Reviewing Sino-Japan relations
(From The Japan Times April 13 issue)

日中関係の今後

    This is a welcome development. It is hoped that the talks between Mr. Abe and Mr. Wen will serve as a springboard for further progress by Japan and China in deepening mutual trust so that both countries can establish truly good-neighborly and cooperative relations.

    This year marks the 35th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. Mr. Wen came to Japan after meeting with President Roh Moo-hyun of South Korea, with which China opened diplomatic relations almost 15 years ago. Mr. Wen's Japan visit is the first by a Chinese premier since Zhu Rongji's visit in October 2000.

    This lapse is testimony to the chilly bilateral relations that had prevailed. The ties had deteriorated especially over then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to Yasukuni Shrine. Two years ago around this time, large-scale anti-Japanese demonstrations raged in Beijing, Shanghai and other parts of China. They apparently contributed to cultivating anti-Chinese sentiment among many Japanese.

    Shortly after coming to power, Mr. Abe visited South Korea and China in an effort to help build constructive relations between Japan and the two countries.

    In his summit meeting in Beijing with Mr. Hu — the first Japan-China summit held in China since an October 2001 summit between Mr. Koizumi and then Chinese President Jiang Zemin — the Japanese and Chinese leaders, for the first time in the two nations' bilateral relations, agreed to seek a "strategic relationship" that is mutually beneficial in energy development and other matters including efforts to resolve the issue of North Korea's nuclear-weapons programs.

    In their talks in Tokyo on April 11, Mr. Abe and Mr. Wen agreed to establish a ministerial-level economic dialogue as well as a dialogue between ministers in charge of energy issues, and to reopen a dialogue between defense ministers. They also agreed on cooperation in seeking denuclearization of Korean Peninsula and a resolution of the fate of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents.

    A joint press statement issued after the talks referred to the abductions as a "humanitarian concern of the Japanese people," and China said in the statement that it will provide "necessary cooperation." Mr. Wen said he understands and sympathizes with the Japanese people's feelings toward the abduction issue. It is hoped that the two countries' determination to cooperate over issues involving North Korea will lead the country to make a positive move toward abandoning its nuclear-weapons programs.

    In signing two joint statements, Japan and China agreed to promote energy saving in China by utilizing Japanese technology and to "proactively take part" in a process to work out a new climate change framework in and after 2013 — after the Kyoto Protocol expires. China's signing of the two statements is significant because China is the world's No. 2 carbon dioxide emitter following the United States and its energy demand, growing in step with its economic growth, is exerting pressure on the world energy market.

    Despite the generally positive note produced by the meeting between Mr. Abe and Mr. Wen, thorny issues remain in the two countries' relations. They include natural gas resources development in the East China Sea, perceptions about history, Japan's attempt to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China's military buildup and intellectual property piracy in China.

    The positions of Japan and China over East China Sea development are far apart. During the talks, Mr. Abe called for more transparency in China's military buildup. Mr. Wen only replied that China's military does not aim to threaten any other country.

    The joint press statement said, "The two sides resolved to look squarely at history and jointly head to the future by paving the way for beautiful relations." Mr. Wen said that if the historical perception issue is solved cleverly, it will provide a good political basis for bilateral relations. But he added that if it is not solved, it will hamper the ties.

    The Yasukuni issue has been shelved only temporarily and tacitly. Mr. Abe expressed hope of visiting China by yearend and asked that Chinese President Hu visit Japan at an early date next year. Both countries must do their best to remove any seed of friction, however small it may be, so that mutual visits and dialogues between their top leaders will become a perpetual process.

The Japan Times Weekly: April 21, 2007
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    日中関係は、小泉前首相の靖国神社参拝などで冷え込んだが、安倍首相は対中関係の修復に努めている。

    今回の会談で、両首相は、経済、エネルギー問題に関する日中閣僚レベルの対話と、国防相協議の再開に合意した。また、朝鮮半島の非核化、日本人拉致問題の解決での協力に同意した。

    日中は、日本の技術を利用して中国で省エネ事業を行うこと、京都議定書期限切れ後の2013年以降の気候変動に対処する新たな枠組み作りに積極的に参加することに合意した。

    日中関係には、東シナ海の天然ガス開発、歴史認識、国連安保理常任理事国入りを目指す日本の動き、中国の軍備拡大、知的所有権侵害などの問題が残っている。

    東シナ海の資源開発で、日中の立場には大きな隔たりがある。また、安倍首相は温首相に対し、中国の軍備拡大について情報公開を求めたが、温氏は、中国は他国に対し軍事的脅威を与える意図はないと述べるにとどまった。

    共同プレス発表では、両国は「歴史を直視し、未来に向い、両国関係の美しい未来を共に切り開くことを決意した」と述べた。温首相は、歴史認識問題が解決できなければ、両国関係が阻害されると述べた。

    靖国問題は一時的に棚上げされた。安倍首相は、年末までに訪中する希望を表明し、胡主席の来年早々の訪日を求めた。日中両国は、首脳の相互訪問に向け、どんなに小さくても摩擦の原因を除去しなければならない。