Posted on 03/28/2006 8:23:01 AM PST by Wiz
Both sides are being idiots about the situation, and have digged so far into their respective holes that they can't back out now without "losing face." Economic relationship between China and Japan is at the highest point ever in the meantime.
The only plan now so to speak is to wait until Koizumi steps down this year, and start anew. Of course if Taro Aso succeeds Koizumi, then things will probably get worse. But even Abe will be an improvement over Koizumi in restarting Sino-Japanese ties. Chinese Communist government is traditionally more pro-Japanese than the general Chinese population, though they aren't helping matters lately either. This whole anti-Japanese sentiment coincided with Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni. A halt on visiting there, or the transfer of the "souls" of 1000 or so convicted war criminals from Yasukuni to somewhere else will relieve a lot of that anti-Japanese feelings in China. Right now it's hard to be a pro-Japanese Chinese in China, because of Yasukuni and also because Japanese politicians like Aso like to talk out of their asses in public and be deliberately provocative every week. It's almost as if the Japanese like Aso want to see anti-Japanese protests, so they can silence the pro-China faction within the Japanese government. The anti-Japanese protests in China of course are making it hard for the pro-China faction in Japan too. So it's cyclical and hard to pinpoint who is ultimately responsible for the rift. Factions within the governments of both countries are using the rift for their own political gains.
India is much farther away from Japan than China. There is a greater cultural and language barrier between India and Japan as well. A Chinese and Japanese can pick up a newspaper from the other's country and read it with nearly 70% comprehension. It is ultimately in both China and Japan's interest to settle their differences and cooperate more. Their economic future is already becoming more intertwined. They are like France and Germany. India can serve as an alternative, true, but a complete rift between China and Japan will in the long-run isolate not China in East Asia, but Japan.
Chicom supporter? I see you joined recently we are infected with chinese and russian loyalist.
As opposed to the anti-japanese protests suffered in one of the Honda plants in India? The workers just walked out.
Yes, indeed they are our ally...their Navy destroyers are helping us keep an eye on the ever-expanding Chinese Navy. I have a few Air Force buddies who just got back from the Persian Gulf and Japanese airmen are helping us there, too.
Yawn, no anti-Japanese protests -- there isnt' the Commie party pushing a hatred of Japs in India as they're doing in China.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.