
[Government
and Policy] [Information and Research] [News] [Papers]
~
2001 ; 2002-2004 ; 2005
Government and Policy
The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs very useful site
Foreign Policy Page Japan Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
House of Councilors (National Diet of Japan,
Sangi-in)
House of Representatives (National Diet of Japan,
Shugi-in)
The Constitution of Japan English translated
version
Japan-China Relations, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Japan
Overview - Japan-ASEAN
Relations
Permanent Mission of Japan
to the United Nations Japan's position on issues,
Japan's Policy and Press Releases
Information and Research
NIRA (National Institute
for Research Advancement, Japan)
Japan Institute of
International Affairs (JIIA)
Japanese Journal Information
Web
The National Security-Archive
U.S.-Japan Project Papers on diplomatic, security,
and economic relations between the U.S. and Japan
Japan Center for International Exchange (A nonprofit and
non-governmental institution, Japan)
Japan Policy Research
Institute (JPRI) U.S.-Japan relationship and its implications for the
Pacific Rim
Japan Economic Institute of
America (JEI) information on Japanese economy, politics, foreign policy
and U.S.-Japan relations
Kyodo News Web
Japan Times

Japan PM Says
Wants Friendly Ties with China
(Reuters, Dec. 28, 2005) Japanese Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi said on Wednesday he would strive to develop friendly ties
with China
in 2006, after a year in which relations with that country hit their lowest
in decades.
China: Japan
Stance on Taiwan, History Sours Ties
(China Daily, Dec. 28,
2005) Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said yesterday Japan's wrong words and
actions toward the issues of Taiwan and history are the major factors leading
to the poor sentiment between the people of China and Japan.
Japanese Feel
Unfriendly to PRC
(AFP, Dec. 26, 2005) Japan's opinion of China is at its lowest
level in more than 25 years, according to a poll that was published at the
weekend that showed less than one in three people felt friendly towards their
giant neighbor.
Japan Backs Joint
US Missile Plan
(BBC, Dec. 25, 2005)
Japan
has approved a joint missile defence programme with the US. The
project aims to produce an advanced version of the US system, which seeks to
destroy incoming missiles before they reach their targets.
China's Military a Danger:
Japan
(AP, Dec. 22, 2005)
China's
expanding military budget represents a danger and is fueling suspicion among
other nations, Kyodo News agency quoted Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso as
saying.
China Cancels
Meeting with Japan in Shrine Row
(AFP, Dec. 9, 2005)
China
has pulled out of a meeting of foreign ministers with Japan and South Korea,
blaming Japan Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's "arrogance" over a
controversial war shrine.
Japanese Minister
Raps China, S. Korea over Shrine
(Reuters, Nov. 27, 2005)
Japan's
foreign minister criticized China
and South Korea
for protesting against Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to
a Tokyo
shrine for the war dead.
Japan's Draft Charter
Redefines Military
(Washington Post, November
23, 2005) The governing Liberal Democratic Party released a draft
revision of Japan's
pacifist constitution that for the first time since World War II would
recognize the country's armed forces as a fully functioning military.
Japan Tired of China Playing
the 'History Card'
(Straits Times, Nov. 17, 2005) “The Hu administration is basically not
anti-Japan. It wants good relations with Japan. But the Chinese
Communist Party will want to maintain a basically anti-Japan posture so as to
give itself continued legitimacy.”
Japan on Alert over Chinese
Jets
(BBC, Nov. 10, 2005)
Japan
has scrambled fighter jets to see off what it believes were Chinese military
planes 30 times in the last six months, according to officials.
The Politics of Assigning a
Nuclear Carrier to Japan By Richard Halloran (Japan Times, Nov. 9, 2005) The easy part of newly assigning a
U.S. aircraft carrier to Japan, which was to persuade the Japanese to accept
a nuclear-powered vessel, has been accomplished. Now comes the hard part:
deciding which one of 10 carriers should be based in the port of Yokosuka.
Asian Stability
Hinges on Japanese Isolation By Christoph Bertram
(Taipei Times, Nov. 1,
2005) Japan's
isolation increases its dependency on its only ally the US, and
undermines the fragile chance of developing a framework in Asia
to address future regional crises in a spirit of cooperation rather than
confrontation and rivalry.
U.S. and Japan
Agree to Strengthen Military Ties
(NYT, Oct. 30, 2005)
The United States and Japan
announced a sweeping agreement to reshape their military alliance, including
the reduction of marines on Okinawa and the
construction of a new generation of radar equipment in Japan as part
of a missile defense system.
U.S. Nuclear
Carrier to Be Based in Japan
(Reuters, Oct. 28, 2005)
The United States will base a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Japan for the
first time starting in 2008 after Japan dropped long-standing
resistance to the move.
U.S. and Japan Agree on Plan
to Relocate Okinawa Air Base
(New York Times, Oct. 27,
2005) The United States and Japan agreed on a plan today to
relocate a major American air base on the southern island of Okinawa,
removing the biggest obstacle to talks on the redeployment of American troops
across the country.
Japan-China Oil
Dispute Escalates
(WP, Oct. 22, 2005)
China
has completed at least one new drilling platform in the East
China Sea and may already be tapping into hotly contested
natural gas and oil fields, escalating a dispute with Japan.
