Sparring Get Started

As expected, China started a series of argument denouncing revisionism of Japanese political leaders. Presiding an open debate in United Nations Security Council on the seventieth anniversary from the end of World War, Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, criticized the revisionists of fascism without naming Japan. The Japanese did not deserve that defamation, if they had not have a prime minister who reject a history Japan had been upholding.

In the speech to the meeting for maintenance of international peace and security, Wang stressed China’s role to fight fascism in the war. “Although the historical facts have long been on the war against fascism,” told Wang, “there are still some reluctant to recognize the truth and even attempt to overturn the verdict and whitewash past crime and aggression.” For the audience, it was clear that Wang included Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in his targets.

The Japanese representative immediately rebutted. “Throughout its post-war history,” said Japanese permanent representative at the United Nations, Motohide Yoshikawa, “Japan has, based on feelings of deep remorse regarding the Second World War --- walked the path of a peace-loving nation that contributes to the peace and security of the world.” Regrettably, Yoshikawa could not necessarily deny the existence of revisionist regime in Japan.

First of all, the Japanese are not the people reluctant to recognize the truth of history. They have been embracing former expression of remorse about the war by political leaders. They are not so foolish as to disregard the impact of challenging international order constructed through post-war decades. Wang’s speech could not stand as a criticism against Japanese people.

So, is China crazy? The answer is no. China is one of the five permanent members of U.N. Security Council, which are responsible for maintaining international order. While it sometimes becomes offensive to other Asian nations, its behavior has always been based on strategy for internal and international politics. Restraint attitude toward United States indicates China’s deep consideration on international relations. It is wrong to suppose China to be an irrational player in international politics.

So, who is truly irrational? It is the leader who unnecessarily challenges post-war world order, distorting a concept of positive pacifism as a tool of undermining pacifist constitution, representing parochial nationalists full of resentment against miserable defeat in the war, and intoxicated with a pleasure in resembling himself a reformist hero. He might be calling himself Fuhrer.