Time for Japan to rejoin Asia
A lesson in Japanese history and more . . . By Jian Junbo
This month Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the Meiji Shrine, not to be confused with the controversial Yasukuni Shrine that his predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, visited annually. Abe wanted to show his respect for the Emperor Meiji in whose name Japan's modernization was begun in the late 1860s.
Certainly, it was a wise tactic for Abe to calm Japan's neighbors, especially China and South Korea, since the Meiji Shrine has no associations with World War II. At the same time, however, it satisfied domestic right-wingers' demands to honor the past. Moreover, it could become a first step for Japan to rebuild national spirit by shaping a new identity.
The Meiji Shrine in downtown Tokyo commemorates the man at the center of Japan's remarkable transformation beginning in 1867, known as the "Meiji Restoration". By quickly absorbing Western technology, Japan turned itself into an advanced society while simultaneously changing its identity from that of an East Asian country to one of the West, even through it stayed in East Asia geographically.
Ever since the nation began to emerge from the mists of history in the 7th century until the middle of the 19th century, Japan was embedded deeply in a special international system - the tributary system - where the Chinese Empire stood at the core like a sun and neighbors including Japan surrounded it like satellites. Without question, Japan recognized itself as a part of this system for a very long time before the 1860s.
However, beginning in the mid-19th century, stimulated by fears of domination by Western powers, Japan started wholesale Westernization from the top on down, quickly becoming a strong power independent of the Chinese system. Unfortunately, after successfully changing identity, it took a road to expansion and invasion of East Asia in the name of liberating Asians from the Western colonizing powers.
After World War II, Japan had a chance to reassert its identity as a part of East Asia, but this chance vanished quickly with the coming of the Cold War, which strongly tied Japan with the West through the US-Japan Alliance. Japan held firmly to its Western identity until the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1991 signaled the end of the Cold War.
So is Japan now a Western country or an Asian one? On the one hand, it is a member of the Group of Eight, an important Western economic group, and a subordinate state of the US under the US-Japan alliance, yet it has strengthened its links with East Asian countries by joining the ASEAN+3 (China, Japan and South Korea) and also participating in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
Most important, it was reported in a 2005 investigation that the proportion of Japanese people who thought their country was not a part of Asia but part of of the West in light of its political culture was nearly 70%. In any case, it's clear that Japan has neither an East Asian identity nor any intention of returning to this region.
Historically, Japan's Western identity gave it a proud sense of superiority over other East Asian countries, which lagged far behind in terms of development and modernization. But now, as other countries, especially China, modernize, it is losing this sense of superiority - the old identity is being challenged by the reality of modern Asia.
This sense, especially if coupled to the long period of economic recession from the early 1990s, could easily make Japanese people feel both depressed and envious of their neighbors. That could easily translate into increased nationalism and hostility directed at other East Asia countries. As a consequence, radical nationalists will threaten domestic tranquility and poison East Asia's international relations.
Conversely, if Japan were to return to Asia, it would help to cool its domestic radical nationalism by reducing the public's hostile feelings to its neighbors, while building a common regional identity among East Asian countries. Both of these could ease Japan's tense relations with other countries in East Asia and allow it to function as one of leaders in the economic integration of the region.
So Abe's visit to the Meiji Shrine presented an opportunity for the Japanese government and its people not only to reflect on the far-reaching influences of the Meiji Restoration but also to shape a new identity of belonging to East Asia and cooperating with Japan's neighbors on an equal plane while keeping its strong linkages with the West.
Jian Junbo is an academic visitor at Durham University, United Kingdom, and a permanent researcher at the Center for European Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
I'm personally am very fond of Nippon (aka Japan). However, they need to realize where they "belong"...
...now this is not to say take a "hostile" or "isolation" policy, but there's a saying that was true a hundred years ago, and unfortunately even more true today:
"IF YOU'RE ASIAN. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SOCIAL CLASS YOU ARE, HOW WEALTHY YOU ARE, HOW EDUCATED YOU ARE, HOW POWERFUL YOU ARE -- THE COMMON WESTERNER WILL STILL STILL SEE YOU AS AN "Asian" -- A Chink, A Gook, A Jap, A Flip, etc"
Unfortunately, this is true regardless of how much people attempt to cover this fact up...
We are heading towards a "race war", unless people wake up and realize we are one and the same race...
And thats exactly why we rebuilt them right? We hated them so much that we decided to....rebuild their country so well that they dominated the 90's economically? That makes no sense, unless you subscribe to the belief that Vietnam and Korea were planned wars well in advance of communist overtones.