Japanese PM
Visits Tokyo War Shrine
(AP, Oct. 17, 2005)
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi prayed at a Tokyo shrine honoring the country's war
dead, defying critics who say the visits glorify militarism and risking a
further deterioration in relations with China and South Korea.
China Wants to
Resolve UN Dispute with Japan
(Reuters, Oct. 16, 2005)
China's
Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing told a Japanese official that Beijing wants talks to resolve a dispute
over Tokyo's
pursuit of a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.
Call to Jointly
Develop East China Sea Gas and Oil Fields
(Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 3,
2005) Fearful that China will suck up precious
natural resources, Japan
is proposing joint development of oil and gas fields close to a median line
between the two countries in the East China Sea.
Chinese Ships on
Standby in Disputed Waters
(Straits Times, Sep. 30,
2005) China
yesterday said it has put naval ships on standby in the disputed East China Sea area whose gas and oil deposits are also
claimed by Japan.
Japanese Court
Rules PM's Shrine Visit Unconstitutional
(AFP, Sep. 30, 20050 A
Japanese court ruled that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to a
controversial war shrine violated the constitution, in a moral victory for
victims of Japan's war-time aggression.
Japan's Military
Draws Plans to Counter Attack by China
(Reuters, Sep. 27, 2005)
Japan's
military has drawn up a defense plan that maps out responses to possible
Chinese attacks against Japan,
according to the Asahi Shimbun.
Japan, China to Hold Talks on
Gas Drilling
(AP, Sep. 22, 2005)
Japan
and China
will meet to settle a feud over claims to undersea oil and gas deposits in
disputed waters following Japan's
protests over new drilling activity by China in the area.
Chinese Warships
Make Show of Force at Protested Gas Rig
(Japan Times, Sep. 10,
2005) Five Chinese naval ships, including a guided-missile destroyer,
were spotted Friday morning near the Chunxiao gas field in the East China Sea, where Japan and China have a
dispute over demarcation.
Japan Polls Won't Lead to Better China Ties
(Straits Times, Sep. 8, 2005) Japan's upcoming election is unlikely to bring
any promise of better ties with China, as the political relationship between
the two powers hits a record low.
Government Wants
Mechanism for Talks with U.S., Japan
(CNA, Sep. 4, 2005)
The government is pushing for the establishment of a regular high-level
communication and dialogue mechanism with the United States and Japan,
President Chen Shui-bian's chief of staff revealed.
Tokyo Teacher Is Punished for Pacifist Stance By Anthony Faiola
(Washington Post, Aug. 30, 2005) As Japan has observed the 60th anniversary
of the end of World War II in the Pacific this month, nationalist political
leaders have gained prominence advocating a stronger role for Japan in the
world.
Taiwan, Japan
Lawmakers to Meet Regularly on Security Issues (CNA, Aug. 27, 2005) A convener of the Legislative Yuan's Defense
Committee said that its counterparts in the Japanese Diet have agreed to have
regular exchanges of visits.
Japan Coastguard
Hopes to Build Lighthouse on Islet Disputed with China (AFP, Aug. 24, 2004) Japan's coastguard says it hopes to build a lighthouse on a remote
atoll in the Pacific in a move that could reinforce the country's claim in a
territorial dispute with China.
DPP Clarifies Stance on Taiwan's Era as a Colony of
Japan
(CNA, Aug. 16, 2005) The Democratic Progressive Party termed Japan's 1895 to
1945 rule of Taiwan as "colonial and aggressive," stressing that
from Taiwan's point of view, the island was indeed "occupied"
during that period.
Japan Says China
Is Drilling for Gas in Disputed Area
(AP, Aug. 11, 2005)
The Japanese government suspects China has begun drilling gas in
the East China Sea along a disputed sea
border, and has asked Beijing
to stop, officials said.
Poll: Asia
Unworried by Japan
(CNN.com, Aug. 5, 2005)
Asians are generally supportive of their neighbors' economic and political
advancement, although the support is not unanimous, according to the latest
findings of a CNN/Time poll.
Japan’s Defense
Report Raises Concerns About Chinese Military (Asahi Shimbun, Aug.
2, 2005) The fiscal 2005 white paper on defense expressed serious concerns
about China's
military buildup, warning that Beijing's
activities could tip its military balance with Taiwan.
President Chen
Calls for Closer Taiwan-Japan Ties
(CNA, July 27, 2005)
President Chen Shui-bian said he believes that the more firmly Japan sticks
to its guns, the higher the esteem in which China would hold Japan.
Japan's Defense
Chief Given Missile-Intercept Role
(Japan Times, July 23,
2005) The Diet enacted a revised law that allows the Defense
Agency chief to order emergency missile interceptions without waiting for
approval from the prime minister and the Cabinet.
China Protests
Japanese Move in E.China Sea
(Reuters, July 15, 2005)
China
strongly protested against what it said was an infringement of its sovereign
rights and interests in the East China Sea
after Japan
granted rights to a firm to test drill for gas near disputed waters.
Anti-Japan Feelings Run High Among China Young-Poll
(Reuters, July 6, 2005)
More than half of China's
young hate or dislike Japan
despite the fact that most of them have never even met a Japanese person, a
new poll suggests.
