BBC interviews Chinese and Japanese ambassadors separately to avoid incident

Japan Daily News ^ | Jan 10, 2014 | Ida Torres

[TigerLikesRooster]

BBC interviews Chinese and Japanese ambassadors separately to avoid incident

To avoid a possible tense and volatile situation, a BBC program conducted live broadcast interviews with the Chinese and Japanese ambassadors to the United Kingdom, but placed them in separate studios. Things have heated up between the two after they both accused the other country of being the “Lord Voldemort” of Asia in different interviews for British newspapers.

On Wednesday evening, BBC’s Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman interviewed both Chinese ambassador Liu Xiaoming and Japanese ambassador Keiichi Hayashi on his program, regarding the issues between the two Asian giants. Usually, the program puts guests together and face-to-face, even if they are on opposing sides on an issue. But the two diplomats only agreed to appear on the show if they were to be interviewed separately. This was explained by Paxman at the beginning of the segment, although he could not hide his opinion when he visibly smirked when he had to transfer studios to interview Xiaoming after the segment with Hiyashi.

Hayashi accused China of “breaking the international order” because it is staking its claim on the Senkaku Islands, which are under Japan’s administration. “China is changing the status quo through provocation and coercion,” he said. Liu then said that Tokyo refuses to face up to the reality that there is a dispute regarding the uninhabited islands. Regarding the still unsettled historical issues, he then quoted Britain’s former prime minister Winston Churchill: “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

[TigerLikesRooster]

If BBC had Geraldo, things would have turned out differently.

[Gen.Blather]

This is very surprising. Ambassadors should be civil with each other no matter the conditions between their countries. They are negotiators and their weapons are their civility and persuasiveness. If the ambassadors can’t sit in the same room then the situation has gotten WAY to hot. Much hotter than we here have been led to believe by our press.

[Candor7]

This is all thanks to Obama who literally bowed to both Japan and China, in order to establish a so called “post colonial period” of US history. Now there is no sherrif in the Western Pacific, millions will suiffer and Australia will be sorely tried.

Now there will be war.

Thanks OBAMA YOU WEAK, IGGIED ,PIECE OF SHITE!

[HiTech RedNeck]

Harry Potter certainly has hit the bigtime when countries accuse each other of being Voldemort!

[HiTech RedNeck]

The oriental temperament is unfortunately prone to get that way. In spite of what their nominal systems are (capitalist or capito-communist) they are oriental with an oriental history. Their prides are turgid. There can be but one glory society in the oriental worldview. It’s the western world, with its Christianity, that asserted that everybody can share in glory, that nobody needs to hog it. Even Obama, with his clumsy comments about welcoming the rise of China, is coming from that perspective. (Maybe he should say he also welcomes the rise of Japan, or of both of them.)

[HiTech RedNeck]

Maybe Australia NEEDS to be sorely tried so that its greatness can be refined and brought forth.

I’m not saying that Obama is right about wanting America to be weak, but America typically exercised its strength by trying to raise other countries’ boats, rather than just wimping out.

But God has a bigger plan. It could be Australia’s hour to play the encouraging peacemaker.

[Candor7]

Easy for you to say. You have any family living in Japan, China or Korea?

[ifinnegan]

Chinese Communists are psychopaths.

There is a power struggle.

Deng has been dead now for almost 15 years. Jiang and Hu were fingered by Deng before he died.

The current collective decision making for chairman won’t cut it forever.

[Former Proud Canadian]

Japan is facing a government debt bomb and a demographic collapse. Government monetary policy is geared to increase inflation and interest rates which will hasten default and bankruptcy.

China is confronting political and social instability, and a debt bubble that cannot be contained.

The solution for both countries is age old and simple, war with an ancient enemy.

Japan will be at an immediate disadvantage facing off with a bona fide nuclear power. The US nuclear and treaty umbrella will disappear quickly under this president. The Japs will have no option other than to go nuclear, which should take them no time at all if they haven't done it already.

We live in interesting times.

[roadcat]

The solution for both countries is age old and simple, war with an ancient enemy.

Seems like a solution for a heck of a lot of countries right now. The world is definitely on a march towards world-wide war. Trouble for the U.S.A. is that we have no leader to keep us safe; with Obama and our Congress we're in danger of disintegrating if the rest of the world is at war. One good thing, the Muslims don't have the capability to invade us during the chaos. The bad thing, is that if Japan is defeated by China then China could overrun us (I personally think Japan can hold their own against China).

[Former Proud Canadian]

The US and Canada will rely on the same old thing to keep us out of foreign wars, geography. Invasion of North America by sea is, thankfully, virtually impossible.

Terrorists and illegals from Mexico will continue to infiltrate and attack the US until America declares "enough". If the political will is there "keeping America safe" is not that difficult.

I agree with you, Japan can hold out against China. The PLAN is no match for the Jap navy and the USN. Even if Japan was "overrun", China is vulnerable to a naval blockade and the attack submarines of the USN can provide one.