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60% of Chinese execs say they cannot work with Japanese firms

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@tinawatanabe joebigs I think many Japanese have misunderstanding ! the Chinese or Kiorean never had any issue with ordinary folks like you to visit the Y-shrine as relatives died fighting for the good of their country! they should be remembered and visited frequently. the key point is they housed the 14 class A war criminals , and 1006 class B convicted criminals that made it sensitive at the expense of 2.5 million soldiers. it's also explicitly agreed between China and Korean n Japan that PM and cabinets should avoid the visit when they established diplomatic relationship

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@JoeBigs ... But, diplomacy is a two way street, if one side uses and the other side uses threats then that isn't diplomacy. Also, history teaches us many things, but if you only look to the past you will lose focus of the here and now.

Very wise words.

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and working with Chinese is such a treat

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StrangerlandJan. 09, 2014 - 10:46AM JST Asians were generally farmers, requiring communal cooperation in order to feed themselves, while westerners were hunters and gatherers, which was generally done independently.

I've seen this crap before, where does it come from? Europeans were farmers and agriculturalists for millennia before the Japanese (and Koreans). It was the Japanese who remained fishermen (and "hunter-gatherers") long after most Europeans had become farmers.

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Businesses are after profit. To them politics is a risk, not a reason. It should not be a coincidence that the survey result is identical in Korean and Chinese executives. It reflects their more pessimistic forecast of the market dynamics as a result of the worsening relationships.

Japanese executives on the other hand seem to under estimate the trend. This is inline with the growing domestic support for Abe.

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This isn't new. No matter you are White, Black, or Indian, ALL foreigner generally have a hard time to able to work in Japanese firms and corporate. Not because of a political matter. But because the Japanese are tend too isolated (they have the greatest difficulty understanding a foreign language or culture) and are encouraged in "othering" people who are non-Japanese.

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CraigHicksJan. 11, 2014 - 08:47AM JST Komeito is urging the LDP to find a solution to the Yasukuni issue, perhaps as LDP's partner they have realistic chance of getting Abe's ear.

Out of all the what ifs and could bes that last line is the thing that holds any water today. Political alliances and true diplomacy can secure a more moderate stance rather than threats.

But, diplomacy is a two way street, if one side uses and the other side uses threats then that isn't diplomacy.

Also, history teaches us many things, but if you only look to the past you will lose focus of the here and now.

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@JoeBigs ... So please, explain how these two men are the cause or have anything to do as to why Chinese execs are to scared/brainwashed to work with Japanese firms?. ...

Let's take a look at Prime Minister Tuyosi Inukai. He was against IJA's expanding operations in China. He was concerned about worsening relations with the US. He was in favor of negotiating with the Chinese government. It is because of these things that that he was assassinated by military officers. He was a brave man who cared very much about his country. Already two civilian prime ministers had been assassinated: Takashi Hara and Osachi Hamaguchi, so he would have known what he was getting into.

To answer your question, history is a web which once spun cannot be undone. So playing a game like "what if Inukai's thinking had prevailed?" is meaningless. Nevertheless I feel some pang in my chest knowing that Inukai was assassinated in 1932 while Nanking did not take place until 1937, but that's just a wishful dream so forget it.

More relevant to the issue of Yasukuni which you brought up is Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, the founder of Soka Gakkai. He died in prison in 1944 while in jail under the Peace Preservation Law (Chian-iji-hou) for refusing to kowtow to the military version of Shinto. The current partner of LDP is Komeito, and Komeito was originally the political wing of Soka Gakkai. Although independent now, they still have close connections. Komeito is urging the LDP to find a solution to the Yasukuni issue, perhaps as LDP's partner they have realistic chance of getting Abe's ear.

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CraigHicksJan. 11, 2014 - 04:11AM JST @JoeBigs ... Now Abe, he has a duty as any leader of a nation to pay respects to those that laid their live for their nation. Including assassinated Prime Minister Tuyosi Inukai and former Prime Minister Korekiyo Takahashi?

What exactly do two long dead politicians have to do with the fact the China is a repressive state that controls it's workers? The PRC wasn't even a nation in the 1920's.

So please, explain how these two men are the cause or have anything to do as to why Chinese execs are to scared/brainwashed to work with Japanese firms?

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@JoeBigs ... Now Abe, he has a duty as any leader of a nation to pay respects to those that laid their live for their nation.

