[edisonone]

BEIJING, April 13- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao addressed the Japanese Parliament Thursday, the first by a Chinese leader in 22 years. In his speech on Sino-Japanese friendship and cooperation, Premier Wen says his current visit to Japan is aimed at learning about the latest developments in Japan and contributing to improving and developing bilateral ties. He also made a call to push Sino-Japanese ties to new stage.

During his speech, Premier Wen Jiabao says he hopes that after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ice-breaking visit to China last October, his trip will be ice thawing. The premier's speech carries a theme of advancing Sino-Japanese friendship and cooperation. He says the future of bilateral relations requires upholding the time-honored historical tradition of friendly relations between China and Japan.

Wen Jiabao said, "Despite the twists and turns that have been experienced in developing Sino-Japanese ties, the foundation of friendship between the two peoples remains as solid as Taishan and Fuji mountains. Realizing a better future for Sino-Japanese relations needs persistent efforts from the governments and peoples of both nations."

Premier Wen says for China and Japan work to realize its goal of advancing bilateral relations, he suggested following 5 principles.

First, to build up mutual trust and fulfill pledges and commitments. Second, to bear in mind overall interests and seek common ground while reserving differences. Third, to seek joint development based on equality and mutual benefit. Fourth, to strengthen exchanges with an eye on future. And fifth, to work closely to deal with challenges.

Premier Wen said, "Our goal is to advance the relationship between China and Japan to a higher level by meeting both historical trends and the will of the people. We also need to realize peaceful co-existence, long-standing friendship, mutually beneficial cooperation and joint development."

Wen says this year marks the 35th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between China and Japan and their bilateral relationship has advanced. This development has brought tangible benefits to people of both countries.

Wen Jiabao arrived in Tokyo Wednesday for a 3-day official visit.



"A Thousand Li's, as they say, starts with a single step."

Bravo, Premier Wen!

[Renmin]

We could get along just fine if it wernt for their damn education system stuffing their children with phrases like
China attacked Japan first
Japan was there to liberate China
Nanjing never happened
Japanese were slottered by Chinese
Japan never invaded China

GRRRRRR! IT MAKES ME SOOO MAD!
DAMN JAPANESE EDUCATION SYSTEM!
DAMN JAPANESE TEXT BOOKS!

[Red Fox Ace]

I totally agree with you, Renmin, but let's say, what if Japan never makes a move? What if Japan never apologizes?


Will it then be up to Beijing to make the next move and to move ahead with improving relations regardless? You do realize that this impasse over Japanese war crimes could go on for 20, 50, 100 years. It's probably up to Beijing to move on.

[Renmin]

Red Fox Ace, on Apr 14 2007, 01:44 PM, said:

I totally agree with you, Renmin, but let's say, what if Japan never makes a move? What if Japan never apologizes?
Will it then be up to Beijing to make the next move and to move ahead with improving relations regardless? You do realize that this impasse over Japanese war crimes could go on for 20, 50, 100 years. It's probably up to Beijing to move on.

Yes, I understand your statement.
Japan alone probably will not change. Its up to Beijing try to eliminate issues between the two. Time will come where Beijing will eventaully convince the Japanese to apologize and remove their lies. This is less supported by many Chinese who were victims of Japanese or were born in families that were victims. It is quite unpopular. China-Japan relations have already improved but the scar that Japan has left and the lies they continue to feed to their youth remains in the hearts and minds of the Chinese.

[Cyberdante]

Well to be honest, my generation will never be that fond of the Japs or the Jerries. Thing is we lost family in the war to both and they were you know Uncles etc - close family to my Mum & Dad. We lost an Uncle captured in Singapor and who died of horrible desiese and starvation in Burma building that railway. My poor old Mum and my Gran never got over it and we kids knew how much it hurt them. Of course we grew up hating the Japs for what they done.

This post has been edited by Cyberdante: 14 April 2007 - 06:23 PM

[edisonone]

Renmin, on Apr 14 2007, 07:12 AM, said:

We could get along just fine if it wernt for their damn education system stuffing their children with phrases like
China attacked Japan first
Japan was there to liberate China
Nanjing never happened
Japanese were slottered by Chinese
Japan never invaded China

GRRRRRR! IT MAKES ME SOOO MAD!
DAMN JAPANESE EDUCATION SYSTEM!
DAMN JAPANESE TEXT BOOKS!

But RenMin, that's
nationalism. Don't forget, we praise our own too, regardless
of the histories of it.

I mean I can still remember the little red book and how we used
to take it as if a bible and how some in the far extremes (Red Guards)
destroyed many lives in China because of the indoctrination in it.

My father was a victim because he was a school principle from the KMT days. But,
I have come to understand that it is not as a result of orders from the top, but rather,
because local authorities who abuses the power of authority vest in them instead.

I mean should I then hold a grudge against my
own native country because of how some local authorities had
abuses the power they have? Of course not.

In any case, not to worry RenMin because
the important thing is East Asian unity and we can't achieve this objective
if without Japan as a member of the team.

In due course, regardless of how they've rewritten their history,
they will come to know of 20th century history exactly as how 20th century
history was played out just as how we Chinese have come to know of the
legacies of Emperor Chin which we so bases our prided and honor.

[Renmin]

edisonone, on Apr 14 2007, 03:29 PM, said:

But RenMin, that's
nationalism. Don't forget, we praise our own too, regardless
of the histories of it.

I mean I can still remember the little red book and how we used
to take it as if a bible and how some in the far extremes (Red Guards)
destroyed many lives in China because of the indoctrination in it.

My father was a victim because he was a school principle from the KMT days. But,
I have come to understand that it is not as a result of orders from the top, but rather,
because local authorities who abuses the power of authority vest in them instead.

I mean should I then hold a grudge against my
own native country because of how some local authorities had
abuses the power they have? Of course not.

In any case, not to worry RenMin because
the important thing is East Asian unity and we can't achieve this objective
if without Japan as a member of the team.

In due course, regardless of how they've rewritten their history,
they will come to know of 20th century history exactly as how 20th century
history was played out just as how we Chinese have come to know of the
legacies of Emperor Chin which we so bases our prided and honor.

Well Said Edi! Many people do not come to realize that local autorities abused their power as a matter of just to keep their position. People instead blame the disaster of the Cultural Rev. on Chairman Mao. This is ofcourse untrue.

I understand.
Japan must feel the history is too damaging to teach but what they are doing is not recognizing some 20 million people who were brutally slautered, tortured, and raped to death.
No matter, as you say, they will all eventually come to know the truth since almost everyone knows it.
What angers me is that people know the crimes the japanese commited but never really recognize it. Even in the west, they only talk like a paragraph about what Japanese did not even going to the details of their crimes and yet, they go about a huge chapter moaning about how terrible the Holocaust is where the killing of 6 million jews. However, the murdering of Jews did not even come close to how the Chinese, Koreans, and many others were murderd. For one thing, there was no rape with Nazis, nor was there killing games, etc (you get the picture). Not only is the crimes not recognized by Japan, but the west puts little effort too.

[tanzen]

Quote

Not only is the crimes not recognized by Japan, but the west puts little effort too.

The West is in denial about a lot of the atrocities it has perpetrated upon the peoples of the global South. Why? Well it would mean admitting to a lot of barbaric actions which they would rather forget. Westerners are always preaching about how everybody else should forget the past and move on. The Europeans tell that to all their former colonials and the north Americans tell it to the blacks, the Indians, and the Latinos. Maybe the Japanese learned this form of revisionist mendacity from them? Ya think?

[Roger604]

Wow, 100,000 Okinawans turn out to protest the Japanese government's distortion of history. Once again the "pure" Japanese show their contempt for Okinawa. Okinawa has been a vassal state of China since ancient times. The Japanese continue to use Okinawans as a colony to house the imperialist US soldiers.

The Chinese must not forget! We must liberate the Okinawans. The Ryukyu Islands must be returned to China.

Quote

100,000 Protest Over Japan Textbook

By CHISAKI WATANABE – 15 hours ago

TOKYO (AP) — More than 100,000 people protested Saturday in southern Japan against the central government's order to modify school textbooks which say the country's army forced civilians to commit mass suicide at the end of World War II.

Publishers of history textbooks were ordered in December to modify sections that said the Japanese army — faced with an impending U.S. invasion in 1945 — handed out grenades to residents in Okinawa and ordered them to kill themselves rather than surrender to the Americans.

The amendment order came amid moves by Tokyo to soften brutal accounts of Japanese wartime conduct, but triggered immediate condemnation from residents and academics.

