[Government
and Policy] [Information and Research] [News] [Papers]
~
2001 ; 2002-2004 ; 2005 ; 2006 ; 2007
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
Ties Sour but will Sweeten:
Taiwan Speaker
(Kyodo, Aug. 27, 2008) Taiwan's
relations with Japan
have regressed since the Nationalist
Party 
class="lingo_icon
lingo_icon_black" v:shapes="lingo_icon"> came to power, but
they are likely to rebound, parliamentary speaker Wang Jin-pyng said in an
interview.
KMT Vice Chair to Visit
Japan as Presidential Messenger
(CNA, Aug. 25, 2008) Ruling KMT Vice Chairman
Chiang Pin-kung is scheduled to visit Japan
from today to Aug. 27 in
another effort to give the assurance that Taiwan
does not favor relations with China
over its ties with Japan.
China Eclipses US as Japan’s
Biggest Customer
(Telegraph, Aug. 21, 2008) China has replaced the US as Japan's biggest customer,
underlining the emergence of the country in the global economy.
Ex-ambassador Designated as
Representative to Japan
(China Post, Aug. 20, 2008) John C. T. Feng,
former ambassador to the Dominican Republic,
has been tapped to serve as Taiwan's
new representative to Japan,
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday.
Taiwan’s Ma in Damage
Control over Japan Ties
(Kyodo, Aug. 11, 2008) Japan’s increasing worries
over Ma's attitude toward Tokyo and his handling of ties with rival China
have prompted Ma to scramble, albeit quietly, for damage control before
Taipei-Tokyo ties deteriorate beyond repair.
Taipei-Tokyo Ties not
Affected by Cross-Strait Détente: President
(CNA, Aug. 5, 2008) President Ma Ying-jeou said
yesterday that cross-Taiwan Strait detente will not affect Taipei-Tokyo ties,
as the situation will benefit the entire region, including Japan.
Ma’s Confidant May be New
Japan Rep, Says Local Media
(Taiwan News, Jul. 29, 2008) President Ma
Ying-jeou has decided to appoint Japan expert Yang Yung-ming (Philip Yang) as
Taiwan's new representative to Tokyo to mend ties in the wake of the
Diaoyutai incident, reports said yesterday
Taiwan Official Bemoans Bad
Japan Relations
(Kyodo, Jul. 23, 2008) A failure to maintain
political ties and a lack of senior Japan-savvy Taiwanese envoys has caused
"fault cracks" and misunderstandings to emerge in bilateral
relations, ruling Nationalist Party Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung said Tuesday.
Taiwan’s China Thaw Good for
Japan, Ma Says
(Kyodo, Jul. 22, 2008) A recent warming in
relations between bitter rivals China and Taiwan "is significant for
Japan," Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou said Monday while meeting with
a delegation of Japanese lawmakers, officials and academics.
Japan Ties Could Cool, Says
Former Rep
(CNA, Jul. 19, 2008) Taiwan-Japan relations could
suffer as Taiwan's new
government eagerly improves ties with China,
Japan's former top
representative to Taiwan
said in an interview published yesterday.
Chinese Official Urges Japan to Support Mainland’s Eventual
Political Unification
with Taiwan (AP, Jun. 26,
2008) Japanese media reports quoted Wang Yi as saying
the mainland would continue to refuse to allow Taiwan to formally join the World Health
Organization, but might allow a separate framework to connect the
island with the international health community.
Japan Apologizes over Taiwan
Boat Incident
(AFP, Jun. 21, 2008) A Japanese envoy on Friday
apologised to the captain of a Taiwanese fishing boat which sank after
colliding with a Japanese patrol ship near disputed islets in the East China Sea.
Japanese Warship Leaves for
First Visit to China: Official
(AFP, Jun. 19, 2008) A Japanese warship left on
Thursday to visit China
for the first time since World War II, an official said, amid a growing thaw
in the often frigid ties between the Asian powers.
Japan, China Reach Deal on
Undersea Gas Exploration
(AP, Jun. 18, 2008) Japan and China have agreed to
jointly develop part of the gas deposits in the East China Sea, a major
breakthrough in a long-standing dispute between the two countries, the
Japanese government announced Wednesday.
Taiwan Wants Tiaoyutai Talks
(China
Post, Jun. 18, 2008) President Ma Ying-jeou agreed yesterday with Japanese
Premier Yasuo Fukuda on rational, cool-headed handling of the Tiaoyutai
crisis but demanded negotiations on fishing rights as well as sovereignty
over the disputed islets in the East China Sea.
Japan Turns away Taiwan
Boats in Sea Spat
(Reuters, Jun. 16, 2008) Japan on Monday turned
back a Taiwan activist boat which approached a group of disputed islands in
protest against a ship collision last week, the latest drama in a
fast-escalating political dispute, officials said.
China and Japan ‘Near Gas
Deal’
(BBC, Jun. 16, 2008) Japan and China are close to
a deal that would ease a long-running dispute over gas fields in the East
China Sea, reports from Japan say.
Taiwan Recalls
Representative to Japan over Boat Incident
(AP, Jun. 15, 2008) Taiwan
has recalled its envoy to Japan
over Tokyo's
handling of a ship collision in disputed waters earlier this week.
Taipei Reaffirms Sovereignty
over Tiaoyutai Islands
(China
Post, Jun. 13, 2008) Taiwan reaffirmed its sovereignty over the Tiaoyutai
Islands for the first time in at least ten years yesterday, two full days
after a 270-ton sports fishing boat sank in a collision with a Japanese
maritime defense frigate over their waters.
Taiwan Presses Sovereignty
over Disputed Island Chain
(AFP, Jun. 12, 2008) Taiwan
pressed its sovereignty claims over a disputed island chain on Thursday as
protesters demanded an apology from Japan for the sinking of a
Taiwanese fishing boat there.
Taiwan, China Upset as Boat
Collides with Japanese
(AFP, Jun. 10, 2008) A Taiwanese fishing boat
sank after colliding with a Japanese patrol vessel off a disputed island
chain, causing no serious injuries but triggering concern in Beijing
and Taipei,
officials said.
Japanese Warship to Visit
China
(China Daily, Jun. 3, 2008) A Japanese Maritime
Self Defense Force warship will visit China later this month as part of
the mutual visits by the two navies. The missile destroyer, Takanami, will be
the first Japanese warship making appearance in a Chinese harbor since the
end of the World War II.
Japan Urges Transparency in
China’s Defense Plans
(AFP, Jun. 1, 2008) Japan
urged China
on Saturday to be more transparent about its military capabilities and step
up dialogue with its neighbors to enhance regional security.
Japan Decides Not to Use
Military Craft to Aid China By Jim Yardley
(NYT, May 30, 2008) Japan on Thursday decided against
using military aircraft to deliver aid to earthquake victims in
China after Chinese officials reportedly expressed concerns about what would
have been the first Japanese military deployment to China since the two
countries were enemies during World War II.
Publics Still Cool as Japan,
China Pursue Warm Ties
(Reuters, May 9, 2008) China and Japan agreed amid fanfare this week that
friendly ties are vital, but a pair of pandas and ping-pong diplomacy aren't
enough to erase the deep distrust that could yet derail the detente between
the Asian rivals.
Japan
and China Seek to Build Trust Despite Feuds
(Reuters, May 7, 2008) Offers of pandas and vows of friendship between China
and Japan gave way to harder
questions on Wednesday as leaders of the two Asian powers met in a rare
summit intended to build mutual trust despite festering disputes.
Japan, South Korea Resume Summit Talks, Discuss North
Korea, Bilateral Issues (AP, Apr. 21,
2008) Japan's prime minister and the South Korean president agreed to open
"a new era" in relations between their countries as the two resumed
regular summit talks after a dispute over a Tokyo war shrine.
Tibet an 'International
Issue,' Japan PM Tells China
(AFP, Apr. 19, 2008) Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda bluntly told China that Tibetan unrest had become an international issue,
contradicting Beijing's
official line, and hinted it could hit the Olympics.
Lee Tells Paper He Would Like to be Adviser to Ma
(Taipei Times,
Apr 5, 2008) Former president Lee Teng-hui has told a Japanese daily that he
is interested in serving as an adviser to the new government on affairs
concerning Taiwan-Japan relations.