Including assassinated Prime Minister Tuyosi Inukai and former Prime Minister Korekiyo Takahashi?

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Much of the so-called trade with China is in the form of Japanese companies sending key components to their own factories in China for assembly, then sending the finished products back to Japan (and world markets). Aside from those many hands there is little China has that Japan needs. As the process of relocating Japanese factories away from China accelerates the Chinese economy will continue to decline, and we won't want or need to move them back there ever. I think the party is over for China now.

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Keep in mind: Neither emperor Hirohito nor Akihito have gone there since the was criminals were enshrined there, and the shrine is FOR THEM! Politicians are a dime a dozen, and worthless. Tabloids report that the priests there don't like politicians to go there because of the trouble it causes.

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MrBumJan. 10, 2014 - 09:56AM JST tinawatanabe, I don't know why anyone in the Japanese public would want to visit that shrine, but they're free to do so.

Well, let me help you to understand why Japanese people visit that shrine. My mother-in-law lost a brother in the war of 1905 and relatives in World War 2.

BTW none of her relatives that died during the war were war criminals, they were all young men who fought for their nation.

My father in-law also went there for the same reason, but now he can't go anymore, he passed.

Trust me when I say this, most who go there don't go to pay homage to any war criminals. They go there to pay their respects to all those that died in war for their nation.

How can anyone tell a people not to pay respects to the young men and women that died in war for their nation?

Now Abe, he has a duty as any leader of a nation to pay respects to those that laid their live for their nation.

If the neighbors of Japan really cared about atrocities and those that died from violence maybe they should look in the mirror and start lamenting for those that they killed in the last 67 years.

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We promised the young soldiers to honor them at the shrine for ever. So, we can not break the promise no matter what. And you should understand it is public that make PM go there. This is very important to Japanese maybe as important as Emperor.

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tinawatanabe, I don't know why anyone in the Japanese public would want to visit that shrine, but they're free to do so. Abe is too, but as the PM he has a responsibility to show more sensitivity. He knew full well how his neighbors would react, yet he still went so yeah I think it was intentional. If he just wanted to pay respects, he could go to any one of the other shrines that don't attempt to whitewash history. I agree, China likes to make noise, but giving them valid reasons to do so simply prolongs bad relations.

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wow, that is some very insensitive rhetoric. I mean, if your mother was taken and forced to have sex all day long with soldiers, how would you feel then? what if this is your sister? your girlfriend? wife? You'd just sit by and do nothing? You feel okay with that?

Obviously no one is going to "feel okay with that". What a ridiculous question.

I have always agreed that there can never be any real forgiveness for what happened to some people as a result of Japanese military aggression. Any victim still living is certainly going to feel some pretty strong hatred for Japan. Understandable and I'm sure I'd be the same.

What I would hope would be that my grandchildren would not nurse that flame of hatred for seventy years after my death. I would be sad to see my descendants wasting their lives hating and plotting revenge on the grandchildren of long dead criminals.

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Don't know about SK but do you really believe that there was no governmental influence in the Chinese response especially when you can only do a survey of any kind with consent from the government? PRC is no democracy nor does it have any freedom of press in which the CCP has a tight grip on all out come of this kind of questionnaires.

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Chucky, what are you reading? Rightist restore the Emperor stuff? I read a lot but I don't see anything like what you are talking about. What magazines do you read? I presume you are talking about stuff you read in Japanese.

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in the end, this is not particularly surprising. China, Korean, And Japan have utterly loathed each other throughout thier respective histories and now the tensions are flaring up again. This will not end well

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Better for Japan! We will have more jobs and better salaries. USA is doing the same :)

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MrBum Point of the visit was not to piss off China. Why do you think J public visit the shrine? This New Year Day the shrine was so crowded I couldn't get close to the shrine. They don't go there to piss off China. So doesn't Mr. Abe. All PMs visited the shrine before China started making noise. We are busy, we are not interested in pissing off China.

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Maybe it is something called blind nationalism, blind because , how does a people promote their own forced silence, promote and stand up for, filtered and blocked internet access, support the jailing of their own citizens thrown into political re-=education labor camps when these people are trying to get the people freedoms and rights, support the killing of innocent Tibetans.. etc etc. etc. Blind nationalism, ad to that trumped up hatred outwards instilled by these leaders of China, towards those the rest of the world sees as peace loving internationally respected countries. Something is very wrong in China.