China Seizes
Books That Show Separate Taiwan
(Reuters, June 29, 2005)
Chinese Customs officials recently seized textbooks headed for a Japanese
school in China
because they objected to the way maps in the books depicted Taiwan as a
separate entity from mainland China.
Taiwan Eyes Joint Management of Overlapping Economic
Zones (CNA, June 22, 2005) Taiwan will
suggest that Japan shelf their conflicting sovereignty claims to waters where
the two countries' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone overlap and
jointly manage them.
Hsieh Calls for Calm on Diaoyutais
(Taipei Times, June 20, 2005) Premier Frank Hsieh
yesterday called for calm amid mounting tensions between Taiwan and Japan
caused by recent fishing disputes and conflict over the Diaoyutai islands.
Fishermen Threaten to Seize Intruding Japanese Fishing
Boats (China Post, June 17, 2005)
Fishermen in Suao yesterday threatened to seize any Japanese fishing boats
intruding into Taiwan's exclusive economic zone starting June 21.
Fishermen Urged to Forget Plan of Flying China's Flag
(Taipei Times, June 16, 2005) Japan has chased away or confiscated more
fishing boats from China than from Taiwan, a Cabinet spokesman said in
response to fishermen's plan to disguise themselves.
Taiwan Aborigines
Demand Japan Shrine Return Spirits
(Reuters, June 14, 2005)
Taiwanese aborigines demanded that their ancestors' names be removed from the
sanctum, seen by Asian countries as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.
Japanese Firms Rethink China Expansion Plans
(Financial Times, June 11,
2005) Three in 10 Japanese companies operating in China are
reassessing expansion plans. Rocky bilateral ties and anti-Japanese
sentiments souring outlook for the year.
Taiwan Fishermen Sail to Waters Disputed with Japan
(Reuters, June 9, 2005) About 40 fishing boats from Taiwan sailed north to
challenge Japan's claim over rich fishing grounds surrounding a disputed
group of islands in the East China Sea.
US Tells Japan, China to 'Move on' in Spat Over History
(AFP, June 8, 2005) The United States told Japan and
China to "move on" in their spat over historical wrongs, arguing
that their continuing squabble could damage regional trade and security
interests.
China Urged To Be
More Open on Defense
(AP, June 4, 2005)
Japan's
defense chief urged China
on to release more information about its military spending and said Tokyo seeks a peaceful
resolution to the Taiwan
question.
Tokyo Tries to Cool China Rift
(CNN.com, May 26, 2005) After further deteriorations in relations between
Japan and China this week, Tokyo has pledged to work on improving ties
between the two Asian powers.
Chinese Official
Cuts Short Japan Trip to Protest Shrine Visit
(NYT, May 24, 2005) As a fence-mending trip to Japan by a senior Chinese
official ended in acrimony, China made clear that the official had cut short
her visit to protest possible new visits to a war shrine by Japan’s prime
minister.
New Japan, U.S. Roles Eyed
(Yomiuri Shimbun, May 19, 2005) The Japanese and U.S. governments have
embarked on talks to draw up a joint document about new role-sharing between
the Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military with a view to releasing it in
June.
China and Japan Agree to Maintain Dialogue
(AFP, May 16, 2005)
Japan
and China
have failed to agree on compensation for damage caused by violent anti-Japan
riots across China
last month. But both sides agreed to keep up discussions.
Japanese Blame
Chinese Nationalism
(AP, Apr. 26, 2005)
More than half of Japanese polled in a weekend survey blamed Chinese
nationalism for the recent spate of anti-Japanese riots in China. But 48
per cent said Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi should stop visiting
the Yasukuni Shrine.
China Initiates 5
Proposals on Ties with Japan
(People’s Daily, Apr. 24, 2005) Chinese President Hu Jintao said Japan
should seriously reflect over its wartime history and properly handle the
current difficult situation in the Sino-Japanese relations.
China Moves to
Crack Down on Protests Against Japan
(NYT, Apr. 23, 2005) China made clear that it would
tolerate no more anti-Japanese protests and urged its citizens not to boycott
Japanese products.
Chinese Official Orders End to Anti-Japanese Demonstrations (NYT, Apr. 20, 2005) China's foreign minister
called for an end to anti-Japanese protests, the first signal that the
leadership may no longer welcome the sometimes violent demonstrations.
Japan, China Meet with Relations in Free Fall
(Reuters, Apr. 18, 2005) Japan and China were headed into talks in Beijing
aimed at halting a free fall in ties after a third weekend of protest in
China against what many see as Japan's inability to face up to its wartime
past.
Japan Carries
Protest to China
(AP, Apr. 17, 2005) Japan's
foreign minister flew to Beijing
carrying a protest against violent anti-Japanese rallies, as Chinese police
allowed new demonstrations over Tokyo's wartime past.
China Calls Japan Gas Drilling Plan 'Provocation'
(Reuters, Apr. 14, 2005) China
reacted angrily to Japan's plan to allow gas
exploration in disputed waters, calling it a ''serious provocation'' at a
time when ties are at their worst in decades.
Japan Snubs China on Gas Rights, History Feud Simmers
(Reuters, Apr. 13, 2005) Japan
has begun allocating rights for gas exploration in a disputed area of the
East China Sea to private firms, a move likely to rile China.