About 110,000 residents and politicians attended Saturday's rallies in the prefecture (state) of Okinawa, said Yoshino Uetsu, one of the organizers.

"We cannot bury the fact that the Japanese military was involved in the mass suicide, taking into account of the general background and testimonies that hand grenades were delivered," Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima told a crowd gathered at a park in Ginowan City.

Accounts of forced group suicides on Okinawa are backed by historical research, as well as testimonies from victims' relatives. Historians also say civilians were induced by government propaganda to believe U.S. soldiers would commit horrible atrocities and therefore killed themselves and their families to avoid capture.

About 500 people committed suicide, according to civic group and media reports.

In recent years, some academics have questioned whether the suicides were forced — part of a general push by Japanese conservatives to soften criticism of Tokyo's wartime conduct.

The bloody battle in Okinawa raged from late March through June 1945, leaving more than 200,000 civilians and soldiers dead, and speeding the collapse of Japan's defenses. The U.S. occupied Okinawa from the end of World War II until 1972.

New textbooks for use in Japanese schools must be screened and approved by a government-appointed panel, which can order corrections of perceived historical inaccuracies. The publishers of seven textbooks slated for use in high schools next year had been asked to make relevant changes and submit them for approval.

An official of the Education Ministry said Saturday that the ministry has no immediate plans concerning the amendment. She spoke on condition of anonymity, citing policy.

Saturday's rally was the largest in Okinawa since the island was returned to Japan by the United States in 1972, Kyodo News agency said. In 1995, 85,000 people took part in a rally following the 1995 rape of a schoolgirl there by three American servicemen, according to the agency.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ihzE9YL...P6SGKgD8RVGM2O1

[Ruriko Ikusawa]

Quote

We could get along just fine if it wernt for their damn education system stuffing their children with phrases like
China attacked Japan first
Japan was there to liberate China
Nanjing never happened
Japanese were slottered by Chinese
Japan never invaded China

GRRRRRR! IT MAKES ME SOOO MAD!
DAMN JAPANESE EDUCATION SYSTEM!
DAMN JAPANESE TEXT BOOKS!

It's like this in every education system of a capitalistic country; U.S.A. is a beacon of "Freedom", The E.U. is a haven of Human Rights, blah blah blah. I believe that the Pro-US Establishment in Japan will eventually recede into history, and the two nations will finally get along. They have more similarities than differences.

Quote

What angers me is that people know the crimes the japanese commited but never really recognize it. Even in the west, they only talk like a paragraph about what Japanese did not even going to the details of their crimes and yet, they go about a huge chapter moaning about how terrible the Holocaust is where the killing of 6 million jews. However, the murdering of Jews did not even come close to how the Chinese, Koreans, and many others were murderd. For one thing, there was no rape with Nazis, nor was there killing games, etc (you get the picture). Not only is the crimes not recognized by Japan, but the west puts little effort too.

Difference is that Israel is a Vassal State of the U.S. that serves its interests.

Quote

Okinawa has been a vassal state of China since ancient times.

Quote

The Chinese must not forget! We must liberate the Okinawans. The Ryukyu Islands must be returned to China.

By your logic, Lithuania owns Poland, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova and Trandinestria. I've also heard similar excuses from Zionists, and it doesn't work. I agree that Japan should appologise for its crimes, but dismembering Japan will only make things worse. A China as Imperialistic as this would be no better than The West.

[Roger604]

Ruriko Ikusawa, on Sep 30 2007, 05:13 PM, said:

By your logic, Lithuania owns Poland, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Moldova and Trandinestria. I've also heard similar excuses from Zionists, and it doesn't work. I agree that Japan should appologise for its crimes, but dismembering Japan will only make things worse. A China as Imperialistic as this would be no better than The West.

No actually, China does own the Ryukyu Islands. They were ceded to Japan in a treaty where Japan promised not to engage in aggression against China. That promise was broken.

After WW2, returning Ryukyu Islands to China was on the table. But Chiang Kai Shek didn't have the foresight to make it happen.

[Ruriko Ikusawa]

Quote

No actually, China does own the Ryukyu Islands. They were ceded to Japan in a treaty where Japan promised not to engage in aggression against China. That promise was broken.

What treaty?

[Roger604]

The Japanese took control of Okinawa in 1879, so they stopped paying tribute to China. The first Sino-Japanese War happened shortly after that. By the treaty ending the war, China indicated that it would not contest Japanese control of Okinawa.