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Surely I've met a few xenophobic characters in China, but they represented more the past and the lower end of society. A tourist was not served lunch in a street restaurant in Pekin as he had not his passport to prove his origin, and he'll never now why that matter. The chef -that invited me to show he was not a xenophobic man but a pure patriot- longly explained me that he suspected him of being American. So what ? "And you know Vietnam... yes, that was like Tibet now, blah blah....no, but you are not Tibetan and I'm not responsible for what Chinese army does, I'm not the government, so you shouldn't boycott my shop... but I boycott American looking customers, because I do...". Well, a cook in his 50's, that went 5 years to school at best, and lived the decades of propaganda, what do you expect ? But for execs of companies that claim to be at global standards, that's just ridiculous.

we don't have a choice these days

We do. Even if China is huge, there are about 100 countries with half-developed economies, with less pollution, less corruption and regimes closer to democracy that are just waiting to take over the markets for sweat-shops, agriculture...

60% of Chinese execs say they cannot work with Japanese firms

Maybe you could do what you claim. And Japan (the world as who is not hated in China ?) will stop importing so much Chinese merchandise, potentially poisoned by your half-wits, and get it from India, etc.

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What kind of results did US get by critisizing Japan? It only boldened China/SKorea..

Well the point of the visit was probably to piss off China anyway, so if the US criticism emboldened China further, Abe is probably happy. Having a hostile China makes it easier to convince the people of Japan that it needs a bigger military.

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...well, the well-monied (corrupted?) politiburo's and their extended families all* come to one place if they want some decent luxuries and sushi...and it ain't nowhere else but Japan! (laughs)

Oh dear.

So Chinese people abroad must be sons and daughters of corrupt politicians? I live in Australia where I've met hundreds of Chinese overseas students at university, most of whom come from middle-upper class backgrounds and whose parents run restaurants, shops, travel agencies etc. And Japan isn't even the most popular destination for Chinese students abroad. Why go to a Japanese university when they can go to USA, Canada, Australia?

Where else can their good-for-nothing sons and daughters 'study'? Where are they going to buy the finest selection of Louis Vuitton and other exclusive brands without flying over ten hours?!??!

Ever heard of Hong Kong? I heard it was handed back to China some time ago.. Even the streets of Myeungdong in Seoul are filled with Chinese holiday makers shopping for luxury goods.

but in the end, if you want decent technology, patented infrastructure--nobody does it BEST than a Japanese firm. If you want to train crash or stuff that falls apart, by all means you're welcome to have a non-Japanese at the helm.

Japan is right up there with the best for technology and innovation, even if they stumbled a little in their transition into the digital era. However, suggesting Japan is best and all non-Japanese technology is second rate is a myopic view.

Again, again, again...I look forward to the swift, quick death of the eldest generations

You sound like that former Japanese PM.. whose name escapes me.

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...well, the well-monied (corrupted?) politiburo's and their extended families all* come to one place if they want some decent luxuries and sushi...and it ain't nowhere else but Japan! (laughs) Where else can their good-for-nothing sons and daughters 'study'? Where are they going to buy the finest selection of Louis Vuitton and other exclusive brands without flying over ten hours?!??!

Business sees no money, and a good business person will sell to regardless of what it is. If you're delusional, or 'proud', one might exclaim it...but in the end, if you want decent technology, patented infrastructure--nobody does it BEST than a Japanese firm. If you want to train crash or stuff that falls apart, by all means you're welcome to have a non-Japanese at the helm.

Again, again, again...I look forward to the swift, quick death of the eldest generations so all of US can get on with life, as we've been doing all along. It's the last stand of people whose children don't give a damn about the past and only care about the now-and-future.

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Not just Germany, I believe within the last few years an Australian PM apologized to the aboriginal people for killing most of them off so that Europeans settlers can live there.

Good post.

That was a proper and genuine apology. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3TZOGpG6cM

But more importantly, it was not followed by numerous high profile politicians coming out to attempt to deny, distort or downplay the atrocities committed against the Aboriginal people.

But according to the Japan supporters on JT, a list of apologies offered by Japanese politicians means China and SK need to shut up. Interestingly, they never mention the denials. Even yesterday the news broke that the former defence chief, whose position is that Japan liberated, rather than invaded Asia in WW2, is backed by former Tokyo governor to be the next governor of Japan's largest city.

