April 24, 2005, China still holding grudge for that WWII thing...
The Chinese Commerce Minister, according to this piece representing our visit to Beijing's People's Daily, warns that, though currently strong, Chinese-Japanese economic relations may eventually suffer as a result of lukewarm (or worse) political relations.
The Japanese seem hell-bent on denying their own role in World War II era atrocities, particularly things like the Rape of Nanking and the forced enslavement, rape and murder of thousands of women in China and environs.
Japanese have issued new school textbooks that amount to a whitewash of WWII atrocities and Japan's premier frequently visits the Yasukuni Shrine that, frankly, honors war criminals.
If the Chinese are sufficiently pissed at Japan, one of their largest (though no longer their number one largest) foreign investors and customers, you know they're pissed. It's a lesson we (and the Taiwanese) people need to understand about our new Chinese overlords: saving face is a big deal. Which is why I'm kind of o.k. with the Taiwanese being a free, independent and democratic people in reality, if not in name. If in order to maintain that, the Mainlanders want the illusion of Taiwan being "a renegade province", then what the hell, right? Given our addiction to Beijing financed deficit spending, we had damned well better get used to playing it whatever way makes Beijing happy...
Will the Japanese learn the same lesson? Well, I wouldn't take bets...
Comments
The Japanese culture also places great store in 'face', and they have a terrible time, nationally, dealing with the things that were done in World War II.
I think they kind of have to whitewash things, as the Germans have had to do. Acknowledging without really acknowledging, really. Allowing those who wish to deny that those horrible things were done by Japanese while still being able to point to the history text and say 'Yes, it's in there, see?'.
I'd have to say that that's one thing about the Russians I know: they confront the atrocities that they committed head on. Of course, they have the Communists to blame, and they do.
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