Japan should establish a more equal relationship with China rather than always trying to appease its giant rival, the foreign minister said yesterday, as he defended a visit by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to a controversial war shrine that angered Beijing.
Koizumi sparked angry protests from China and South Korea last Monday when he prayed at Yasukuni Shrine, which critics say glorifies Japan's wartime invasions of East Asia. The shrine honors Japan's war dead, including convicted war criminals executed by the Allies after World War II.
The visit -- Koizumi's fifth since taking office in 2001 -- prompted China to cancel a trip to Beijing by Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, while South Korea's foreign minister said he would not follow through any time soon with an expected trip to Japan.
A scheduled December summit between Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun was also put in doubt.
Yesterday, Machimura said Tokyo has long kept a low-profile stance toward China out of a sense of responsibility for its wartime aggression, but that it was time to develop a more equal diplomatic relationship.
"Until now, we have often, though not always, tended to think that it is best for Japan to follow everything China says, not insist on our claims, and keep a rather low-profile posture," Machimura said. "But I think we should be able to say what we believe is right, and also listen to the other side sincerely."
Machimura told a talk show on TV Asahi that Koizumi's visit to the war shrine served Japan's national interest and "was to show that he should not succumb to foreign pressure."
However, Machimura said he hoped that relations with Beijing and Seoul could be repaired through diplomatic efforts.
Koizumi has also defended his foreign policy, arguing that problems between Japan and its neighbors go far beyond the shrine visits.
Public opinion is also split on Yasukuni.
While some Japanese oppose the shrine's association with militarism and fear the visits damage Japan's standing in Asia, others say Tokyo has been apologetic for too long over the conflict and has a right to mourn its war dead.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
BULLY TACTICS: Beijing has continued its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace even as Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan being part of the Chinese family and nation China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day. Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source