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So is Abe going to wake up and see that his little visits are hurting the Japanese economy? A lot more trade is going between China and other countries than Japan and other countries. Not a fan of Chinese products but really, we don't have a choice these days and Japan needs to wake up to the fact that China is number two now, not Japan.

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Someone above said something like "China and SK are such babies, crying about comfort women..." (let's not forget the killings too)

wow, that is some very insensitive rhetoric. I mean, if your mother was taken and forced to have sex all day long with soldiers, how would you feel then? what if this is your sister? your girlfriend? wife? You'd just sit by and do nothing? You feel okay with that?

The Japanese culture has a tendency to shove issues they don't want to deal with under the rug and don't like to talk about it. This may work sometimes, but most of the time, no.

As someone else commented above, Japan needs to take a page from Germany and admit what they did was wrong. Not just Germany, I believe within the last few years an Australian PM apologized to the aboriginal people for killing most of them off so that Europeans settlers can live there.

Japan needs to admit that Japan made a mistake, that trying to conquer by killing was wrong. Japan can't change the history by not talking about it, they can't change world history by not teaching Japanese students what Japan did in WWII. This is too big of a thing to sweep under the rug. Everyone in the world knows what Japan did during that period. By openly apologizing, Japan, SK, and China can finally get past this issue and would at least open the door for building better relations in the region.

I don't understand all the haters commenting here... It's very obvious which side you're on... Do you think animosity will help in any way? Do you want war? Do you want to see people dying left and right? and for what? If those of you who wants to live in a war torn area just go to Syria or Afghanistan or any such place and you'll know what violent conflict is really like.

And another point, there are probably many who don't want to see a strong bond between China, SK, and Japan. Can you imagine? It would be an economic powerhouse few can topple.

So think smart, peace and harmony is the only answer. Anything else that makes you feel any different are interests that has other agenda.

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The Japanese maxim 温故知新 'know the new while preserving the old' -a favorite among the elderly elite - is probably one of the reasons for Japans tight handle on traditional (and archaic) mindsets while seeking to progress. It is most often applied in technology and research nowadays, but the spirit is strongly applied to nationalism and globalization. The funny thing is that this maxim is originally from China. I'm not sure about Korea, but I assume a Korean version exists. So all three countries probably have a national characteristic of sticking to their guns (thanks a million ancient Chinese scholars!) while trying new things. this creates a very block-headed dynamic between the countries. I hope the next generation comes up with a new maxim for the sake of East Asia.

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Hell, if you lived in the repressive PRC that controls every aspect of your life you too would be worried about rocking the boat.

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People can say whatever they want when it makes no difference, but I suspect the number would change if there was a significant upside to their business. Business people are business people all over the world, so if something is good for business, the tune can change in no time.

How many of these poll respondents even have an opportunity for doing business with a Japanese concern? Those who don't shouldn't be included. Unless, of course, the point is to stir up a bit of noise - in which case, done.

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EthanWilber You didn't refer to the points I made. But it's OK. What kind of results did US get by critisizing Japan? It only boldened China/SKorea, and US lost many friends in Japan and Japan won't stop visiting the shrine. And Abe's words and actions are no stronger than China/SKorean's. I understand US has its interest to protect, but so does Japan.

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CGB Spender While the rest of Asia and the whole world has no problem working with Japan. China, SK are just schmuck haters.

Yeah yeah China, S Korea and Russia - to be correct (all neighbors)

Whole world you means USA ?

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How do you know rest of Asia and the whole world has no problem working with Japan? The survey was only done in China, Japan, and S.Korea.

Why does so many negative stories on Korea and China make the Japanese papers daily? It's always about Yasukuni or WWII past, about how the people in the two countries are unfairly acting up against Japan. Guess what, this story only made the Japanese papers. People in other countries haven't even heard of this nor do they care. This is not to say that both China and Korea are not innocent from nationalist stories, but right now a big chunk, if not most, of the hate mongering is done by the Japanese media who are printing stories like this on a virtual daily basis in massive quantities that I have never seen in my life.

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While the rest of Asia and the whole world has no problem working with Japan. China, SK are just schmuck haters.

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Chinese tourists have no problems doing sight seeing

Yeah, well, there are about 1,351,000,000 mainland Chinese. 1/6 of the planet right there. I doubt they agree on everything. BTW, Japanese also visit China. And I think quite of few of them realize that their governments do what they do independent of what any of them think.

