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Hiroshi Yuasa

【#231】Present Imperialism Is More Terrible Than Past Militarism

Hiroshi Yuasa ／ 2014.01.29 (Wed)


January 26, 2014

　　　　　　China's Foreign Ministry has grown vigorous after a long interval. It has taken Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Yasukuni Shrine late last year as providing a chance for its diplomatic rollback, ordering Chinese ambassadors throughout the world to launch Abe-bashing campaigns. “Regrettably what Mr. Abe did has raised the specter of militarism rising again in Japan,” said Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming. Based on common sense, however, I believe that imperialistic actions of the present Chinese Empire are far more terrible than the Japanese militarism seen two generations ago.

China uses "history" card for diplomatic offensive
　　　　　　The Chinese military committed a blunder by coming under international fire last November for establishing an air defense identification zone that overlaps the Japanese and South Korean zones. A Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson flatly brushed off Japanese and U.S. protests against the Chinese ADIZ establishment, demonstrating China's arrogance that stimulated anti-Chinese criticisms in South Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and even Europe
　　　　　　Then came Prime Minister Abe's visit to Yasukuni Shrine. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, which usually falls behind the military, took advantage of the news to overshadow the ADIZ problem and redeem itself against the military.
　　　　　　Chinese ambassadors in the United States, Britain, France, Germany and South Korea have stepped up stereotyped bashing campaigns in their contributions to major media, criticizing the Abe administration for "denying past aggression, allowing militarism to rise and raising the threat of war." A Japan-bashing contribution to an Israeli newspaper referred to the Jewish massacre by the Nazis and branded Japan's wartime Prime Minister Hideki Tojo as "Asian Hitler"
　　　　　　China's "history" card is a typical tool to emphasize the past Japan as a country of war criminals. Chinese diplomats' weakness is that they use excessive rhetoric repeating incredible remarks saying Japan could go for militarism again.

Japan's peace index is higher
　　　　　　Indonesia's Kompas Daily newspaper in its editorial made a rebuttal to Chinese arguments, noting that Prime Minister Abe does not wish to see the revival of militarism. It also indicated a caution against China’s naval buildup. Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao newspaper said China's argument for the revival of Japanese militarism lacked reasonable ground. Hong Kong's Ming Pao paper cited a scholar as saying Japan's peace index is far higher than China's. Asian countries other than South Korea have demonstrated their checks on the present Chinese imperialism.
　　　　　　Japan now has a chance to use facts for rebutting Chinese ambassadors' excessive rhetoric. When a Chinese warship locked its weapon-targeting radar on a Japanese Maritime-Self Defense vessel last year, Japanese ambassadors found it difficult to have their anti-China criticisms carried by European and American newspapers. Now that these papers carry Chinese ambassadors' anti-Japan criticisms, Japanese ambassadors are entitled to fairly and squarely rebut outrageous Chinese arguments. At the same time, it is needless to say that they are required to make efforts to lure U.S. government under President Barack Obama which is Japan’s ally but now tends to look inward.

Hiroshi Yuasa is Columnist for the Sankei Shimbun and Planning Committee Member at the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals.