China and Japan held their sixth round of the dialogue in Tokyo
over the weekend and the strategic talks has kept the all-important
communication channels open.
The two countries initiated the talks last year to scrutinize
the strategic dimensions of the bilateral relations. For the two
negotiators, Vice-Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo and Japanese
Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shotaro Yachi, it is a tough job
but vitally important one. China and Japan have drifted far apart
by deteriorating political circumstances.
Summits between the leaders of the two countries have been
called off in the past because of Japan's outgoing Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi's annual pilgrimage to the Yasukuni Shrine.
Opening dialogue as a channel to better communicate with each
other is of great significance for the two countries stuck in a
strained relationship. They now have the opportunity to negotiate
on issues of common concern and discuss divisive matters.
Koizumi moved out of the prime minister's official residence
last Thursday. He will hand the reins of Japanese Government to
Shinzo Abe, newly elected president of Japan's ruling Liberal
Democratic Party. The extra session of Japan's Diet is expected to
approve Abe's premiership tomorrow.
Hopes are pinned on the new prime minister.
The messages from Japan so far are unclear and confusing. Abe
set forth a "strategic Asian diplomacy" in his race for prime
minister, especially fixing Japan's relations with China and the
Republic of Korea.
He vowed to do his utmost to create an atmosphere in which the
two countries can look at the future and discuss frankly what each
other should do.
The historical issue, the real thorn in the soured bilateral
relations, has been excluded. The new leader of Japan has decided
to leave the issue to historians. He has remained silent regarding
future visits to the Yasukuni Shrine.
Earlier this month, Abe said Japan had "caused great sufferings
and left scars on the peoples of many countries." The language,
which echoes apologies for Japan's wartime aggression from previous
leaders, was conciliatory.
At the same time, he claimed that it was not necessary to
repeatedly apologize at the change of each administration.
Japan should fully understand the main reason for the
deterioration of bilateral relations: the Japanese leader's
pilgrimage to the Yasukuni.
China has been willing to work with Japan to remove the
political obstacles and improve and develop bilateral ties and
China has been waiting for sincere responses from its
neighbor.
?
It is time to reduce the negative diplomatic fallout that continues
to haunt the bilateral relations.
However Japan's strategy of ambiguity regarding the historical
issue will not help for mend the political dimension of the
bilateral relations.
(China Daily September 25, 2006)