China Blames
Japan for Tensions
(CNN.com, Apr. 11, 2005) China
says Japan
is responsible for escalating tensions between the two former rivals after a
weekend where tens of thousands of angry Chinese took to the streets.
Tokyo Protests
Anti-Japan Rallies in China
(NYT, Apr. 11, 2005) Japan lodged a formal protest against China after
violent anti-Japanese demonstrations in Beijing, even as marches in front of
Japanese government offices and businesses widened to southern China.
Anti-Japan
Protesters March in Beijing
(Reuters, Apr. 9, 2005) Chinese protesters chanted slogans and burned
Japanese flags as more than 1,000 turned out in the capital to demand a
boycott of Japanese goods over Tokyo's refusal to admit to World War II
atrocities.
Japan Attacks China 'Patriotism'
(BBC, Apr. 6, 2005) Japan
has called on China
to control anti-Japanese protests, in the wake of a row over new Japanese
school books.
China Urges Japan to Do More to Improve Ties
(AP, Mar. 14, 2005) Japan
should take the opportunity to improve its troubled relations with China, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said,
while warning Tokyo against
interfering in Beijing's relations
with Taiwan.
Japan Dismisses Chinese Worries on Taiwan Military Pact with US (AFP, Mar. 7, 2005)
Japan dismissed a warning by China that increasing US-Japan military
cooperation must not encompass Beijing's arch-rival Taiwan.
China Warns
US-Japan Military Cooperation Should Not Include Taiwan (AP, Mar. 6, 2004)
China's foreign minister warned Japan and the United States not to include
Taiwan within the scope of their military alliance, saying Beijing would not
permit interference in what it considers an internal matter.
Koizumi Denies
New Friction with Beijing
(Reuters, Feb. 22, 2005) Japan
said it had no intention of creating friction in its relations with China following Beijing's protest over a Japan-United States declaration
which described Taiwan as a common security
issue.
China Protests U.S.-Japan Accord
(WP, Feb. 21, 2005) China
issued a stiff protest over an updated U.S.-Japanese strategic agreement,
saying its reference to Taiwan
violates China's
national sovereignty and its criticism of China's military buildup
is "untenable."
U.S., Japan Worry
over N.Korea Nukes, China-Taiwan
(Reuters, Feb. 20, 2005) Japan and the United States used cautious language
stating they shared a goal to "encourage the peaceful resolution of
issues concerning the Taiwan Strait through dialogue."
Beijing Opposes
US-Japan Statement on Taiwan
(China Daily, Feb. 20, 2005) Chinese Government and people resolutely opposes
the United States
and Japan in
issuing any bilateral document concerning China's
Taiwan, which
meddles the internal affairs of China,
and hurts China's
sovereignty, China's
foreign ministry said.
Taiwan Welcomes
U.S.-Japan Cross-Strait Policy
(China Post, Feb. 19, 2005) Taiwan
welcomed news that the United States
and Japan will
declare on Saturday for the first time in a joint agreement that Taiwan
is a mutual security concern.
Japan to Join
U.S. Policy on Taiwan
(WP, Feb. 18, 2005) The United States and Japan
will declare Saturday for the first time in a joint agreement that Taiwan
is a mutual security concern, according to a draft of the document.
Tokyo Seeks Talks on Aid Cuts to China
(Reuters, Feb. 14, 2005) Japan
plans to draw up a 'road map' with China that would outline
a process for gradual cuts in official development assistance to the country,
the Yomiuri Shimbun said.
Tokyo Seeks Talks on Aid Cuts to China
(Reuters, Feb. 14, 2005) Japan
plans to draw up a 'road map' with China that would outline
a process for gradual cuts in official development assistance to the country,
the Yomiuri Shimbun said.
China Slams
Japanese 'Violation of Sovereignty' in Lighthouse Row (AFP, Feb. 12, 2005) China has ratcheted up its rhetoric
over a move by Japan on a group of disputed
islands, slamming it as a "provocation" and a "violation of
Chinese territorial sovereignty".
Japan Takes over
Lighthouse on Island Claimed by China, Taiwan (AFP, Feb. 10, 2005) Japan said it had placed under state
control a lighthouse built by nationalists on a disputed island in the East
China Sea despite rival claims by China
and Taiwan.
Japan Surplus Ends 2004 with China as Largest Partner
(Financial Times, January 26, 2005) China surpassed the US to become Japan’s
biggest trading partner last year, underlining the importance of the Chinese
economy to Japan’s faltering recovery.
Japan moves to
drill in East China Sea
(Japan Times, Jan. 17, 2005) Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. and Teikoku Oil
Co. are in talks with the government on their plans to drill for natural gas
in the East China Sea near areas claimed by both Japan and China.

Testing Times for Japan,
China By Brad Glosserman
(Japan Times, Dec. 31,
2005) The readiness of a Japanese Cabinet official, and a foreign
minister no less, to publicly acknowledge and criticize China's
military buildup marks a profound departure from past practice.
Nationalism
Drives China, Japan Apart By
Robert
Marquand
(Christian Science Monitor, Dec. 29, 2005) The
growing trade between Japan
and China
in 2005 has been matched by rising symbolic and verbal provocations and a
steady decline in public opinion and diplomatic ties.
