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Japan Forward
2 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Ex-Ambassador Tarumi: Japan Must Stand Firm and Defend Its National Interest
In Part II of his interview, former Ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi offers his insights on the fundamentals of diplomacy and the importance of standing firm. Tarumi, who served as ambassador from 2020 to 2023, spent his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs focused on China. He now teaches as a professor at Ritsumeikan University. Excerpts from Ambassador Tarumi's statements in the interview follow. Read Part 1 Former Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Nobutaka Machimura was a politician who firmly conveyed Japan's position to China. When large-scale anti-Japanese demonstrations broke out in China following Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine, Machimura traveled to China in April 2005. There, he met with his counterpart Li Zhaoxing, demanded an apology, a return to the previous state of affairs, and measures to prevent a recurrence. Although the Chinese side claimed to be the "victim," Machimura pushed back, saying, "Does patriotism justify any kind of action against Japan? We strongly demand an apology for the violence directed at the Japanese Consulate-General and Japanese businesses in China." While many politicians hesitate to take a firm stance against China, Machimura was unwavering. Machimura was a man who exemplified what a politician should be. Japanese politicians should first study the history of the Senkaku Islands issue and understand its position under international law. It's not enough to have a vague idea of what happened in which year. They need a thorough grasp not only of Tokyo's stance but also of all of Beijing's claims and why those claims are unfounded. This is the most important responsibility for any national politician involved in diplomacy. The Senkaku issue is often blamed on the China School within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, it's the politicians themselves who have historically been lax in their handling of the matter. The Senkaku Islands (©Sankei by Kenji Suzuki） In 1972, for instance, during normalization talks between Japan and China, Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka asked Premier Zhou Enlai for his thoughts on the Senkaku Islands. Zhou replied, "I don't want to talk about it now." Tanaka's response was essentially, "What?" After all, it was his side that brought up the subject. Later in 1978, Deng Xiaoping unilaterally declared at a press conference in Japan that "a shelving agreement has been reached" regarding the Senkaku issue. Tokyo's official position is that there is no territorial dispute over the Senkakus. So why didn't Takeo Fukuda — who was Prime Minister at the time — or the Chief Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Minister respond to Deng's statement? One of them should have said, "There is nothing to be shelved regarding the Senkaku issue." Japan's claim to the Senkaku Islands is fundamentally strong, both in terms of international law and historical evidence. So why is this strength not more clearly asserted? Members of the Diet need to be able to explain and defend Japan's position wherever and whenever the issue arises. The Chinese leadership always tries to conclude talks with its own statement. It's a mistake to allow the discussion to end on their terms. Many politicians aren't even aware of this. Japanese PM Ishiba meets President Xi of China on the sidelines of APEC in Peru. (©Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister) As a diplomat, I have always been concerned about whether my actions could stand the test of history and whether I conducted diplomacy that would not bring shame in hindsight. We must never engage in diplomacy that ends with us being told what to do. I believe this applies to politicians as well. In matters of sovereignty and territorial disputes, we must have the final word. Young members of the ruling party often do not know when they will be appointed to key positions in foreign affairs and defense. For that reason, continuous learning is crucial. Some political parties and politicians in Japan seem to have little regard for the concept of national interest. One of the biggest challenges we diplomats faced in the past was arguing with the Chinese government over Fukushima's treated water issue. Even when we refuted Beijing's claims by citing specific figures, pointing out that the tritium, a radioactive substance in the treated water, was higher in Chinese nuclear plants, they would respond by saying, "Japanese Diet members and some scholars have also called it 'contaminated water'." It felt like being stabbed from behind. Tanks storing ALPS-treated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (© Sankei by Akihiko Otsuka) Some parliamentarians were waffling over unscientific claims about the release of treated water, but it's nothing more than self-serving theatrics. They were working hand-in-hand with China. Even if these politicians visit China, it will be merely a trip and will be of no significance for Japan. In fact, it's counterproductive. In China, the term "rùn," meaning to escape overseas, is becoming popular. Among those, the number of "rùn ri," or running to Japan, is rapidly growing. Chinese seeking the freedom they have lost in China and Hong Kong are gathering in Japan, especially in the Kanda area of Tokyo. More than 100 years ago, Sun Yat-sen and others were supported by Japanese