Japan more likely to look to Asia in 1995
Japan more likely to look to Asia in 1995
By Miu Oikawa Dieter
TOKYO (Kyodo): Ties with Asian neighbors are likely to
dominate the minds of Japanese diplomats in 1995.
"Relations with the United States are essential, but it's only
natural, at this stage in history, for Japan to shift its
diplomatic weight to Asia," said legislator Shintaro Ishihara in
a book co-authored with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad.
It is time for Japan and Asia to stand up to the U.S. and
Europe, which impose "selfish" trade and political policies on
Asian countries, Mahathir and Ishihara wrote in The Asia That Can
Say No.
The book, which sold 65,000 copies since being published in
late October, calls for Japan to return to its Asian roots. It
urges Japan to join the East Asia Economic Caucus (EAEC), an
Asian trade grouping excluding the U.S., which Mahathir proposed
in 1990. While the Japanese government remains noncommittal on
the EAEC plan in consideration of Washington's opposition to it,
the Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren), Japan's
most influential economic lobby, recently suggested that Japan
join the grouping.
Although the inclination is already notable in the trade and
cultural spheres, Japan will have opportunities to focus more on
Asia in 1995 as it hosts the summit and ministerial meetings in
Osaka of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in
fall.
For many Asian countries, the year 1995, the 50th anniversary
of the end of World War II, also marks half a century since they
gained independence, while Japan and South Korea will be
celebrating the 30th year since establishing diplomatic
relations.
"There's a possibility that with all those things happening in
1995, Japan will be put into a difficult corner," said a Foreign
Ministry official in charge of analyzing international affairs.
"We have to pay close attention so that minor events won't
develop into major problems."
Diplomats particularly worry about possible tensions that may
arise over Japan's wartime role. Controversies similar to the
one over a since-abandoned U.S. plan to issue stamps hailing
atomic bombs as speeding the end of the war are also likely to
recur, they say.
"Memories of the past will inevitably become vivid," said a
top Foreign Ministry official. "Close cooperation among
governments is necessary to avoid any negative effects."
Shunji Yanai, director general of the ministry's Foreign
Policy Bureau, said in an interview that in 1995 Japan wants to
focus on promoting cooperative relations with Asia-Pacific
countries, which have been lagging behind until now.
"We want to promote dialogue with the Asia-Pacific region in
political and security spheres, not just on the economic front,"
Yanai said.
But while Japan hopes to have a bigger say on the political
scene in the region, its role during World War II has hindered it
from taking the leadership.
In 1993, then Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa offered the
most explicit apology yet of any postwar Japanese leader for
Japan's wartime aggression in Asia.
But frequent remarks by cabinet ministers denying wartime
responsibility have not helped remove the lingering criticism
among Asian nations that Tokyo has not come to grips with its
past.
In a bid to express remorse for its role in World War II,
Japan unveiled in August a 100 billion yen project to promote
historical research and exchanges with Asian nations.
But the decade-long program, which rules out individual
compensation, failed to satisfy war victims abroad, including
women who were forced as "comfort women" into sexual slavery for
Japanese soldiers before and during the war.
"How we view the past is important, but it's also necessary to
think ahead, about what to do in the next 50, 100 years," a high-
ranking ministry official said. "It's especially important to
think of Japan's future relations with Asia-Pacific countries."
Such future-oriented relations with some countries are already
in place, including that with South Korea, according to the
ministry. The remaining task for Japan, the official said, is to
normalize relations with North Korea.
Ministry officials say Tokyo has made several contacts with
Pyongyang over the past few months in a bid to reopen talks on
normalization of diplomatic relations. But North Korea has yet
to agree to resumption of the talks, suspended since November
1992.
After eight rounds of talks starting from 1991, the North
Korean delegation walked out in protest at Japan's
request.
Pyongyang also refuses to discuss its nuclear problem with
Tokyo, which considers the matter essential to address.
"Having no diplomatic ties five decades after the end of World
War II is abnormal," said the official. "The 50th anniversary
may serve as a good opportunity to resume bilateral talks."