Koizumi's progress

New leaders often bring in new policies and new styles, and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is trying hard to do a great deal of both. This week, he acted to reduce lingering Chinese resentment about Japan's World War II record, and to give his country's modern armed forces an expanded global role. The two items are linked, and both would have seemed impossible for Mr. Koizumi's predecessors of recent decades.

In Beijing, Mr. Koizumi spoke publicly about the Japanese role in frank terms. "I looked at the various exhibits with a feeling of heartfelt apology and condolences for those Chinese people who were victims of aggression," he said. Beijing for years has complained about Tokyo's refusal to issue an official apology for its wartime actions. It appears that both sides will now accept this statement as the next best thing; that should do much to improve the general tone of their discourse and let them deal more easily with current issues.

However, Mr. Koizumi got something in return. He is pushing new laws to let Japan's Self-Defense Forces provide support services for the U.S. military in the fight against terrorism.

President Jang Zemin said he found it "easy to understand" why Japan wanted to do this, though he cautioned Mr. Koizumi to "remember the wariness" of other Asians. Thus the Japanese leader both reassured China in one area and won its tacit approval in another -- more progress than any of his predecessors could manage.

-- South China Morning Post, Hong Kong