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Editorial: A milquetoast, not a samurai

The row over Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝) application for a Japanese visa appeared to be nearing its end yesterday, with news reports saying Japan would allow Lee to visit if he agreed to some conditions -- that he stay in the town where he receives medical treatment and that he make no public statement.

It may look like the Japanese government has done Lee a "favor" under pressure from both domestic and foreign media. But in fact, Japan is the biggest loser in this visa war. Through its cowardice, the Japanese government has tarnished the country's image in the international community.

The Japanese government could have avoided such a mess if it had shown a little more decisiveness in the beginning and issued a visa to Lee without any conditions. Now, its decision to grant Lee a visa is still being criticized, for setting such exacting conditions.

Japan's chicken-hearted handling of Lee's application makes it difficult for people to view it as an independent, sovereign nation. How can the rest of the world look favorably upon a country so fearful of its communist neighbor?

This event reminds us of another example of Japan's willingness to be a milquetoast. Because of the conditions set by then Chinese premier Zhou Enlai (周恩來) for establishing diplomatic ties between China and Japan, the Japanese media was afraid to have news bureaus in Taipei. For 26 years -- from 1972 to 1998 -- the Sankei Shimbun (產經新聞) was the only Japanese media organization to keep its bureau in Taiwan. The rest fled, so they could establish bureaus in Beijing.

It was not until the late 1980s, when Taiwan's increasing democratization and economic accomplishments caused the world to look upon it with new eyes -- and as its importance in the Asia-Pacific region gradually won recognition -- that Japan gave in and increased its reporting on Taiwan. But the Japanese media still didn't dare challenge Beijing, choosing instead to have special correspondents shuttle between Hong Kong and Taiwan. It wasn't until the end of 1998 that the Japanese media thought of a way to improve the situation. By playing word games, using terms such as "China headquarters" and "Taipei branch," Japan gave Beijing sufficient face, while still achieving its desire to open offices in Taipei. Still, during this period, the state-run NHK television company erased Taiwan from its weather reports (a situation that still exists) in order to "avoid angering China by creating `two Chinas.'"

With the Japanese government and media frequently behaving in a manner that indicates a lack of either common sense or good judgement, it is no wonder that people have become thoroughly critical of Japanese ways. This time, people from a former Japanese colony are more riled than ever -- as indicated by the invective that has been heard in recent days. Surely, many Japanese feel embarrassed over the Lee affair, a weak point that the former president was well aware of before he dared to denounce his "mother country."

The Japan That Can Say No, a book written by a Japanese ultra-nationalist some years ago, created a huge international controversy. But while Japanese nationalists apparently dare to say "No" to the US, Tokyo remains incapable of saying "No" to China. If Japan truly wants to enjoy the worldwide respect due a sovereign nation, we hope it will learn a lesson from the row over Lee's visa -- and that from now on, Japan will bravely, and loudly, say "No" to China.
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