[Violet Oboe]

I have to admit that I'm somewhat positively surprised about the developments in Japan since several viciously anti-China figures like Koizumi and Aso (...Abe turned out to be better than suspected) are out of the picture for now and Fukuda seems to be honestly interested in mending fences with China.

Obviously Japan's business chiefs were successful in their campaign to dissuade nationalist hotheads and fatuous US puppets from damaging the pivotal economic relationship with China since Japan's zaibatsu bosses are fully aware of the fact that Japan's economic future is progressively more and more dependent on a prospering China.
(...China has already replaced the US as Japan's trade partner no.1 in '05!)

[Player 0]

IMO, Japan's government is finally realizing the free ride is over, the neo-cons in America are seriously losing their popularity, although they seem to be growing in the EU, with them in the US its doubtful Japan can get away with its hijinks, as such they're becoming desperate to resolve issues with its neighbors just in a government with less belligerent and less anti-Sino policies gets into power in the US, one that won't support Japanese bravado.

Of course when can see a distinct difference between Japan and its western counterparts, whereas Japan is trying to mend fences, the neo-cons in the west are much more aggressive about going to war with Iran and berating China, especially about the Olympics and other various international issues, they're like cornered animals, once they're near death they'll go to insane lengths to increase their life span, even a little.

[edisonone]

Maybe, just maybe, the sweets we're
offering our Nippon brothers is so tempting that we'll win them over just yet
- without any controversies whatsoever.

Quote

Japan's Mitsubishi
Heavy enters Chinese nuclear
power market

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy enters Chinese nuclear power market

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is making
a full-scale entry into China's growing market for nuclear power generation as
it has won a major order there, the company said Friday.
.

Long live East Asian unity!

[Roger604]

Quote

网友:外交部出人意料地提出东海油田不容谈判!

两会期间,在中日东海谈判中,外交部出人意料地提出东海油田不容谈判,
愿意和日本共同开发钓鱼岛,这一主张让中外人士大跌眼睛.据悉,中日东海协商是温总在主导,外交部强所提是温总所授意,温总不但是总理,同是也是国家能源领导小组组长,在石油问题上是绝对的一哥.

作为地质出身的总理,温总深知其东海的战略意义.因而从去年以来,温总就提出稳住阵脚,以静制动,步步为营对日外交方针.在具体实施中,温总指示发改委外交部总参谋部对东海问题做综作研究,提出系统解决方案.

后来,按照温总指示精神,总参有人提出"吃一个,夹一个,看一个"的对日外交方针,这一方针是刘伯承在指挥淮海大战时首创的,今日总参再度提出,刀峰仍然见寒光.

所谓"吃一个",就是吃定东海油田,决不承认日本提出的中间线主线;"夹一个"就是夹住钓鱼岛,向日本提出共同开发主张;这三个方针里面最具意义的就是" 看一个",就是在谈判中,伺机提出硫球群岛归属,要求日方就硫球群岛主权向中国归还进行谈判,中方保证硫球群岛资本主义制度五十年不变,中方所引用文件是晚清是档案,中方从末就硫球群岛向日本割让,是日本强取毫夺,做为让步,中方愿意承认硫球群岛现被日本统治现状,但希望中日能将以香港回归模式解决硫球群岛归属.

目前中方以将"夹一个"这张牌打出去,提出共同开发钓鱼岛,日本为此恼努之极,双方在下轮谈判中仍将就共同开发钓鱼岛进行谈判.但可以预计,以小日本的狼子野心,绝对不会同意中方的主张,因此这是没有结果的.但中方不为所动,在今年第三轮蹉商中,将打出"看一个"的牌------- 硫球群岛归属.

硫球群岛归属一旦提出,温总就把战火烧到了日本的后院.呵呵,看来温总要在西太平洋中和小日本打一场"淮海大战了".

琉球群岛是西太平洋一系列岛屿，位于中国台湾岛与日本九州岛之间。呈东北-西南向。琉球群岛从北到南，包括大隅诸岛、吐噶喇列岛、奄美诸岛（ 统称 “萨南诸岛”，属鹿儿岛县），冲绳诸岛和先岛诸岛（统称“琉球诸岛”，属冲绳县？？）。面积共4，600多平方公里。人口140多万（1985）。多低山，最高点宫之浦岳海拔1，935米（在大隅诸岛的屋久岛）。亚热带气候，为常夏岛，年降水量2，000-3，000毫米，多台风。 甘蔗和菠萝是两大特产，还产甘薯。猪、牛亦多。近海渔业发达。主要城市有那霸、名濑等。旅游业甚盛。

http://junshi.blog.c...10/1040403.html

Interesting.... according to this article, there are hints coming out from the government that it will press ownership claim on Ryukyu Islands based on history.