-Jebus
Just another intriguing article from china.org.cn
This one gives the reason why Japan is 'envious' of China, and fear China will overtake it economically, socially, milititarily, internationally, etc -- which is 'rightfully so' considering China's history, population, productivity, etc.
It's kind of like being envious of the USA's over say the UK.
It's really a silly childish 'spat' -- and COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE at that. Japan's and China's, and the World's for that matter, BEST INTEREST is served through HARMONY, COOPERATION, and MUTUALLY RESPECTING INTEGRATION.
Time to move forward...
>>>>>>>>>>>
FM: Japan's Concern over EU Arms Embargo Lift '
The Foreign Ministry yesterday rejected Japan's assertion that were the EU to lift its arms embargo against China it would threaten peace in East Asia, dismissing it as "groundless."
"The idea behind China's demand that the EU remove the embargo is to eradicate political discrimination," ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular news briefing.
Liu was referring to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday, during which Abe said the EU's lifting of arms exports to China would affect East Asian security.
"Such an assertion is groundless," Liu said, noting the EU should make an early and right decision.
"Current China-Japan relations are at a new starting point and China hopes the Japanese side would make efforts conducive to bilateral relations instead of the opposite," he said.
China has been asking the EU to lift the embargo imposed since 1989.
Commenting on a US-proposed UN resolution on Myanmar, Liu said China "resolutely" opposes the intervention of the UN Security Council in this South Asian nation.
The US introduced a resolution on Tuesday slating Myanmar's policies a serious risk to regional peace and urged its government to immediately free all political prisoners.
The issue of Myanmar is part of the nation's internal affairs, Liu said, adding that "the situation there does not pose any threat to regional and international peace and security, so China is firmly against the interference of the UN Security Council."
Myanmar's neighboring countries and some non-aligned countries hold identical views, he noted.
Liu said constructive help is needed regarding the Myanmar issue. The international community should support the special envoys of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the UN Secretary-General in their mediation efforts, whilst encouraging the Myanmar government to cooperate with the international community.
Liu urged concerned nations to act discreetly and responsibly to not further complicate the situation in Myanmar.
Commenting on Human Rights Watch's annual report released yesterday, Liu said the US-based organization's criticism on China's human rights conditions was biased and untrue.
Liu called the organization's view about China "biased" and said that its report has always harbored political purposes without reflecting true conditions.
He stressed that China opposes any political pressure move and interference in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of human rights.
Based on the Chinese Constitution on human rights protection, the Chinese government is making efforts in advancing judiciary reform to help build a harmonious society and realize comprehensive development of its people, Liu said.
"China's human rights conditions are making progress, and the Human Rights Watch should view the progress with an unbiased and just attitude," he added.
"Different countries have different conditions in human rights. China is willing to exchange views with other countries in this regard on the basis of mutual respect and equality," he said.
On US President George W. Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq, Liu expressed China's hope that Iraq will gain stability and peace for its citizens at an early date.
But the key to a peaceful Iraq lay in "Iraqis governing Iraq" and reconciliation, he noted.
"China believes that only once 'Iraqi people govern Iraq' the country will achieve peace, stability and reconciliation and that Iraq will be able to become a country of democracy, liberty that ensures the protection of human rights and economic development," he said.
Bush announced on Wednesday night in a prime-time televised speech the deployment of over 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq, as part of his new Iraq strategy. Bush said the US would change its strategy to help Iraqis reduce sectarian violence and improve safety in Baghdad, explaining the troop increase.
Liu said China had paid close attention to Bush's speech saying the situation in Iraq remained turbulent, and that reconstruction work was beset with difficulties.
"The Iraqi situation concerns regional security and stability, and China sincerely hopes Iraq will stabilize as soon as possible so that the Iraqi people can live peaceful lives," he said.
In another development, Liu warned the US not to meddle in China's trade relations with Iran following Washington's concern about a Chinese oil company's planned investment in an Iranian gas field.
"We think this kind of cooperation and relationship is legitimate. Normal cooperation should not be interfered (with)," he said.
Chinese oil company CNOOC Ltd was reported to be planning an investment in Iran's Northern Pars gas field. The company's spokesman Liu Junshan said yesterday the company was still in talks with their Iranian counterpart on developing the gas field and helping build liquefied natural gas facilities. He said no agreement had yet been signed, and declined to estimate the project's value.
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2007)