Letter from
China: Japan and China Take a Collision Course By Howard W. French (IHT,
Dec. 29, 2005) There are two trains running in East Asia. Each of these
locomotives heeds only its own signal, and the danger grows by the season
that, if there is no coordination, a huge wreck might one day ensue.
Remembering the War-Japanese
Style By Kiichi
Fujiwara
(Far Eastern Economic Review, Dec. 2005) After the war, in Japan,
virtually all war remembrance was directed toward the memory of the suffering
of civilian Japanese. Japanese war memories run as a narrative of a victimized
nation.
Japan - China
Caught in Spotlight at East Asia Talks
(Reuters, Dec. 13, 2005) A long-standing feud between Japan and China
caught the spotlight on the eve of the first East Asian summit, rekindling
concerns that the bad blood could thwart progress of the new grouping.
Why Japan Keeps
Provoking China By Jim Frederick
(TIME, Dec. 10, 2005) Beijing's
growing regional power has spurred a rightward political shift in Tokyo. Not surprisingly, most
Japanese are reluctant to acknowledge that nationalism is on the rise
Yasukuni Shrine: Time to Make
a Deal By Ralph A.
Cossa
(PacNet #53, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Dec. 6, 2005) Japanese Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi remains in denial over the negative impact his continued
visits to the Yasukuni Shrine are having on Japanese and U.S. national
security interests.
The China-Japan Challenge
(Editorial, Boston Globe, Dec. 5, 2005) It is not easy these days to picture
the United States
in the role of relationship therapist, patiently repairing the dangerous rift
that has been growing between China
and Japan.
But that is exactly what those two major Asian powers need.
The Youthful Face
of Japanese Nationalism By Kenta
Tanimichi
(Far Eastern Economic Review, November 2005) A majority of Japanese don’t
really care that visits to Yasukuni Shrine by their political leaders offend China,
or indeed any other foreign country. At least that is what can be gleaned
from the results of polls.
China and Japan in Mekong
Tug-of-War By Hisane Masaki
(Straits Times, Nov. 24, 2005) Rivalry between Japan and China over the development of the Mekong River
basin is intensifying as Tokyo
tries to regain some ground lost in recent years to Beijing.
As China Rises, So Does
Japanese Nationalism
By Martin Jacques
(The Guardian, Nov. 17, 2005) Japan is stuck in its
past, and its refusal to come to terms with it threatens to define its future
and that of the whole of east Asia.
Japan's Major
Step Towards 'Normality' By James
Auer
(Straits Times, Nov. 8, 2005) To understand the rationale behind the Oct 29
security agreement between Japan
and the United
States, one needs to return to history.
Doing so allows one to see how recent developments simply bring Japan
nearer to a state of normality in its security arrangements.
Avoid Wishful
Thinking on Japan By Tsai Zheng-jia
(Taipei Times, Nov. 7, 2005) The process of Japan's normalization will certainly raise
doubts in China,
but that does not necessarily mean that Taiwan
and Japan
will get closer.
New Cabinet, Old Agenda By Kwan Weng Kin
(Straits Times, Nov. 2, 2005) Japan's new Cabinet line-up makes it clear that
in the 11 months left of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's tenure, there
will be more of the same - more reforms, closer ties with the United States
and more bickering with China and South Korea.
Economic Ties
Binding Japan to Rival China By Howard W.
French and Norimitsu Onishi (New York
Times, Oct. 31, 2005) At a time of rising political tensions, China and Japan
are more intertwined economically than they have ever been. In their breadth
and intensity, the ties have begun to surpass those between the United States and Japan.
A Very Lonely
Japan By Christian Caryl
(Newsweek International, Oct. 31, 2005) The country's inability to come to
grips with its past has long infuriated the region. But now it's starting to
threaten Tokyo's
once unquestioned influence.
Japanese Feel War
Apologies Enough
(Agence France Presse, Oct. 28, 2005) Almost two-thirds of Japanese believe
their leaders have apologised enough to China
and South
Korea for the nation's past military
aggression, a poll showed.
China-Japan Rift
Hurts America, Too By Michael
Vatikiotis (International
Herald Tribune, Oct. 20, 2005) Competition between Asia's
two largest powers is bad for regional security. If America truly wishes to act as a
bulwark for security in Asia, it would do well to focus on helping to mend
relations between China
and Japan.
Japan-China Friction to Keep
Shaking Asia: Analysts
(AFP, Oct. 19, 2005) With China growing in stature on the world stage, diplomatic
friction between Tokyo and Beijing
is likely to continue as the two powers vie for regional leadership and clash
over war-time memories, analysts say.
Bigger Role for
Japan's Military
(Agence France Presse, Oct. 7, 2005) Japan may send military planes and ships
to help in the US-led war on terror and reconstruction missions. Such a move
would be a new step away from Tokyo's post-World War II pacifism.
Japan's Rivalry
With China Is Stirring a Crowded Sea By Norimitsu
Onishi and Howard W. French (New York
Times, Sep. 11, 2005) In a muscular display of its rising military and
economic might, China deployed a fleet of five warships on Friday near a gas
field in the East China Sea, a potentially resource-rich area that is
disputed by China and Japan.