[Roger604]

Some good news from Japan. It looks like Fukuda is totally somebody we can work with.

Without Japan's support, the DPP cannot get any recognition even if they declare independence. Let them wither on the vine!

Quote

Tokyo Opposes Taiwan's UN Referendum: Fukuda

Agence France Presse, Dec. 29, 2007

Tokyo opposes Taiwan's planned referendum on UN membership, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said yesterday 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, who is in China for a four-day visit.

China has been angered by the Democratic Progressive Party's insistence on holding a referendum alongside the presidential election next year on whether to seek UN membership using the name "Taiwan."

Many countries, including the US, have opposed the referendum, saying it could be seen as a step to declaring full independence.

"I told Prime Minster Wen that we can't support any unilateral action that is aimed at changing the `status quo,'" Fukuda said.

The Japanese prime minister's comment came after Wen told reporters that "the Chinese side understands that Japan will keep its one China policy and will not support Taiwan's independence."

"Prime Minister Fukuda assured me that he wouldn't support Taiwan's referendum," Wen said.

Tokyo switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1972 and has since barred official contacts with Taiwan.

Quote

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, as the two met in Beijing on Friday.

Before meeting Hu at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Fukuda also talked with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the Great Hall of the People.

In addition to the gas exploration issue, Fukuda and Chinese leaders agreed to establish centers in major Chinese cities to introduce Japanese energy conservation and environmental technologies, and to train 10,000 Chinese on environmental matters over the next three years.

It was Fukuda's first visit to China since becoming prime minister.

At the opening of the summit meeting, Hu welcomed Fukuda by saying: "The Chinese people respect and know very well about you and your father [former Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda]. In 2003 when the China-Japan relationship was in difficulty, you visited China, and after becoming the prime minister, you've emphasized the significance of the good friendship of China and Japan.

"I believe your visit this time will further promote the bilateral strategic, mutually beneficial relationship," Hu said.

In return, Fukuda said, "I am very grateful for your warm welcome at such a late stage of the year."

Between his meeting with the Chinese president and talks with Wen, Fukuda said at a press conference, "We've deepened our mutual understanding [on the gas exploration issue] and I can confirm we could make progress toward concrete measures for a solution." Fukuda said. "We shared a firm resolve to settle [the issue] quickly."

A government source said, "Japan and China recently have become able to discuss specific measures on how to carry out joint exploration of the gas field."

Concerning Taiwan's planned referendum over whether its citizens support joining the United Nations under the name Taiwan, Fukuda said, "If [the referendum] may cause Taipei to unilaterally change the [political] status quo, I can't support it."

Wen welcomed Fukuda's remarks.

Fukuda and Wen also confirmed Hu would visit Japan next spring "around the time the cherry blossoms bloom."

The two governments plan to discuss the detailed schedule of Hu's visit, with late March as the most likely choice.

The two condemned Thursday's assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

On North Korea, the two leaders confirmed they will work closer to solve the issue of Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions through the six-party talks process.

Fukuda spoke of his objective of improving Japan-North Korea relations through dialogues, which would include the issue of Japanese abducted by Pyongyang.

Fukuda also urged China to join a post-Kyoto Protocol framework to reduce greenhouse gases beginning in 2013.

===

3 documents signed

Both governments signed three documents--a joint statement of scientific and technological cooperation to deal with climate change; a memorandum containing details on exchanges for young Chinese and Japanese; and an agreement to cooperate on nuclear fusion research.

Fukuda also met Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

[Roger604]

Damn... the relatively pro-Japanese PM resigns.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1220272533...=googlenews_wsj

Now who will Beijing have to deal with? Some new Aso in Tokyo?

[Roger604]

A published essay by a senior Japanese general blamed China and other Asian countries for WW2 and said that Japan was doing the right thing.

He has been sacked. It's good to see the Japanese militarism isn't totally rampant.

http://search.japant...20081102a1.html