adrianli1

ok, so "polemic opinion" may not be proper grammar since "polemic" or "polemy" refers to a point of view...

but a friend did bring up the anti-Japanese sentiments being stoked up in China right now. Honestly, it's not about the Japanese textbooks. It's more an assertion of Chinese nationalism. And Japan happens to be the most convenient target. China is trying to assert it's "great power" status and it fears an increase in Japanese influence with a proposed permanent seat in the UNSC.

In today's NY Times (again I must add, a quality newspaper that is available FREE online, unlike a certain newspaper published in a certain Southeast Asian nation), China's foreign minister, Li Zhaoxing, was reported as having "firmly rejected Japanese calls for China to apologize and pay compensation for damage to diplomatic and commercial property in three weekends of anti-Japan protests". "The Chinese government has never done anything for which it has to apologize to the Japanese people," Mr. Li said. "The problem now is that the Japanese government has done a series of things that have hurt the feelings of the Chinese people on the Taiwan issues, some international issues and especially the treatment of history."

ok, first minor problem is this. Diplomatic property has been damaged. Yes, the Chinese police or government didn't break anything. But it is the responsibility of the Chinese government to protect diplomatic property of other sovereign nations in China. And any excuse that the Chinese government would have been unable to face down any mob is a dubious argument since we all know from 1989 in Tianamen Square how the Chinese government had sent in the tanks to squash the growing unrest.

And furthermore, it's rather hypocritical for a Chinese government to not apologize for damage to diplomatic property when in 1999, China was furious at the US for bombing the Chinese embassy in Belgrade. (I mean, common sense would tell you that the US, while fighting a war in the Balkans at the time would not be stupid enough to provoke China on purpose. And the excuse that the US government at the time was stupid won't hold water, since it was Clinton and Albright and Cohen, the defence secretary, who were running the show at the time. People who most of the world would on any other day say each have infinitely more brains in their little fingers than George W Bush today.)

Next point, that China in its narrowminded sense of raison d'etat (sorry for the spelling, even though I need to know how to spell it for an exam taking place next month) has said it'll block Japan's bid for a UN Security Council permanent seat. Ok, so supposing Japan doesn't get a UN permanent seat but India, South Africa, Brazil and Germany maybe do get one. It would still make a mockery of the process of making the UN more representative of the world. The world's second largest economy, one of the major contributers to the UN budget as well as to UN peacekeeping missions and a country that hands out foreign aid in substantial (but it could do better) amounts will be absent.

And all this while, China has been preaching the need for the conduct of foreign affairs by countries all over the world to work with multilateral institutions and has been calling for nations to respect the UN and to work with it. Well, excuse me, but isn't Security Council reform part of Kofi Annan's efforts to make the UN more effective and representative?

Oh, and by the way, China as a country hasn't contributed any UN peacekeeping troops in, I daresay... since 1945. China pays less in UN dues that Japan. China still receives foreign aid. And it calls itself a world leader. Yes, I agree that China does deserve a seat in the Security Council. But it needs to live up to its responsibilities. And stop being so hypocritical and cynical.

I tell you what I think. All this is part of the Chinese government which still follows a bankrupt Communist philosophy to appeal to nationalism to prevent the people from venting their frustrations at the increasingly uneven and unequal distribution of wealth and income disparities. The availability of an outside state for the population to focus their anger on is crucial. And that state happens to be Japan. even though Japan has been providing economic development aid since the 1970s.

If I were Koizumi, I'd do this. I'd clear up the war guilt issue. Give the Chinese what they want and deny them anymore excuse to vent their frustration over. clear that issue up. don't give the Chinese anymore plausible excuse to be angry at Japan.

then come up with a counter-threat if such unrest continues. Tell China to lean on North Korea to stop producing nuclear weapons. threaten to go get nuclear weapons themselves if North Korea does get the bomb... or become more part of the US nuclear umbrella. muse openly that a country like Taiwan that is beginning to show signs of democratising should be recognised as a sovereign state.
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hands up all those who think that for thinking out loud online, any future career in the UN or as a foreign service officer for Singapore is finished...? haha