businessmen, bringing about the Xinhai Revolution. Today, many Chinese people come to Kanda and other areas in Japan seeking the democratization of their homeland. Chinese bookstores have become gathering places where various issues are debated. That said, the Japanese establishment remains largely unaware of this movement. Many inbound tourists from China and elsewhere crowd Osaka's Dotonbori commercial area as the Chinese New Year begins. January 28, 2025 (©Sankei by Miyako Nagumo) If we approach this with a dislike of the Chinese people, we risk missing an important emerging trend. The United States Embassy in Japan is observing this movement with greater interest. One of these individuals could one day become China's leader. It's time for Japan to develop a long-term strategy. Of course, there are many troublemakers and misbehaving individuals among the Chinese population. These behaviors should be properly regulated and policed. However, not all Chinese people are like that. It's shortsighted and unstrategic to make enemies of all 1.4 billion Chinese. Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo clearly emphasized that a distinction must be made between the Chinese people and the Chinese Communist Party. If a Chinese aide stood next to the Japanese Foreign Minister, that alone might be criticized as being "pro-China" in Japan. However, it's the Chinese Communist Party that we must confront, not the people. China is not synonymous with the Chinese Communist Party. The Japanese media also shares some of the blame. Until now, they have not made a clear distinction. For example, the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party in the US House of Representatives is often reported simply as the US House of Representatives Special Committee on China. The literal translation is Special Committee on Strategic Competition with the Chinese Communist Party, where the most serious and intense discussions take place. Japan's diplomatic stance is fundamentally centered on the idea that "harmony is key to success." This principle is also reflected in the Analects of Confucius, but with a caveat. "A wise man maintains harmony but does not blindly follow the crowd. An unwise man blindly follows the crowd but does not maintain harmony." While cooperation is important, we must not easily compromise our independence as Japanese. In other words, we must never lose sight of Japan's national interests. We must remain a sovereign nation. Author: Shimpei Okuhara, The Sankei Shimbun ( Read this in Japanese )
Japan Forward
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
Ex-Ambassador Tarumi: Realism Over Empty Mantras on China Policy
このページを 日本語 で読む Candidates in the July 20 Upper House election are engaged in an intense war of words. Members of the ruling coalition are likely to play key roles in setting policies that involve vital national interests. The Sankei Shimbun sat down with former Ambassador Hideo Tarumi to hear insights on where policy toward China fits into this setting. Now a professor at Ritsumeikan University, Tarumi is a former ambassador to China who spent his career involved with Tokyo's policy toward its giant neighbor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In June, he published his memoir, Secret Records of Japan-China Diplomacy: The Struggles of Tarumi Hideo, Ambassador to China. During the interview, Tarumi said, "Members of the Diet, go to China." Acknowledging that some critics see such visits as pro-China, the former ambassador, who Japanese media have described as "the man China fears most," stressed the essence of diplomacy. Excerpts from Ambassador Tarumi's statements in the interview follow. Not Kowtowing to China Last spring, at the invitation of Toshimitsu Endo, former Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Ken Saito, former Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, I gave a lecture to about 100 lawmakers at the LDP's study group. There, I emphasized the following: "Since I'm no longer a bureaucrat, I'll speak candidly. You are all national lawmakers. I understand that local legislators may visit Taiwan for sister city exchanges, but when it comes to national diplomacy, the most important countries are the United States and China. The US is a given — but why aren't you visiting China?" Liu Jianchao, head of the CCP's International Liaison Department (second from the right in the front row), and Toshihiro Nikai, Chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians' Union (third from the right in the front row), pose for a commemorative photo, August 27, 2024, in Beijing (pool photo). I wasn't saying to be "pro-China" or kowtow to them. You should go to China, carefully assess the situation on the ground, and communicate Japan's position clearly. That's what I did as an ambassador. If all you do is shout "China is unacceptable" from afar in Japan, nothing will change there, and our message won't get through. Is that really in Japan's national interest? You need to go there and say what must be said, face to face. Be More 'Strategic' We need to adopt a more strategic mindset than a simplistic one. Of course, if the purpose of a visit is simply to accept Beijing's claims uncritically, then it would be better not to go. But by the same token, visiting Taiwan solely as an expression of anti-China sentiment also limits the value of the visit. What are the challenges facing Taiwan? According to a report by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan, the most pressing concern today is not geopolitical risk or the threat of military invasion. It's energy shortages. If China were to impose a maritime blockade, Taiwan's energy imports would be severely disrupted. