It was good that the Japanese and Chinese foreign ministers frankly discussed a range of issues, but little progress has been made in resolving several pending issues--including China's maritime activities.
Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto and his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, held a meeting in Beijing on Monday and agreed China would send a trade and investment mission to Japan as part of efforts to support Japan's reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake. They also agreed to bolster bilateral exchanges ahead of next year's 40th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral relations.
During their meeting in May, Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao confirmed the need for deepening "strategic and mutually beneficial" ties. The foreign ministers' meeting Monday was supposed to be the first step toward that goal. However, we have to say that it brought about only meager results.
===
Early resumption of talks vital
Matsumoto called for the early resumption of negotiations on a treaty covering joint development of gas fields in the East China Sea. Yang avoided giving a clear commitment, merely saying that "working-level preparations will be made to resume the talks."
China unilaterally suspended negotiations over the signing of the treaty in retaliation against the arrest of the captain of a Chinese trawler that collided with two Japan Coast Guard patrol boats off the Senkaku Islands last September. To help restore the bilateral relations that soured due to this incident, we think China should comply with the Japanese request for an early resumption of the negotiations.
Concerning Chinese maritime activities that have caused friction with its neighboring nations, Matsumoto urged China to exercise self-restraint to prevent these tensions from escalating. Yang only said, "Disputes between two countries should be resolved peacefully between them."
To draw favorable responses from Beijing, the government needs to press China tenaciously in cooperation with the United States and Southeast Asian countries.
Matsumoto also called for the establishment of a multilayered crisis management mechanism to prevent any accidental contact of vessels from spiraling into a crisis. This is intended to defuse potential trouble involving Chinese naval ships, maritime observation vessels and fishing patrol boats.
This proposal is reasonable and should be implemented as early as possible.
===
Stable govt key to diplomacy
The ministers did not reach an agreement on a concrete timetable for the fourth ministerial-level economic dialogue scheduled for this summer.
Repeatedly holding working-level dialogue could deepen bilateral trust and benefit both sides. Beijing's negative attitude toward even such dialogue raises doubts about whether it is seriously committed to promoting "mutually beneficial" ties with Japan.
China, for its part, might be intending to postpone full-scale negotiations on principal issues until after the Kan administration is replaced. With the Kan-led government in its final throes, we cannot help but recognize the increasing difficulty in promoting diplomacy vis-a-vis China.
Japan needs to have a stable government to maintain continuity during negotiations with foreign countries on key diplomatic issues.
Kan's interminable prolonging of his government is becoming a major encumbrance to Japan's diplomacy. Kan must wake up to this fact.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 5, 2011)
(Jul. 6, 2011)
No comments:
Post a Comment