Here in Japan, we eat food grown in China or we would be rather hungry. In China they buy technology made in Japan, or they would be rather bored.

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Chinese execs might not be able to do business... but Chinese tourists have no problems doing sight seeing.

I know, right? Its astonishing the number of tourists from the PRC that you can see on any given weekday crowding up the middle of the sidewalks as they jabber away in awe at the sights.

I have a question, and I think its a legitimate one. Given the fact that the government of the PRC constantly invokes "the feelings of the people" to justify their outrageous stance against Japan, and given the violent anti-Japan demonstrations we have all seen happen several times in PRC over the last few years, and given the tone of some of the rhetoric we see leveled against Japan by the government of PRC and by posters right here on this site, is it safe to have all these Japan hating people visiting the country willy nilly?

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Tinawatanabe,

yasukuni is only one part in the overall problems between Japan & its neighbours, toss in all the right wingers in, Senkaku's, sex slaves, white washing etc etc it will take a lot from Japan if it wants to attempt to fix this.

But then again I don't think Japan has any inclination to fix this, so we get the watch the spiral downwards on & on, no end in sight, what a waste!

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Time for Chinese and Korean businesses to grow up.

Except for Korea, it's for different reasons why its business execs are reluctant to work with Japanese companies. On a daily basis, Japanese media are printing nothing but negative anti Korean stories, including calls for boycotts, and economic sanctions on Korea. Japanese media have printed massive amount of stories on Korea that Japan is planning to cut off diplomatic relations with Korea, and boycott Korea. Japanese media have been driving a fear mongering about the Korean economy, saying that South Korea is on the verge of collapse because Japan supposedly stopped the economic aid and cooperation (pure nonsense, I know, but that's what they're reporting). These are all making Korean companies nervous about Japan, with anti Korean feelings in Japan being overhyped, so why risk doing business with a country, risking all your investment, when Japan may end up cutting off diplomatically and boycotting Korea?

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Buyer and seller occupy vastly different positions, and it gets more complicated when you start talking about what is being bought and sold. And even more complicated when you look at the mindset of customers.

Japan needs China more than China needs Japan. And so its easier for the Japanese business to overlook the potential of war with China over the Senkakus. Chinese and Japanese business both could find themselves in the lurch if war breaks out, but China will be the one that more options to avoid it. Plus Japanese people won't stop shopping at Daiso due to the dispute. But Chinese people will stop buying Sony.

This is not about bigotry or xenophobia for the most part. This is about making money. Most of these businessmen are not nationalist, or if they are, only after they are businessmen. If it were any different, they would not be in the position of CEO and/or their companies would be out of business. They will go where the money is, especially the safe money. If cutting ties will be an insurance policy against loss of money or failure to profit, they will do it. Forget about loyalties. Its just like American car makers will move as many factories as possible to Mexico. What? You thought they up and decided to be patriots of Mexico? Come on. Its all about money.

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Abe is using Yasukuni to implement the third arrow. He goes to Yasukuni and said "see what trouble I can cause? Do what I say or else!". This pressures companies to raise wages etc. He hits vested interests in the head with patriotism and samurai ethics. Sacrifice for the good of Japan!

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canadianbento at Jan. 09, 2014 - 11:51AM JST I could not work with the Chinese.. But when I buy something I make sure, it is not made in China

How about parts? Because I'm pretty sure whatever you're using to post on here has some Chinese made parts in it. You should give those up too or stop making cliched remarks like the above.

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Chinese execs might not be able to do business... but Chinese tourists have no problems doing sight seeing

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Relations between China and Japan were at post-war highs before Noda purchased the islands

Only a blind person would call that a "high". Higher than before maybe, but the commies were still crying about comfort women and textbooks and apologies and complaining about the fact that someone "might" visit Yasukuni - even though no one did. I've been living in the region for nearly thirty years - the communists have never had "high" relations with anyone in the region except the DPRK.

Face it, PRC actively looks for reasons and ways to worsen its relationship with Japan. tinawatanabe hit the nail on the head.

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tinawatanabe, you are welcome.

Please don’t get me wrong, the US really sees crucial importance on its longtime ally - Japan. In addition, the American public has the favorite sentiment towards Japan than any other country in Asia.