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen presents Hideo Tarumi, former Japanese Ambassador to China, with the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon in May 2024. (©Office of the President, ROC) Moreover, Taiwan's most vital industry, semiconductors, requires vast amounts of electricity. Yet the country has shut down its nuclear power plants. This is not the decision of a responsible government. Even if it's uncomfortable for Taiwan to hear, it's essential to have frank and thorough discussions about strengthening resilience, including in the energy sector. [Author's note: Since the Democratic Progressive Party came to power, Taiwan has pursued a policy of phasing out nuclear energy. On May 17, the country shut down its last operating reactor: Unit 2 of the Taiwan Power Company's Third Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan. Nuclear power, which once supplied roughly half of Taiwan's electricity 40 years ago, has now fallen to zero.] Rethinking Ties with China Japan's diplomacy toward China has traditionally been led by politicians who cultivated close personal relationships with Beijing leaders like Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka. Toshihiro Nikai, chairman of the Japan-China Parliamentary Friendship League, meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on August 28, 2024. (Pool photo) Toshihiro Nikai, the former secretary-general of the LDP who carried on this tradition, retired from politics in the October 2024 House of Representatives election. At present, virtually no Japanese politicians have inherited these channels of communication. And on the Chinese side as well, there are no longer leaders who engage in diplomacy with Japan based on personal relationships and mutual trust. The era when we could rely on a single figure to manage relations with China is over. Mr Nikai was certainly pro-China, but within the LDP, there were also many lawmakers with a hardline stance toward China. Maintaining that internal balance was crucial. Now is the time to return to first principles: to ask what truly serves the national interest and to strategically rebuild our diplomacy with China. Abe's Strategic Diplomacy Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe exemplified this approach. He engaged with China based on a clear-eyed focus on our national interest. Abe was originally very pro-Taiwan, but he knew how to separate his personal views from his public role. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping shaking hands in November 2017, during the APEC Summit in Vietnam. (©Prime Minister's Office) When he first became prime minister in 2006, China viewed him as even more hawkish than Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. At the time, Abe prioritized diplomacy with China, but he needed a magic word to get Beijing to reengage. That word was "strategy." By proposing a "strategic mutually beneficial relationship," Abe aimed to expand the shared interests between Japan and China. Abe understood the government's official position and consistently spoke and acted based on national interests. If he had simply declared, "I'm pro-Taiwan and anti-China," his diplomacy would not have lasted long. Ishiba's Aimless Policy Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also uses the phrase "strategic mutually beneficial relationship." However, it's becoming increasingly ineffective. Repeating a mantra a hundred or even a thousand times means nothing if there is no substance behind it. That substance, what truly matters, is strategy. Immediately after taking office in October 2024, Prime Minister Ishiba expressed a strong desire to visit China. But his enthusiasm is now said to be waning. Initially, the Chinese government saw the Ishiba administration as the emergence of a long-awaited pro-China government. Yet it's now reassessing that view. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba answers reporters' questions after he meets with US President Donald Trump. Minister in Charge of Economic Revitalization, Ryosei Akazawa, is on the left. June 16, Kananaskis, western Canada (Pool photo / Kyodo News). In February, Prime Minister Ishiba issued a joint statement concerning Taiwan at the Japan-US summit, declaring, "We oppose any attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion." The core of the joint statement is said to have been drafted under Japan's leadership. From Beijing's perspective, there was likely a feeling of "Ishiba, you too?" Even if Prime Minister Ishiba hoped to please both China and the US, diplomacy isn't that simple. Without a coherent strategy, China will see through it with ease. Tensions Ahead I'm concerned that this summer will be a very tense one for Japan. In China, a film titled 731 is set to be released on July 31. It focuses on Unit 731 of the Kwantung Army, which is argued to have conducted biological warfare research. This will be followed by a military parade on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan. And then there is the anniversary of September 18, the date of the Mukden Incident that triggered the Manchurian Incident. Considering the current state of Japan-US and US-China relations, there is a chance that President Donald Trump might attend the military parade. If that occurs, it could be seen as "Japan facing another defeat." Such a scenario would be very serious. RELATED: Author: Shimpei Okuhara, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
