Chinese, Japanese advisers clash over Senkaku Islands row

“Neighboring countries may fear China, but they won`t like it,” said a ranking Japanese diplomat.

“Is it beneficial for Japan to consider China an enemy state?” countered a retired Chinese general.

A core member of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s diplomatic policy team and the former Chinese general exchanged direct verbal attacks over the territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands, which are called Diaoyu in China.

In his speech to the third seminar on Sino-U.S. dialogue in Hong Kong Sunday, Shotaro Yachi, former Japanese vice foreign minister for administration who is now a diplomatic adviser to Abe, condemned Beijing by saying China is disrupting international order through terrestrial claims over Senkaku and mobilizing its military might.

In a speech delivered on behalf of Takujiro Hamada, former vice political affairs minister at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Yachi blasted China by saying, “Unless China is more cautious in its behavior, it will isolate itself from neighboring countries.”

“Chinese leaders, who had never claimed territorial rights to the Senkaku Islands until the normalization of Sino-Japanese ties after the Second World War, are now claiming the islands by mobilizing military might. Such behavior is in violation of international order.” He added, “I have a question to ask. Is this China you want to show to the world? Will this be something your children will be proud of?” He also said, “Many countries will fear China because it has become a superpower, but they won`t like it.”

In the wake of a flurry of criticism against Beijing, Major General Pan Zhenqiang (retired), deputy chairman of China Foundation for International Studies, said, “The comments are shocking,” adding, “I feel deep sadness over Mr. Yachi’s view of past history and value system. Mr. Yachi’s message is very rude and arrogant and causes confusion among people over what`s right or wrong.” Pan then said, “Is it beneficial for Japan to consider China an enemy state? I hope to make our Japanese friends realize that Japan’s insistence on such a strange view of history cannot be the way to win respect.”

mungchii@donga.com