Japanese Official Speaks of
Potential Taiwan Alert
(AFP, Mar. 14, 2008) In a highly unusual remark for a Japanese official,
Nobushige Takamizawa, director general of the Defense Ministry's defense
policy bureau, said a contingency over Taiwan
would be "a security matter for Japan."
China, Japan Agree to
Strengthen Defense Cooperation
(Xinhau, Feb. 27, 2008) Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan and
Japanese Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Office of the Self-Defense Force
Saito Takashi agreed to strengthen defense cooperation between the two
countries.
Dumpling
Scare Should Not Harm Japan-China Ties: Ministers
(AFP, Feb. 11, 2008) A nationwide health scare in Japan
over contaminated Chinese dumplings should not harm warming Sino-Japanese
ties, the finance ministers of both countries agreed. China, which is Japan's
largest trading partner, has pleaded with Tokyo not to jump to conclusions and said
it was investigating the cause of the scare.
Japan Cautious on PRC Claims
of Political Sabotage
(AFP, Feb. 8, 2008) A senior Chinese official said the frozen dumplings,
which sickened at least 10 victims in Japan, may have been poisoned by people
opposed to friendly ties between the two countries. But Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary
Nobutaka Machimura said the Chinese side had "yet to reach a firm
conclusion."
Japan Dumpling Poisoning
'May Be Deliberate'
(Reuters, Feb. 6, 2008) Japan's
Health Minister said that China-made dumplings may have been deliberately
poisoned with pesticide. The mystery of the poisoned dumplings is a delicate
matter for sensitive Sino-Japanese ties and a domestic headache for Prime
Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
Japan Warship Leaves Port to Resume Anti-Terror
Mission in Indian Ocean (AP, Jan. 24, 2008) A Japanese navy destroyer
departed to resume the country's anti-terrorism mission in the Indian Ocean
after a divisive battle in parliament caused a three-month suspension. The
ships' refueling mission, in support of U.S.-led forces patrolling the Indian Ocean, was to begin in two to three weeks.
Japan's Parliament Passes Anti-Terror Bill to
Revive Indian Ocean Mission (AP, Jan. 11,
2008) Japan's ruling coalition forced a bill through parliament to revive a
U.S.-backed anti-terror mission in the Indian Ocean, clearing the way for
Japanese ships to return to the region after a months-long absence.
Chinese and Japanese Fighter Jets 'Faced Off in
September'
(Straits Times, Jan. 3, 2007) Chinese bombers and Japanese fighters faced off
without coming to blows above the East China Sea near disputed gas fields on
two days in September, a Japanese newspaper reported.
Tokyo Opposes
Taiwan's UN Referendum:
Fukuda
(AFP, Dec. 29, 2007) Tokyo opposes Taiwan's
planned referendum on UN membership, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda
said after holding talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. "We don't want
a situation in which Taiwan's
referendum leads to tensions between [the two sides]," said Fukuda.
Fukuda, Hu Agree to Seek Gas Rights Pact
(Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 29, 2007) Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Chinese
President Hu Jintao agreed to work toward an early settlement to the stalled
dispute over gas exploration rights in the East China Sea before Hu's visit
to Japan, which was confirmed for next spring.
China, Japan Leaders Seek to Resolve Disputes
(Reuters, Dec. 28, 2007) Japan and China, keen to improve ties plagued by wartime history,
sought to resolve disputes over energy resources, territory and military
build-ups at top-level talks.
The East China Sea Dispute
after Fukuda: Calmer Waters? By Shin Shoji (China Brief, Jamestown
Foundation, Sep. 3, 2008) While Ma Ying-jeou must reassess its Japan policy to place greater weight on
national security and regional stability over emotions, the ongoing political
hurricane in Tokyo
will make Ma’s job exceedingly difficult in the near term.
China Sees Japan Ties Steady
Post-Fukuda, Say Experts By Chris Buckley
(Reuters, Sep. 2, 2008) China
and Japan
will stay focused on improving long-strained ties after the departure of Japanese
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, even if conservative Taro Aso succeeds him,
Chinese experts said.
