Dream for Hope

Let us embrace hope, not vision. That might be the message of Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, at new year press conference on Monday. He required the nation to hope for Japan’s better relationship with China and South Korea, showing confidence on recovering Japanese economy with his leadership. Are you sure, Mr. Prime Minister? You did not say about how you were achieving them. We call hope without vision dream.

To improve the relationship with China and South Korea, Abe stressed that the door for leaders talk had always been open, and proposed unconditional meeting with both leaders. “Japan wants to be a state that considers realizing peaceful world with friends in Asia and the world,” told Abe. However, he admitted that there was no plan for such meetings at the moment, explaining no actual effort he had made.

Is it a friendly manner to make one of the worst activities his “friends” do not want him to do? Ignoring the requests of self-restraint, Abe visited Yasukuni Shrine last month. While he appeased his right wing supporters, Abe showed no consideration on negative responses inside China and South Korea, which would reduce Japan’s choices of diplomacy toward its neighbors. Like the tale of The Fox and the Stork in Aesop’s Fable, Abe offered his “friends” unacceptable options.

The President of South Korea, Park Geun-hye, dismissed immediate meeting with Abe and required deliberated preparation for the meeting to get achievements. China is rigorously critical against Abe administration. “Abe’s alleged emphasis on developing ties with China is hypocritical and he himself closed the door of dialogue with Chinese leaders,” told Spokeswoman for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying, in he press conference.

Attributing diplomatic stalemate to the rigidity of China and South Korea, Abe rather focused on the future of Japan economy. He announced that he would make a plan for economy policies and would name a minister for its purpose late this month. By the middle of this year, he would revise growth policies for employment, human resource, agriculture, medical treatment and nursing care.

Wait a moment, Mr. Prime Minister. You just had released growth strategy only a few months ago. Why are you revising it so immediately? What was wrong about the first strategy? He would not answer such questions. The reason is clear. He is not serious about breaking old interests through. He set a goal for the coming session in the National Diet, which was to make positive cycle in economy. The key for it would be whether corporations are willing to distribute its wealth with their employees.