TOKYO (AP) — Reaffirming his hawkish stance on China, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said
Friday that Japan will not negotiate with Beijing over a contested cluster of
uninhabited islands and that China was “wrong” for allowing violent protests
over the territorial dispute.
Abe, who took office just over
two weeks ago, had much warmer words for South Korea, despite strained ties
with Seoul over a separate territorial spat and other issues. Abe said he hoped
to establish a trusting relationship with President-elect Park Geun-hye as soon
as possible.
“Both nations share liberal and
democratic values, and have respect for basic human rights and the rule of
law,” Abe said.
He spoke as U.S. officials
prepared to visit Japan and South Korea to ensure the key American allies are
committed to mending their relationship.
Abe, who has declared economic
growth to be his top priority, made the comments at a news conference at which
he announced more than 20 trillion yen ($224 billion) in new stimulus to
jumpstart Japan’s anemic economy.
The aim is to boost growth by 2
percent and create 600,000 jobs, he said. Tensions with China — Japan’s top
trading partner — are likely to complicate that task.
A decision by the Japanese
government to buy a group of tiny islands in the East China Sea from their
private Japanese owners in September set off protests in China that damaged
Japanese-owned factories and stores around the country.
Boycotts of Japanese products in
China have hurt Japan’s exporters and added to uncertainties over their
extensive investments in mainland China. Toyota and Nissan have seen vehicle
sales in China drop sharply in recent months.
Asked how he could maintain his
staunch stance on the East China Sea islands, called Senkaku in Japanese and
Diaoyu in Chinese, while protecting Japan’s substantial business interests in
China, Abe blamed Beijing for any deterioration in business ties.
“It was wrong for China, as a
country responsible to the international community, to achieve a political goal
by allowing damage to Japanese-affiliated companies and Japanese nationals that
have made contributions to Chinese economy,” Abe said. “I want to clearly state
that.”
Abe warned that such an approach
would not only hurt bilateral ties but also negatively affect China’s own
economy.
“A relationship based on common
strategic interests requires mutual respect,” he said, referring to China. “It is
that kind of relationship based on common strategic interests that I want to
restore.”
China’s Foreign Ministry rejected
Abe’s characterization of last year’s violence and the dispute over the
islands, saying tensions were solely Japan’s fault. Ministry spokesman Hong Lei
said the islands belong to China, and thus over-flights by Chinese airplanes
amounted to normal patrols.
“The current severe difficulties
in Japan-China relations are completely of the Japanese side’s making. We ask
the Japanese side to face reality and to show sincerity so as to make concrete
efforts to resolve the relevant issues properly,” Hong said at a daily media
briefing in Beijing.
China’s Defense Ministry also
said it had sent two fighter jets near the disputed islands on Thursday after a
Chinese surveillance plane reported being closely followed by two Japanese
F-15s. No contact between the sides was reported.
Japanese Defense Minister
Itsunori Onodera said there have been increasing numbers of patrols by Chinese
planes and ships in the area in recent weeks.
Abe’s stimulus package includes
plans to raise military spending for the first time in a decade — an increase
partly aimed at beefing up monitoring and defenses around the disputed islands.
Chinese vessels have frequently ventured into areas near the islands.
The top U.S. diplomat for East
Asia, Kurt Campbell, said Thursday the U.S. will urge “care and caution” in the
East China Sea dispute.
Senior officials from the State
Department, the Pentagon and the White House will travel to South Korea and
Japan next week. Bumpy relations between the two U.S. allies are a source of
concern for the U.S. as it makes a “pivot” toward the Asia-Pacific, shifting
diplomatic and military attention from Iraq and Afghanistan.
In June, a planned
intelligence-sharing pact between Japan and South Korea was derailed. Then in
August, a visit by South Korea’s outgoing President Lee Myung-bak to small
islands claimed by both nations led to angry exchanges between Tokyo and Seoul.
Perceptions in Seoul that Abe
wants to minimize or whitewash Japan’s wartime past also threaten to undermine
the relationship. Abe has suggested that Japan’s landmark 1993 apology for the
suffering of World War II sex slaves, many of them Korean women, needs
revising.
Campbell said the visit by U.S.
officials was to ensure both governments are committed to “rebuilding” their
ties.
Signaling Tokyo’s determination
to expand its trade and investment with other Asia-Pacific nations, Abe
dispatched his foreign minister, Fumio Kishida, on visits to the Philippines,
Singapore, Brunei and Australia this week.
Abe himself will be making his
first trip abroad next week to Southeast Asia, with plans to visit Indonesia,
Vietnam and Thailand to strengthen ties already growing as Japanese
manufacturers boost investments and marketing in the region.
“These three countries are
engines for growth of the world economy,” chief government spokesman Yoshihide
Suga told reporters Thursday. He deflected suggestions that Tokyo was seeking
to counterbalance China.
“I don’t view respecting
relations with the rest of Asia as a countermeasure against China,” he said.
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Strategy, Investment and Management, focusing Health care and Life Science with expertise in ASEAN 's area. We are currently changing the platform of www.yourvietnamexpert.com, if any request, please, contact directly Dr Christian SIODMAK, business strategist, owner and CEO of SBC at christian.siodmak@gmail.com. Many thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment