Tuesday, April 12, 2005
East Asia far from an EAU
The fight is over textbooks, textbooks the minimize the brutality of the Japanese armed forces during Japan's colonial expansion. Combine this with prime minister Koizumi's visits to a shrine honouring all Japanese war dead (Including the class A war crimials), and you have a recipe that could trigger anger in the nations that where victimized. That anger could spill over if the government of the victim nation though to use it as a bargaining chip. Japan may have an uphill battle for its permanent seat in the UN.
Jax
Anti-Japan sentiment has been high in China since last week, when Japan approved school textbooks which critics say gloss over its wartime atrocities.
Mr Wen said the strong Chinese response should make Tokyo seriously reconsider its bid for a UN Security Council seat.
Both countries have used public and diplomatic channels to trade accusations over the row.
On Monday Japanese leader Junichiro Koizumi described attacks at the weekend on Japanese property and citizens in China as "extremely regrettable".
He added that Beijing must be responsible for keeping Japanese interests safe, and said he wanted to hold talks with China to resolve the row.
Speaking at the end of a trip to India, Mr Wen said on Tuesday that "the core issue in China-Japan relations is that Japan needs to face up to history squarely".
In a signal of China's unease at Japan's efforts to secure a permanent UN Security Council seat, Mr Wen also said the protests should prompt Tokyo to "have deep and profound reflections" on the issue.
"Only a country that respects history, takes responsibility for past history and wins over the trust of people in Asia and the world at large can take greater responsibility in the international community," he said. (Link)
