China protests after Japanese minister visits Yasukuni shrine

We urge Japan to adopt a correct attitude on questions of history

Care to take a correct attitude on questions regarding Tiananmen Square, Tibet and all your other human right atrocities? :)

China may be not entirely innocent in terms of being sensitive to its neighbor’s feeling; in fact, it just sent three coastguard ships into disputed Senkaku islands.

In some way, one may call those recent irritating acts (a Japan’s minister’s visit to Yasukuni Shine and an intrusion of Chinese coastguard ships in disputed water) the symptoms of anxiety resided in both Abe’s and Xi’s governments before Obama’s Asia trip scheduled this month.

These might be all articulated moves which were intended to send the signals to the US from these two admins. It’s clear that both Japan and China want to convey their messages to their domestic audients as well as to Whitehouse what they were doing would be their core values and interests that they care about. While It may sound irrational to American public, but for Japanese and Chinese, Yasukuni Shine and the disputed islets in East China Sea are symbols of the their cherished nationalistic identifications.

It will be a big challenge for Whitehouse to strike the balance to handle those flash points. Japan is American ally if the US shows the unwillingness to stand by its ally, the US will lose its credibility in the international affair. In other words, it would mean to give up its assumed leadership. But, on the other hand, If Washington is too eager to support Japan by provoking China in the issue of disputed islets, the US may face heavy even dangerous reactions from China’s military establishments, thus make already precarious security in the region even more deranged.

To make the things worse, the US itself may also share the burden of the perturbation since China has yet shown its willingness to join the West and the US to condemn Russia’s annexation of Crimea, that might indicate the so called “G2” model tossed around by Xi and Obama may hit the stumbling blocks in the medium term

As the crisis in Eastern Ukraine is creeping up in the background again, the Russians and Chinese have been franticly working on reviving their gas pipe deals for past two weeks, it is highly likely, Putin would seal a deal with his counterpart in his China’s visit in May. If that happens, the Russian and Chinese could be both emboldened further politically and militarily in the theaters of Ukraine and East China Sea.

For Japan, those factors may foreshadow its future, it may sound farfetched at this point, an armed clashed with China may derail Japan’s economic progresses made so far, and its 69 years of peace as well.

Surrounding by sea was a great advantage for Japan to insulate itself from foreign evasions, but at the same time, such advantages in past may work against Japan for seeking rescue on time in the future when Chinese A2/AD capabilities become sophisticated. In the addition, the animosity runs deep in China when it comes to Japan due to the wartime crimes committed by Japanese imperial force.

In conclusion, Japan’s future may run into serious issue if actions are misplaced and opportunities are missed.

It’s so scary, recently French President Francois Hollande compared China to an awakened lion, called it "peaceful, pleasant and civilized". Hopefully China will use its power carefully not repeat the history in 1940's.

StrangerlandApr. 13, 2014 - 09:36AM JST Communist China does not exist, as China does not follow the tenets of communism, and therefore is not communist. >Now if you had written "Oligarchy China protests at the drop of a hat", you'd be correct.

You're right, Fascist China is more like it.

China’s foreign ministry lodged a protest with Japan on Saturday after a Japanese minister visited a shrine which is seen by critics as a symbol of Tokyo’s wartime aggression.

Communist China protests at the drop of a hat, it wouldn't matter if the official was the head janitor they would still try and use it for propaganda purposes.

When Communist China burns down the Murderer known as Mao's tomb then they can complain all they want. Until then they should worry about their own nation and the slowdown that is underway.

Double trouble toil and bubble...... bubble? Did I say Communist China's bubble?

Communist China does not exist, as China does not follow the tenets of communism, and therefore is not communist

Who cares? I've said this time and again; the nature of China's ruling body does not change the fact that China has committed more and greater atrocities than Japan. Whether China is a Communist nation, an Oligarchy or a Kingdom does not change the fact that Chairman Mao killed millions of Chinese citizens during the Cultural Revolution. It does not change the fact that China invaded Tibet and East Turkminestan. It changes nothing. So stop banging on about how China isn't communist. It's irrelevant.

