China dismissed Japan's apologies for its wartime past yesterday, but Tokyo sought to cool tempers over a snub to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
One Foreign Ministry official in Tokyo said the government would demand an explanation why Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi (
Japanese stocks fell for the second straight day yesterday amid concerns that the snub and the resumption of a war of words between Asia's two most economically powerful nations could affect bilateral trade worth about US$170 billion last year.
China originally said that Wu had cut short the trip because of pressing domestic business, but Chinese officials later made it clear it was a reaction to Koizumi's refusal to give up visits to the Yasukuni war shrine, which Beijing sees as a symbol of Tokyo's past militarism.
"Such annual calls at Yasukuni have put mutual visits of top government leaders between China and Japan on hold," the state-run China Daily newspaper said in an editorial.
Japan has apologized for wartime atrocities during its 1931 to 1945 occupation of parts of China. Koizumi himself made a public apology last month in a speech at an Asia-Africa summit in Indonesia.
But Koizumi makes a point of visiting Yasukuni, where Japan's 2.5 million war dead are honored.
Last week, while Wu was in the country, he said he would make an "appropriate decision" on when to go again. He also defended his visits to the shrine.
Japanese officials were clearly angered by Wu's sudden departure, but Japan's top government spokesman sought to cool tempers yesterday, saying he would no longer comment on the incident.
"Commenting further would not be constructive for Japan-China relations, so I will not comment," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told a news conference.
"It is our objective to remove the various problems that lie between Japan and China and to develop our relations," he said. "I think the same goes for China."
Koizumi struck the same note, telling reporters: "Our relations should emphasize friendship and look to the future."
However, Japan has asked China for an explanation for Wu's cancelation of her meeting with Koizumi, a Foreign Ministry official told reporters. The official did not elaborate.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
The Philippines is working behind the scenes to enhance its defensive cooperation with Taiwan, the Washington Post said in a report published on Monday. “It would be hiding from the obvious to say that Taiwan’s security will not affect us,” Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro Jr told the paper in an interview on Thursday last week. Although there has been no formal change to the Philippines’ diplomatic stance on recognizing Taiwan, Manila is increasingly concerned about Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea, the report said. The number of Chinese vessels in the seas around the Philippines, as well as Chinese
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
RSS