Japanese vice foreign minister goes to China to exchange views

Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki left Monday for a two-day trip to China to exchange views with senior officials, according to a Thomas Reuters report. No details were provided on what Saiki planned to discuss with the Chinese on his July 29 to 30 visit, but his trip comes at a time when Japan’s territorial dispute with China over the Pinnacle Islands has been flaring up.

Four Chinese coast guard vessels spent three hours in the territorial waters of Tokyo-controlled islands, where they traded warnings with the Japanese coast guard, according to this AFP report. This was the first time the Chinese coast guards has confronted Japan in the disputed waters. The move was seen as escalating the situation. Both countries’ coast guards are believed to carry light weapons.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has also been advocating for a summit between the two countries, the world’s second and third largest economies. (It’s arguable about which country is second and which is third. While official numbers indicate China is the world’s second largest economy, behind the U.S., my guess is China may be fudging the numbers and Japan is still the second largest.) China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday its door was always open for talks, but that the problem lay in Japan’s attitude.

“The crux of the matter at present is Japan’s unwillingness to face up to the serious problems which exist in Sino-Japan relations and it is avoiding having earnest talks and consultations with China,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement faxed to Reuters. Japan, it added, should “stop using empty slogans about so-called dialogue to gloss over disagreements.”

These words from Beijing sound frustrated and not particularly receptive toward Tokyo. I found it interesting the ministry used the words “empty slogans,” which is a complaint many countries have about dealing with the Japanese. I’ve personally noticed while living in Japan the government and other organizations will have a lofty slogan propagating some ideal, while carrying on as usual behind the scenes. Foreigners who accept the slogan at face value tend to get upset when the truth comes to light and accuse the Japanese of speaking out of both sides of their mouths (see the controversies on whaling and international child abduction for examples). However, the Japanese don’t see it that way. Their culture allows for an accommodation between the facade (tatemae) and the reality (honne). They don’t necessarily see this as hypocrisy as the tatemae is viewed simply an ideal to strive for, even if they know they can’t achieve it. The Chinese demanding Japan to stop using “empty slogans” may actually be seen as cultural imperialism to the Japanese.

Abe is undoubtedly committed to improving relations with China, as he did during his 2007 tenure. But his planned Aug. 15 visit to Yasukuni Shinre, which honors Japan’s war dead, including class A war criminals from World War II, won’t help his image at this time.