Why Japan Seems
Content to Be Run by One Party By Norimitsu
Onishi (New York
Times, Sep. 7, 2005) The Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan
nearly continuously for half a century, appears headed for another victory in
the general election on Sunday - a big one, if polls are correct.
The Japan-China-U.S. Club By Ling Xingguang
(Japan Times, Sep. 6, 2005) Since the beginning of the year, relations
between the United States
and China have
become sharply strained while those between Japan and China have markedly
deteriorated.
Japan and China
Jockey for Influence in S-E Asia
(Straits Times, Aug. 17, 2005) When Myanmar upgraded its national phone
systems from analog to digital recently, it made a significant switch from
Japanese to Chinese technology.
China, Japan Mark
End of WWII Amid Rising Ill-Will
(Straits Times, Aug. 15, 2005) China
and Japan
mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II today with solemn
ceremonies and reminders aplenty of a rising tide of ill-will rooted in
historical enmity and modern rivalry.
Sayonara to Japanese Pacifism? By Ayako Doi and Kim Willenson
(Washington Post, Aug. 14, 2005) The emergence of
a Japanese will to get back into the military game, even in a carefully
nonviolent way, has stirred fears in Beijing, Seoul and Pyongyang.
It's Time China
and Japan Started to Get Along By Jing-dong Yuan (International Herald Tribune,
Aug. 13, 2005) Relations between China
and Japan
are at a crossroads. Returning the bilateral relationship to a positive
trajectory is the greatest challenge now facing Beijing
and Tokyo.
Japan Bares
Its Sword By Suvendrini Kakuchi
(Asia Times, Aug. 5, 2005) Given a rapidly changing Asian security scenario
wherein China and India loom large as future military powers, Japan has seen fit
to take the first steps to carve out a more active role in international
defense.
Ill Will Rising
Between China and Japan
(New York Times, Aug. 3, 2005) Japanese lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a
resolution that plays down this country's militarist policies in World War
II. The
action will most likely be seen by China
and Japan's
other Asian neighbors as further proof of growing nationalism here.
Japan Seeks Its
Constitutional Soul By Haruko
Satoh
(Far Eastern Economic Review, July/August 2005) The constitution has never been
fully implemented due to obstruction at the hands of conservative politicians
and bureaucrats during the Cold War.
Japan and China
Dispute a Pacific Islet By Norimitsu
Onishi
(New York Times, July 10, 2005) The smaller of the two is roughly the size of
a twin bed and pokes only 2.9 inches out of the ocean. The larger, as big as
a small bedroom perhaps, manages to rise up 6.3 inches.
Japan Defense
Plans Critical to Taiwan's Security
(Editorial, Taiwan News, July 8, 2005) The contents of a new white paper by
the official Japan defense Agency that devotes considerably more attention to
the potential threat from China has major significance for Taiwan's own
security.
China's Economic Brawn Unsettles
Japanese By James Brooke
(New York Times, June 27, 2005) The reaction in Japan to the swelling economic muscle of China provides an early warning sign
of the mixed emotions that China evokes as it rises
on the global stage.
Sino-Japan Row a
Latent Threat to Regional Stability
(Straits Times, June 25, 2005) Sino-Japanese tension has emerged as the
biggest wild card in regional stability, says an American scholar, warning
that the emotional issue has to be managed more carefully.
Talks Needed on Fishing Disputes By Chiang Huang-chih
(Taipei Times, June 22, 2005) Both Taiwan and Japan
need to clarify their responsibilities and areas in an agreement on joint
fishery management. Otherwise the friction between the two sides will only
increase until the situation gets out of hand.
Gunboat Diplomacy Useful
(Editorial,
China Post, June
22, 2005) Taiwan's
EEZ overlaps that of Japan. Fourteen rounds of
negotiations have failed to solve disputes because Japan doesn't take Taiwan's
sovereignty seriously.
Hu's Points Show Way for Sino-Japan Ties
(China Daily, June 21, 2005) Adhering to the
principle of the three basic documents and abiding by the political promise
on the issue of history and the Taiwan question are the basic conditions for
developing healthy bilateral ties between China and Japan.
Behind Japan’s Foreign Policy By Shigenori Okazaki
(Far Eastern Economic Review, June 2005) Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has
proven himself to be the most hawkish, right-wing prime minister since the
end of World War II. He has used “reform” as a cover for achieving his
political aspirations.
New History Text Turns a Page in East Asia Ties
(Straits Times, June 10, 2005) Amid a lull in diplomatic tension, a Chinese
publisher yesterday launched a history book co-written by scholars from China, South Korea and Japan.
Japan Catches Fallout from
U.S.-China Exchange over Taiwan (Asahi
Shimbun, June 6, 2005) Japan
came under criticism in the fallout of a heated exchange between the United States and China over Taiwan
at the Asia Security Conference here. In fact, some participants said Japan -- not China -- is the country creating the
most fears in Asia.
The
Chrysanthemum and the Dragon By Conn
Hallinan
(Asia Times, June 3, 2005) While history does play a role in all this, if one
wants to understand the antagonism between Beijing and Tokyo, one has to
start in Washington and, in particular, Washington state.
