Concern at Tokyo’s shift from peace
Print Edition
THE leaders of China and South Korea have expressed concern about Japan’s recent reinterpretation of its war-renouncing constitution and its re-examination of a past apology for wartime atrocities, a South Korean official said yesterday.
Japan colonized the Korean Peninsula and brutally occupied parts of China before and during World War II. Many people in China and South Korea still harbor a strong resentment toward Japan, and there are concerns in both countries about growing nationalism in Japan.
Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Park Geun-hye had “lots of discussions” about Japan, and shared worries about its “revisionist attitude” and reinterpretation of its constitution to allow its military a larger international role, senior South Korean official Ju Chul-ki told reporters.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced a highly contentious shift in Japan’s pacifist military policy, asserting its right to go into battle in defense of its allies — a move viewed with deep suspicion by China and South Korea.
Presidents Xi and Park called attention to the fact that many countries around the world, as well as more than half of the Japanese people, are opposed to the Japanese cabinet’s reinterpretation of its post-war constitution to allow it to exercise the right to collective self-defense.
Both leaders also regretted Japan’s recent review of its landmark 1993 apology for forcing Asian women into wartime prostitution because it was an apparent attempt to “disparage” the apology, Ju said.
In his meeting with Chung Ui-hwa, speaker of the South Korean parliament, earlier yesterday, Xi said China and South Korea shared a common past and concern related to Japan’s colonialism and invasion in the early 20th century and must work together to establish a correct view on history.
“China and South Korea have similar experience in history and shared interests on the issue of history related to Japan,” Xi said, adding that their two assemblies had worked effectively in seeking a sincere apology from Japan.
“In China, there is a saying, ‘Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future’,” Xi said.
He highlighted Japan’s past brutality against China and Korea during a speech at Seoul National University. “Our two countries suffered greatly when Japan launched barbarous aggression on China and Korea and annexed and occupied the Korean Peninsula,” he said.
He noted that in the late 16th century a Chinese dynasty sent troops to help a Korean dynasty defeat invading Japanese troops. “Both countries’ nationals walked shoulder to shoulder to battlegrounds together 400 years ago,” Xi said.
He told his audience that China and South Korea had become genuine strategic cooperative partners and bilateral relations were at their best.
Xi noted that while Chinese people are striving to realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, the South Korean people are committed to their dream of creating an “era of national happiness.”
China will adhere to the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with neighboring countries, and work to share its development with others, the Chinese president said.
He proposed the two countries adopt a broader vision to integrate their dreams with a greater Asian dream.
In talks with Park on Thursday, Xi proposed joint anniversary events next year to mark victories over Japan.
Park said 2015 will be very meaningful for South Korea and China, as well as other Asian countries, as it marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Anti-Fascist War and of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japanese colonial rule.
Before leaving Seoul last night, Xi, along with Park, attended a forum on China-South Korea economic and trade cooperation. He also visited an exhibition of products by South Korea’s Samsung and LG.
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