The Experts’ Weigh-in
In this week’s Blog, I will compare and contrast two experts’ opinions on the future prospects of Sino-Japanese relations.
According to Ezra F. Vogel, a renowned Political Science professor at Harvard, Japan should seek to amend historical tensions between the two countries that have undermined China-Japan relations ever since the postwar period. Professor Vogel recommends Japan to make a clear apology statement with regards to its World War II actions. Japan should make specific references to Comfort Women (women who were sexual slaves that served the Japanese military during World War II) and the Rape of Nanking (massacre in the city of Nanking during World War II), two historical issues currently under contention, in order to emphasize its commitment to postwar peace in Asia. Japan should also point out its enormous contribution to peace since the end of World War II, such as its generous official development aid to South Korea and China. Moreover, Professor Vogel believes that Japan and China need to spearhead soft-power diplomacy efforts such as cultural exchange in order to enhance their relations and promote regional cooperation.
According to Shinichi Kitaoka, the President of the International University of Japan, it is important for Japan to not further antagonize China, but to integrate China as a positive member of the international community. Kitaoka endorses the “hedge and engage” approach. Japan needs to engage with China in order to prevent China’s isolation, but at the same time, Japan should be prepared for any Chinese threat. With regards to historical issues, Kitaoka believes that Japan should emphasize its past apology statements and peace-contributing efforts while working with China and South Korea to represent a truthful history of World War II acceptable to all parties.
While it is true that Japan had made apology statements in the past, these statements often did not represent a unified Japanese view, as Japanese conservative nationalists often reproached Japan’s apologetic stance. Moreover, past apology statements gave vague treatment of wartime atrocities such as the Rape of Nanking and Comfort Women, which has angered Japan’s East Asian neighbors. However, Japan is weary of Chinese and South Korean ultra-nationalism that exploits the World War II issue and sometimes frustrates Japanese efforts at historical reconciliation. This being said, political consequences aside, Japan should feel some sense of moral obligation to make a detailed and factual apology statement that is supported by the Japanese conservatives. Unfortunately, such prospect is unlikely, as the current Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, represents the conservative faction in Japan and has adopted a nationalist stance on the history problem.
Sources:
http://www.nira.or.jp/pdf/e_vision11.pdf
http://thediplomat.com/2013/11/why-are-japans-apologies-forgotten/
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/ps/korea/comfort_women.pdf
