Strengthening Relations with China

What is necessary to strengthen relations with China once again?

The Chinese government is demanding an apology and reparations from the Japanese government for the Senkakushoto Sea collision incident. Regarding this matter, Prime Minister Naoto Kan refused to comply by saying, “I have absolutely no intensions of doing this.” This is, of course, a natural response.

This incident occurred when a Japanese Coast Guard patrol boat was trying to urge a Chinese fishing boat entering the Senkakushoto Sea, which is within Japanese territory, to leave.

Regarding the costs to restore the patrol boat, which was damaged because of the collision, to its original state, Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku Yoshito said that they also intend to make demands from the Chinese government, but through a diplomatic route. I would say this is a reasonable assertion.

However, there are no signs that the Chinese, who have only just suddenly sought a firm request for an apology from Japan, will immediately meet Japan halfway on this. We cannot deny the possibility that they will increase pressure on Japan more and more to retrieve a concession from them.

The Kan administration is wondering what they should do to protect Japan’s domain in Senkakushoto and once again strengthen their relations with China. In looking for the answer to that question, the first priority is to analyze the cause as to why China has been coming on strong to Japan.

One cause could more than likely be the damage done to the Japan-U.S. alliance because of the former Hatoyama administration’s poor diplomacy. At first, the former Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio didn’t even know the importance of deterring attacks through U.S.-Japan cooperation. By taking a look at this fact, it is no mystery as to why China believes that “Japan is a country that is easy to deal with.”

Secondly, through China’s rapid increase in naval strength, it is becoming more and more confident in getting what it wants and is able to follow through with its interests in the Asian oceans. It is already strikingly similar to the issue of the South China Sea’s Spratly islands. Maybe China will deal with the Senkakushoto problem in the same way.

If things play out like that, it is obvious what the Kan administration should do. First, they must carry out a more serious examination of Japan’s current defense in Senkakushoto, and strengthen their ties with America.

Another thing they could do is cooperate with India, Korea and every country in South Asia that shares the fear of the Chinese army controlling the seas and, through multinational cooperation, request that China restrain itself. Prime Minister Kan will ask other countries to help him follow through with this plan of intelligent diplomacy in a series of international conferences from next month onward.

This sort of diplomacy won’t last long if there aren’t any strong, supportive opinions from the public. Even so, I would like a clear and detailed account regarding the release of the ship’s captain last week. I am not convinced of the government’s explanation as to why there was no political intervention regarding the prosecution’s peculiar decision. The Kan administration has a responsibility to provide an accurate explanation on this matter.

Japan is not alone in this, and if it continues not to cooperate with the international community in dealing with the various changes that the rising power of China has created, then things will be difficult. The Sino-Japanese confrontation over this incident certainly suggests this.