That being said, Obama’s administration has little interest in engaging a war or a major military initiative in any part of world at this particular period time after Bush’s war-era, yet nationalistic Abe’s actions and words oftentimes appear to be counterproductive to American national interests and overall strategic vision.

Hopefully, Abe will settle down a bit, and his shrine visiting thing is just one time deal.

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I could not work with the Chinese.. But when I buy something I make sure, it is not made in China

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The last three PMs did not visit, but relation with both countries got even worse.

Actually, this is incorrect. Relations between China and Japan were at post-war highs before Noda purchased the islands.

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A certain company I work with has been setting up business in partnership with a Chinese firm to the tune tens, if not hundreds, of million dollars (USD). Actually there is mistrust on our side, as yes technology has been stolen before, but in this case, we benefit no matter what happens.

The company I formerly worked at has pretty well moved all manufacture to China. But they were/are very cautious of having their technology stolen also.

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EthanWilber Thank you, but don't you think the US criticism only encouraged China/SKorea/Russia to isolate Japan? Why does US think not visiting the shrine would help improve ties? There is no evidence. The last three PMs did not visit, but relation with both countries got even worse. If anything, not visiting only make them find other reasons to hit Japan. It is their economic power and anti-Japan education that make them noisey. If US is really interested in only good relations, not so much for shrine visit itself, then I wish US consider other options too. Besides, I think US is losing many friends in Japan.

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

I also find working with Japanese execs trying at times, but not for nationalistic or historical reasons, just their way of thinking and doing things.

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Despite the political tension between China and Japan, there has been liitle impact on financial markets.

So the statements of these Chinese and SK execs don't match their actions.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I think what you forgot to mention was that the commies will just go ahead and steal any tech they need.

China is not even remotely communist.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

In China, entrepreneurship is about producing, marketing and merchandising standard products invented and innovated elsewhere.

Well, that's a kind way to put it. First of all, "entrepreneurship" in PRC is virtually non-existent. Unless you have the connections required to get all the permits from the CCP and grease the palms of the right CCP officials, you have no hope of opening a real business in PRC.

Second, you mention "products invented and innovated elsewhere" ... I think what you forgot to mention was that the commies will just go ahead and steal any tech they need. They also have no qualms about ignoring patent and trademark laws respected the world over.

In short, PRC business model is a simple one. Steal tech from others, guilt them into paying for the factories in which to build the products you just ripped them off for, use your endless supply of near slave labor to build the product as quickly and cheaply as possible, and then sell the product right back to the people you stole it from in the first place.

If I was a Japanese company president I'd rather cut off my arm than do business in PRC.

For all the conflicts between China and Japan, if you've worked in both countries, you can see many, many similarities between them.

Except for the fact that in Japan 99% of the people are educated and abide by the laws of international business. PRC not so much.

3 ( +9 / -6 )

Could not this difficulty of doing business be cultural as well as political? It seems to me that the Japanese are the most Asian of all Asians. From my point of view, Chinese are a bit like Japanese with a bit of Western mixed in.

The Japanese and Chinese (and other Asian countries) are much more alike to each other, than they are to western countries. For the most part they come from a confusion background, whereas western countries generally come from a Socraten (Socrates) background. Asians were generally farmers, requiring communal cooperation in order to feed themselves, while westerners were hunters and gatherers, which was generally done independently.

For all the conflicts between China and Japan, if you've worked in both countries, you can see many, many similarities between them. And conflict usually happens between people who are alike more than people who are opposite.

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I have been predicting this kind of stuff from back in the 90s, how Japan was & IS still continuing to mortgage its own future wrt to WWII issues, China, Korea etc, I could see this stuff plain as day & now is only the beginning unless things are dealt with & REAL change implemented.

Now for all those who will be ready to jump on me saying China etc is also stupid, bad etc, well I KNOW THAT, a lot of posters on JT cant figure out the difference of making predictions about the future & thinking because you point out country-A is doing something that that means I must agree with country-B, its not that simple.

I see only losers in the Far East in all this, whichever country ""wins"" it will most certainly worse off for it! Its such a waste we are all witnessing & sadly it never had to go down like this but I could see it coming sadly, & it looks set to continue & likely get worse & worse!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

It seems the Japanese are not so afraid of further worsening relations, while the Chinese and Koreans think the relations will likely worsen much further. The gap is yet another evidence of lack of mutual understandings.