Relations Fray as Japan
Criticizes Chinese Official's Snub By James
Brooke (New York Times, May 25, 2005) Japanese
officials sharply criticized China
for canceling a meeting with Japan's prime minister on
Monday and predicted that the incident would sharpen growing anti-Chinese
sentiment here.
China Angry At
Shrine Visits, Japan Annoyed At Snub
(Reuters, May 24, 2005) China
vented anger over Japanese leaders' remarks on visiting a shrine for war
dead, a day after a top Chinese official abruptly canceled a meeting with Japan's prime minister in an apparent
snub to Tokyo.
Tokyo’s Quixotic Quest for
Acceptance By Edward C. Luck
(Far Eastern Economic Review, May 2005) Japan’s quixotic quest
for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council has been pursued with more
vigor than success for close to four decades. Undeterred, Tokyo is
pressing harder than ever this year.
East Asia's Giants
Slip Out of Control By Ian Bremmer
(International Herald Tribune, May 20, 2005) The oft-cited reasons for the
widening divide between China
and Japan
are of course far from the whole story. The real source of the conflict is a
fundamental reordering of power in Asia.
China Walks
Nationalist Tightrope By Louisa Lim (BBC, May 3, 2005) Beijing has
moved to stem anti-Japan rallies after having been happy to let them rage
through several Chinese cities last month.
Beijing Finds
Anti-Japan Propaganda a 2-Edged Sword By Joseph
Kahn (New York
Times, May 3, 2005) China reversed course late last month and ordered people
to let the government handle Japan itself. But the authorities are clearly
worried that patriotic protests could return.
Japan May Have To
Bend Its Knee By Timothy W. Ryback (International Herald Tribune, Apr. 26, 2005) The Japanese have
hobbled far behind their former axis allies. Their efforts have been
sporadic, awkward and generally unnoticed by the international community. The
difficulties are as much cultural as political or economic.
‘Opposing the
Sun’: Japan Alienates Asia By Hugo Restall
(Far Eastern Economic Review, April 2005) The simplest explanation of rising
anti-Japanese sentiment is best: Japan has mishandled the
legacy of war and is now paying the price as it tries to become a normal
nation.
In China, Roots Of Anger Toward Japan Run Deep By Edward Cody
(Washington Post, Apr. 20, 2005) To a large degree, they gave context to the
inflexible positions adopted by the Chinese government recently in dealing
with Tokyo and the insistent demand
from Beijing
for a greater show of remorse from the Japanese leadership.
China and Japan Playing the Blame Game By Chua Chin Hon
(Straits Times, Apr. 19, 2005) Sorry seems to be the
hardest word as both sides meet to discuss deteriorating ties. China said Sino-Japanese ties were at
their lowest ebb in three decades and the onus was on Japan
to fix them.
Q&A: The China-Japan Rift
(Council on Foreign Relations, April 18, 2005) What is behind the rift between
China and Japan?
National pride and historical grievances rooted in a longstanding rivalry,
most experts say.
In Japan's New
Texts, Lessons in Rising Nationalism By Norimitsu
Onishi (New York Times, Apr. 17, 2005) Their
students learn history through government-approved textbooks. Since the
textbooks require the central government's imprimatur, they are taken as a
reflection of the views of the current leaders.
Japan Rising:
Flexing of Political Muscle Stems from Quest to Become 'Normal' Nation By Kwan Weng Kin (Straits Times, Apr.
16, 2005) Given Japan's desire to normalise ties with North Korea and its bid
for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Mr
Koizumi can ill afford to pick fights at this time.
China Rising:
Newfound Economic Muscle Pits It against Japan By Goh Sui Noi (Straits Times, Apr. 16, 2005) With a rising China changing the
power structure between the two sides and a globalised world leading to
increasingly overlapping interests between them, frictions are hard to avoid.
China Pushing and Scripting Japan Protests By Joseph
Kahn
(New York Times, Apr. 15, 2005) China has tapped a deep strain of nationalism
among its people, gambling, analysts say, that it can propel itself to a
leadership role in Asia while cloaking its move for power in the guise of
wounded pride and popular will.
The Price of Japanese Nationalism By Erich
Marquardt (Asia Times, Apr. 14, 2005) Japan's growing nationalism derives from
its desire to develop a more independent foreign policy and to increase its
military power; much of the country's political elite want to see a return of
a powerful Japan.
China's Reckless Nationalism
(Editorial, International Herald Tribune, Apr. 13, 2005) It is inevitable
that China's rise
as an economic power will generate tensions with other countries, especially
neighbors like Japan. But it is important that
these tensions be managed responsibly by both sides.
As China Grows More Powerful, Regional Rivalries Take New Turn By Michael A. Lev (Chicago Tribune, Apr. 12, 2005) Surging Chinese growth and
influence has come at a time of mounting unease over Japan's diplomatic and
military ambitions.
China Hots Up as Anti-Japan Feelings Grow By Chua Chin Hon
(Straits Times, Apr. 12, 2005) Angry young men, many of them students or
office workers in their 20s and 30s, formed the bulk of protesters denouncing
Japan's controversial new history textbook.
U.S. Pushing
Japan to Boost Military Role
(Associated Press, Apr. 9, 2005) Washington
appears to be trying to use the talks to nudge Japan out from under the U.S. security blanket and make Tokyo a
much more active player in global strategic operations.