Japan Asks China to Make
Progress on Joint Gas Development Deal By Dune Lawrence (Bloomberg, Aug. 18, 2008) Japan's Foreign Minister concluded a
three-day visit to Beijing today after calling on China to move to the “next
stage” on an agreement to jointly develop gas fields in the East China Sea.
Japan PM Skips War Shrine;
Rightist Agenda Wanes By Joseph Coleman (AP,
Aug. 16, 2008) Japan's nationalists
were out in force at a war shrine Friday to mark the anniversary of Tokyo's
World War II surrender, but one key player was missing: the prime minister.
What is a “Normal” Japan?
Implications for Sino-Japanese Relations By Hiro Katsumata and Mingjiang Li (China Brief, Jamestown
Foundation, Aug. 1, 2008) The notion of a so-called “normal Japan” has been central to the
debate over the country’s security policy. The Japanese normalization
discourse and its active international security policy have put China
on the alert.
Revamping Relations with
Japan By Tsai Zheng-jia
(Taipei Times, Jul. 25, 2008) Taiwan’s Japan
policy should focus on resolving the conflicting interests between the two
countries and the reliance on “Japan experts” should end. From
now on, pragmatism should replace the old pro-Japan orientation.
Taiwan’s President Moves
toward Looser Japan, U.S. Ties By Jonathan Manthorpe
(Vancouver Sun, Jul. 21, 2008) An unforeseen effect of the coming to power in
Taiwan in May of president Ma Ying-jeou and the Kuomintang party is an apparent
loosening of relations with Japan and the United States, traditionally the
two guarantors of the island's independence.
Hu, Fukuda Warm China-Japan
Ties, Shifting Strategic Balance By Dune Lawrence and Bradley K. Martin
(Bloomberg, Jul. 7, 2008) The developing relationship between Asia's largest economies has implications for their
neighbors and around the world. Reassuring Asian nations that China's rise needn't pose a security threat
might also call into question the need for a U.S. counterweight.
Taiwan Steps Back from
Japan/Lack of Pro-Japan Officials Blamed for Ma Administration Trend By Toshinao Ishii (Yomiuri Shimbun, Jun. 28, 2008) Ma is keen to conclude a free
trade agreement and a fishing treaty with Japan, and also wants to expand
student-exchange programs. For its part, Japan
should expeditiously nurture ties with pro-Japan Taiwanese and provide more
help to Taiwan,
which hopes to become a member of various international organizations.
Japan, China Differ Over
Military Exchange By Toshimitsu Ishima and Chikara Shima (Yomiuri Shimbun, Jun. 26, 2008) Political observers say that by
playing host to the Sazanami, Beijing
hopes to give the impression of being forward-looking vis-a-vis information
disclosure. The Japanese side is hopeful the defense exchanges will help
prevent an escalation of conflict with China
if an unpredicted incident occurs in the East China Sea.
Japanese Warship Visits
Chinese Port By Howard W. French
(New York Times, Jun. 25, 2008) The visit of the
4,650-ton destroyer Sazanami, which was billed as an earthquake relief
mission, is being seen by many military and diplomatic analysts as part of a
broad and gradual reconciliation between the two countries.
Wrong Reaction to Boat
Collision By Lai I-chung
(Taipei Times, Jun. 22, 2008) Taipei’s reaction
has upset the balance of relations between Taiwan and the US, Japan and China
and will have ramifications for security in East Asia after the Beijing
Olympics in August.
Taiwan Should Step Back from
Collision Now
(Editorial, Yomiuri Shimbun, Jun. 18, 2008)
Taiwan's reaction to last week's collision between a Taiwanese fishing boat
and a Japan Coast Guard vessel has left a nasty taste in the mouth. We wonder
if Taipei's warming ties with Beijing have extended to
shared anti-Japanese feelings.
Taiwan-China Thaw
Overshadows Deep Taiwan-Japan Ties By Jason Miks (World Politics Review, Jun. 5, 2008) China appears determined
to capitalize on the new mood since incoming Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou
took office last month. However, it is not just China
that is likely to welcome a reduction in cross-Straits tensions, but also one
of Taiwan's closest
allies: Japan.