We live in turbulent times.

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@tinawatanabe :EthanWilber Why do you include Japan? All Japan is doing is protecting our territory ( islands) and culture ( shrine visit). If Japan concede, China/SKorea demands more and more. That's what they've been doing for decades. US critisized Japan over shrine visit too, but they should see this in larger prospect."

You sounds like reasonable person =, and you asked a good questions. :)

Here is my answwer :

I included Japan in the picure simply because Japan has China and South Korea as its neighboring countries, which can not be changed or rearaged geogrphiclly.

Yes, your are absolutely right "US critisized Japan over shrine visit too, but they should see this in larger prospect." Here is the thing which you should try to see it in American lens: When the US mentioned the diplomatic phrase “neighboring countries”, the phrase needs to be dissected in a granular level.

For Japan’s awaking giant – China, the door for dialog is pretty much a shutdown already. Abe does not want to accept the precondition set by the Chinese side, and similarly, China is not interested in backing down for its demand any time soon over the remorte islets. So we have a perfect impasse, which the US doesn’t like but can manager it as long as Abe doesn’t make the relationship worse or drag the US into an armed incident.

But to Washington, the disappointing and frustrating part is that Abe’s pilgrimage to the Yasukuni Shrine completely zeroed out the American keen efforts in building an unified front which involves its another ally, South Korea, to counter raising China in Asia. Now if China and South Korea has a closer tie, then, China would be able to drive a wedge into the supposedly solid alliance, rendering the coalition with precarious fractures.

Another piece of potential fallout because of Abe’s senseless act that has irritated the US is that Russian and China now took a higher moral grand to forge ahead in the name of maintaining the orders of WW II. The paired axial tilt might further jeopardize American national interests in the world for years to come.

When the US says it’s disappointed, it really meant it. Privately away from the media, four letters curses might be flared in the State of Dept, to express the dismay.

Hopefully, you are able to see the large picure: why the US wants Japan to work on peace with its neighboring countries instead of dwelling on the past or the territorial disputes.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Could not this difficulty of doing business be cultural as well as political? It seems to me that the Japanese are the most Asian of all Asians. From my point of view, Chinese are a bit like Japanese with a bit of Western mixed in. Take the languages. The Chinese language has the same SVO order as English which may encourage people to think in straightforward causal terms, but the Japanese with their subject drop and frequency of adverbs (TPO) at the start of the sentence, (E.g. Speeches beginning with phrases like "Today, here, upon this occasion speak." as if the speaking were a product of the time place and occasion rather than the missing subject, which perhaps arguably, it is. ) encourages the most "holistic" thought - argued to be characteristic of Asians. I would not be surprised if to the Chinese, the Japanese are bit too inscrutably, illogically, holistically Asian and for that reason too, 'difficult to do business with'.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

It's obvious that Japan needs the Chinese market and factories to keep their heads up, but China does not need Japan anymore since a lot of the technology has already been transferred. Now the Chinese can do what they want, which is openly hate Japan.

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

Xenophobia and nationalism are just stupid. No place for them in the modern world.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Then they should gtfo japan

I don't think they are actually 'in' Japan. But lets assume you mean get their business out of Japan - this would hurt Japan a lot more than China.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

china is more guility the japan, i am getting tired of this one sided talk, its starting to seem like the chinese are taking a page out of americas playbook and be hypocrites.

Maybe it's better Japan doesn't deal with china, at least it will spur more local grown business.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Seoul and Beijing see the shrine, which counts convicted war criminals among the 2.5 million souls it honors, as a place that glorifies Japan's 20th century outrages.

Meanwhile

According to Amnesty International, an estimated 500,000 people are currently enduring punitive detention in China without charge or trial, and millions are unable to access the legal system to seek redress for their grievances.

Harassment, surveillance, house arrest, and imprisonment of human rights defenders are on the rise, and censorship of the Internet and other media has grown. Forced killings of unborn babies and repression of minority groups, including Tibetans, Uighurs and Mongolians, Falun Gong practitioners and Christians who practice their religion outside state-sanctioned churches is prevalent. More people are executed in China than in the rest of the world put together.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

China has noticed the 'Arab Spring' more than many other nation out there. With an aging gang of cronies passing their unheard of fortunes and political titles onto family and friends for decades while the majority live well below poverty; with the lopsided thousands of citizen for every soldier they have created a paper dragon. This way they can avert attention away from the obviously contradictory "communist people's party" and towards an old enemy.