Japan's Reach for
Future Runs up Against the Past By
Norimitsu Onishi (International Herald Tribune,
Apr. 7, 2005) A year with so many reference points to the past, pregnant with
the dangers of unresolved history, was nevertheless supposed to point Japan
into the future.
Japanese
Schoolbooks Anger S. Korea, China By Anthony
Faiola
(WP, Apr. 6, 2005) The Education Ministry approved a controversial new series
of school textbooks that critics say whitewash Japan's
militaristic past.
China Fights
Enlarging Security Council By Colum
Lynch
(Washington Post, Apr. 5, 2005) China's U.N. ambassador on Monday challenged
Secretary General Kofi Annan's proposal to enlarge the Security Council to 24
members by year's end.
If 22 Million
Chinese Prevail at U.N., Japan Won't By Joseph
Kahn
(New York Times, Apr. 1, 2005) A grass-roots Chinese campaign to keep Japan out of the United Nations
Security Council has gathered some 22 million signatures, increasing the
chances that China
will block Japan's
bid to join the elite group.
China and Japan:
So Hard To Be Friends
(Economist, Mar. 23, 2005) China
and Japan
are increasingly inter-linked commercially. But their age-old political
animus is reviving too. Tensions are rising again between two of the 20th
century's bitterest rivals.
Japan and US
'Dissuade' China
(Taipei Times, Mar. 23, 2005) The nation's former top representative to Tokyo
said that the recent US-Japan joint security statement showed the two
countries have shifted strategies.
The Real 'China
Treat' By Chalmers Johnson
(Asia Times, Mar. 19, 2005) It is popular nowadays to refer to the US
as the "lone superpower". This is a myth: there is now a new
superpower, China.
The current US
policy of encouraging and even accelerating Japanese rearmament, and both
allies' self-delusion over Taiwan, are huge and very
dangerous foreign policy errors.
Heading Off a Japan-China Conflict By Michael Vatikiotis
(International Herald Tribune, Mar. 3, 2005) What then can the rest of Asia do? Certainly not sit on the sidelines and
wait for two of Asia's major powers to
drift toward confrontation.
U.S.-Japan
Statement: What It Means for the Four Key Players By Philip Yang (Straits Times, Feb. 26, 2005)
Besides signaling that the US
wants to strengthen cooperation with Japan and increase mutual
defense responsibilities, the statement also highlights two key issues: the
normalization of Japanese security policy, and; a new trend in the
development of the US-Japan security alliance.
Issue of Taiwan Raises Stakes Between Tokyo and Beijing By David Pilling (Financial Times, Feb.
25 2005) In December, Japan
annoyed Beijing by explicitly naming China
as a potential security concern. This month it went one step further.
Animosity Toward Japan Is Again the Rage in China By David J. Lynch (USA TODAY, Feb. 24,
2005) As the head of the 80,000-member Patriots' Alliance, Lu created the
country's most popular nationalist Web site, staged protests outside the
Japanese Embassy and organized provocative trips to a cluster of islands in
the East China Sea occupied by Japan but claimed by China.
A Rapport Worries
China
By Keith Bradsher
(New York Times, Feb. 22, 2005) And the lasting fondness of many Taiwanese
for Japan is
helping to make possible closer relations between Taipei
and Tokyo
this winter. It is a growing closeness that increasingly upsets Beijing.
Tokyo Appears Vital to Washington's Goals for Stability in Asia By Nobuyoshi Sakajira (Asahi Shimbun, Feb.
21, 2005) Washington wanted to raise
the Taiwan issue
in an effort to prod Beijing to exert
more pressure on Pyongyang
to resolve the nuclear issue. In the same context, Washington
wants to contain China
from using military force against Taiwan.
China Accuses U.S. and Japan of Interfering on Taiwan By Jim Yardley and Keith Bradsher (New York Times, Feb. 21, 2005) China accused Japan and the
United States of meddling in its internal affairs, and criticized a new joint
security statement in which the two countries declared a peaceful Taiwan
Strait as among their "common strategic objectives."
Japan-China
Tensions Rise over Tiny Islands By Robert
Marquand (Christian Science Monitor, Feb. 11, 2005) In a sign of deepening popular and political animosity
between China and Japan, Tokyo
took formal possession this week of a tiny archipelago in the Pacific waters
south of Japan.
The Dragon for
Trade, the Eagle for Safety By James Brooke (New York Times, Feb. 6, 2005) Now Mr. Ishihara and Japanese
nationalists like him are at it again, but in reverse. It's an overbearing China that needs to be told no, they
say; the alliance with America should be
nurtured.
After the
Tsunami, How Japan Can Lead By Masaru Tamamoto (Far Eastern Economic Review,
Feb. 2005) a senior fellow of the World Policy Institute, urges Japan to use the tsunami disaster as a
chance to forge a new relationship with China. Asia needs a new
paradigm for regional unity following the model of post-war France and Germany.
China 'Threat'
Strengthens US-Japan Military Ties By Kosuke Takahashi (Asia Times, Jan. 13,
2005) This is just the beginning of a war of nerves of military strategy
among the world's three most powerful countries, based on real hardball
politics, military hardware and spyware.
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