SDF Dispatch to China a
Historic Step Not Taken
(Editorial,
Yomiuri Shimbun, May 31, 2008) It is unfortunate to see that the Japanese
government has shelved its plan to dispatch Air Self-Defense Force C-130
transport airplanes to China
to carry relief supplies to earthquake victims in Sichuan Province.
But the current situation made the decision inevitable.
Japan
Fears Marginalization as US Turns to China By Joseph Nye
(Taipei Times, May 17, 2008) Many analysts currently detect malaise in Japan about its alliance with the US.
Some of this relates to North Korea’s
nuclear weapons and a concern that the US
will not adequately represent Japan’s
interests. Other issues concern the basing of US marines in Okinawa and
sharing the costs of moving some to Guam.
There is a deeper level of concern, however, which relates to Japan’s fear of
being marginalized as the US
turns toward a rising China.
Was the
Hu Japan Visit the Start of Better Ties? By Tsai
Zheng-jia
(Taipei Times, May 16, 2008) Chinese President Hu Jintao’s five-day
“spring warmth” visit to Japan
was just such a facelift to the always tense Sino-Japanese relationship. He
did not seek resolutions to fundamental problems or existing obstacles in the
relationship. Rather, the two countries merely signed their fourth communique
on a strategic partnership, pretending that all is well, while in reality the
relationship remains turbulent and filled with controversy.
On
Visit to Japan, China's Hu Has No Time for Old Grudges (Washington
Post, May 9, 2008) The two economic giants of Asia courted each other this
week during a five-day visit to Japan by Chinese President Hu
Jintao that played down wartime grudges and played up pragmatic cooperation.
In His Visit to Japan, China
Leader Seeks Amity
(New York Times, May 8, 2008) The leaders of China and Japan pledged
Wednesday to make their nations partners instead of rivals as the Chinese
president, Hu Jintao, began a good-will mission to Tokyo aimed at improving
often tense relations between the Asian powers.
China's Hu Heads to Japan
Seeking Trust and Respect
(Reuters, May 2, 2008) Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Japan next week
will be about soothing fears, not sealing deals, as Asia's two biggest powers
try to look past festering bilateral disputes and tensions over Tibet.
Ma Seen to Place Strong
Emphasis on Japan Ties as Taiwan President (Kyodo
News, Mar. 22, 2008) Taiwan's
relations with Japan look ready to turn a corner now the island's main opposition
Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Ma Ying-jeou clinched the next presidency.
Can China
and Japan
Think Together? By Shiping Tang and Haruko Satoh (PacNet 52, Pacific Forum, CSIS, Dec. 2007)
The thorny problem of history – which must be confronted – is as much a
problem of domestic politics and nationalism of both states as it is a
diplomatic one. And then there are conflicting issues of sovereignty, such as
the disputes over gas field, the Senkaku/Diaoyu Island or a potential mishap
over the issue of Taiwan
that could saddle the process of reconciliation. Nonetheless, China and Japan have been learning to
cooperate on a wide range of issues that may not each be fundamental but
constitute important building blocks.
Fukuda Brings New Warmth to China-Japan Ties
(Reuters, Dec. 28, 2007) China and Japan made no major breakthroughs in resolving a row
over natural resources in the East China Sea on Friday, but a visit by Japanese Prime
Minister Yasuo Fukuda signaled a new warmth in bilateral relations.
Japan Emerges as Key Battleground in Taiwan Presidential Race By Max Hirsch
(Kyodo News, Dec. 18, 2007) Such is the significance of Japan to Taiwan's Mar. 22 presidential
election, in which tacit support from the vital trading and strategic partner
could make or break the diplomacy platforms of Ma and Hsieh. Hence, Japan has emerged as a key battleground in the
political fight for Taiwan's
top job, as both frontrunners scramble to curry favor with Tokyo.
China and Japan's Regional Tug of War
(Straits Times, Nov. 24, 2007) The competition between China and Japan
to win the hearts and minds of the leaders and people of South-east
Asia was almost palpable at the Asean meetings this week. The
China-Japan competition for influence appears to be benefiting the region,
going by the flurry of economic activity it has spawned. However, it would
lead to uncertainty in the region of how to accommodate the different
interests of China and Japan,
especially in creating an East Asian identity.
|