The sad part is that the old men of japan are so hateful towards their pacifist evolution and are dreaming up ways of returning to their senseless warrior past. Why hasn't the Japanese government noticed how successful Germany has become now that they have made clean with their history and made amends with those they hurt.

This isn't a who is better or worse. China has and does awful things to people and nations. Asia is like the most powerful V12 engine except each cylinder, Japan, Korea, China, etc. all want to run independent of the other or crash through the cylinder wall in hope of a catastrophic end. It's the only thing that has kept them from destroying the US based global economy.

9 ( +13 / -4 )

In 2013, 70% of US firms in China admitted that their security was compromised and valuable data stolen. Just sayin'...

13 ( +15 / -2 )

Considering that China is Japan's largest (economically) trading partner, this does not bode well. The economic fallout from the current disputes is going to start hitting many companies' bottom lines. And that actually may be what ends the dispute, because as loud as right-wingers are, business is even louder.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

EthanWilber Why do you include Japan? All Japan is doing is protecting our territory ( islands) and culture ( shrine visit). If Japan concede, China/SKorea demands more and more. That's what they've been doing for decades. US critisized Japan over shrine visit too, but they should see this in larger prospect.

-7 ( +8 / -15 )

Déjà vu againJan. 09, 2014 - 08:59AM JST I run a business in Japan, and last year I cut all ties with China and any product made in China.

Same can be said of Japan. Many fortune 500 companies from U.S. and Europe has their issues with Japan and they cut most the the ties for unfair trade practice.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

Then they should gtfo japan

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Petty.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

I run a business in Japan, and last year I cut all ties with China and any product made in China.

15 ( +21 / -6 )

This survey result doesn't match my (admittedly limited) experience. What I have experienced is that Japanese execs are happy to deal with China as a parent deals with a child (ie, there's a bit of a superiority complex thing preventing them from making much sincere effort).

In contrast, my experience with Chinese business people is that they are working very hard, but sometimes appear clueless about Japanese culture, and thus reinforce the prejudice above...

2 ( +4 / -2 )

It is even higher percentage of companies that do not trust doing business with Chinese.

15 ( +16 / -1 )

In a related story, 100% of foreign executives said they worry that Chinese partners will steal their technology and rob them blind.

45 ( +46 / -2 )

And Japanese are the ones constantly being labeled as being 'xenophobic,' bigots, etc. etc.

Time for Chinese and Korean businesses to grow up.

16 ( +24 / -8 )

Ok! So what else is new from China Inc.??

7 ( +10 / -3 )

I imagine 3D printers will solve this problem eventually. Meaning, no more cheap Chinese products if you can make them yourself. The only thing worth paying for will be the intellectual property with a standards logo if that, but that'll probably be it

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Few Chinese executives and professionals have flexable, open mind to cultures that are different than theirs. China is missing entrepreneurship, which China has yet to nurture and nourish. However, there are few companies that are the exception rather than the rule. In China, entrepreneurship is about producing, marketing and merchandising standard products invented and innovated elsewhere. That’s why China has yet to develop products like the iPhone and iPad and create sustainable competitive advantages in the global economy. China requires a new business mind-set that places the consumer rather than the government bureaucrat at the center of the economic center. Let entrepreneurs make choices as to how economic resources will be deployed and allows professional managers to implement these choices.

China doesn’t have an “infinite” world market frontier for its manufacturing products, as expansion to is already approaching its last frontier. This means that China is pushing against capitalism’s last frontier. If the magnitude of a domestic market of a China is measured by the size of her population, China is a large resource labor and product consumer market. The large population alone is not sufficient to increase the economic development. It has low per capita income and huge income inequalities that makes China’s domestic market a collection of separate local markets rather than a single integrated market.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

The Chinese executives' responses may be neither surprise nor sensational.

Accodding to The Asashi Shimbun, A survey done in Aug. 2013 “A combined 90.1 percent of Japanese respondents said they have either an “unfavorable” or “relatively unfavorable” impression of China, compared with 84.3 percent in 2012.”

I think that Japan, China and South Korea should stop looking backward and bickering on the bygones and those remote islets; instead, working together to achieve prosperity and peace in the region. That would the best bet.

5 ( +11 / -6 )

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