour the statements of previous prime ministers. Anti-Japan propaganda statements are against the fact.
Prime minister Abe has never said that Japan did not commit aggression. He has clearly stated at Diet hearings that Japan has accepted the judgment of the International Tribunal for the Far East. Whether China’s anti-Japan propaganda campaign will work inside China I cannot predict, but it certainly does not resonate internationally. In most of Asia, Japan has the highest of favourability rating of any nation in public opinion polls and is consistently ranked in international polls such as one conducted annually by BBC as one of the most respected countries in the world. What has become a serious concern for the peace and security of the Asia-Pacific, shared by regional countries, is not prime minister Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine.
It is rather China’s unparalleled military build-up. Its military expenditures have increased by more than 10 percent annually for more than 20 years since 1989. Backed by military capability, China has intensified its use of coercion against neighbouring states, most recently with the declaration of an “East China Sea Air Defence Identification zone”. China has escalated the intrusion of government vessels into the territorial sea around the Senkaku Islands, and in waters claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, and other maritime states in the region. The Japanese people have pride and confidence in the peaceful course they have taken over the 70 years since and moving towards the future. Unlike China, Japan has not once fired a gun in combat since WWII.
Japan has provided more than Y3.6 trillion worth of economic and technology contributions to China for over 35 years. Japan has also made major economic and technology contributions to help boost economic development in not only Asia but also Africa, as can be seen from Japan’s efforts through TICAD and Prime Minister Abe’s recent visit to the Africa continent. An overwhelming majority of countries and the world have an accurate understanding of these facts.
Japan has consistently upheld freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law since the war, and has contributed to the peace and prosperity of Asia. Nevertheless, we remain hopeful. China is an important neighbour. The relationship between Japan and China is multi-layered, and extends beyond political aspects to those such as economic and cultural ties. We are hoping to build a good relationship with China. That is why we believe that we should have a dialogue between our leaders.
Prime minister Abe is always ready for talks with President Xi Jinping without any preconditions.
Yonezo Fukud is the Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe.
Online Reporter