China should just shut up about what Japan does. You don't hear me complaining about any of the Yasukuni visits. No one with any sense or soul would attempt to dictate what the Japanese people can or cannot do the way China tries to. Yoshitaka Shindo's visit was to do with his grandfather, nothing more. But China can't accept that. They have to jump to the worst conclusion because it's convenient to them. It means that they can complain and protest. They kick and scream like child throwing a tantrum. Baby China wants its rattle. I can suggest some places to shove it.

new spring, old news...

The visit is ill-timed. Really, but I can understand him wanting to pay respect to his ancestor. Very few people interred at Yasukuni were war criminals, afterall. Still...its not the best move right now.

Yasukuni is problematic. How do you pay respects to your grandfather when the company he keeps includes a few war criminals? Would love for the Shinto Priests to get rid of the war criminals from Yasukuni...at leas then Japan's war dead can be honored in peace.

We urge Japan to adopt a correct attitude on questions of history, earnestly face the calls for justice from its Asian neighbors and the international community, and end all provocative acts which run counter to the tide of the times.>

Ya know, I get that China suffered because of Japan, but I wish they'd shut up about history. I mean, they can't pretend to be champions of history and truth when they censor their own.

Also, stop claiming territory that isn't yours and then we can talk about Japan's "provocative acts."

Chinese nationalists are in no position to tell Japanese nationalists what to do in their own country if it does not involve an act of physical violence towards Chinese interests or citizens. However, the reverse is also equally true. It could also be argued that if Korean Americans want to erect statues of comfort women in America then it is just as equally their right to do so. Nationalism is among the lowest common denominators of the human intellect. It functions on a base emotive visceral level, and to succumb to the idea that one country's nationalism is superior to that of another is to lose sight of reality. Body counts and who did what when do not ultimately improve the quality of the dialogue in what is ultimately a lose-lose correspondence.

Well balanced EthanWilber, I believe all the tension, huffing and puffing etc, equates to parties jockeying for position in hammering their message home prior to the imminent arrival of President Obama.

Joe Biden's constant badgering on about forging constructive relationships during his series of visits in February, has achieved little in respect of demilitarizing or curtailing defence spending, only to harden the resolve of, Xi Jinping, Shinzo Abe and Park Geun-Hye. In fact up until Shinzo Abe premiership, Obama's presidency has not seen a Japanese Prime Minister remain in office longer than a 14 months.

Obama's constant attempts to play the 'honest broker' between Japan and South Korea has proved a recipe for disaster, instead, a more reassuring approach to both parties about America's standing as their ally would have paid dividends.

Shinzo Abe has strengthened his position in office preparing a long term vision for Japan that fundamentally differs from the opposition DPJ. Even taking into consideration Shinzo Abe cumbersome train wreck diplomacy. Shinzo Abe has the grand vision lacking in any of the opposition parties, the big idea for Japan’s global role, his abeonomics connects with the electorate, even though it has all the elegance of a gambler rolling the dice.

The Obama administration foreign policy smacks of a hegemonic alliance system that is evident in the China-Japan-USA 'pivot' , perceptions matter in international relations, Obama vision lacks real imagination which is exasperating historic cultural tensions.

China protests against Yasukuni visit? World protests against China interning 10s of 1000s of Falung Gung practioners in concentration camps and torturing and murdering them, or harvesting their organs for cashed CCP members enriching themselves at the nations expense. CCP - go to hell with your irrelevant hypocritical whining.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8xDXvjeuaE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYHKHNk7VLg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QElHH0vDWpU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nKjGYoXqc4

Yasukuni is an institution that hails Japan's past military aggression and they even have a little museum pronouncing invasive imperial proliferation during the war was their sovereign right of the Empire. So a Politician paying homage to this place is like saying he is Fascist Imperialst and proud of it, what a joke!

@Strangerland: I was criticiziing him originally - until I dug about his grandpa, General Kuribayashi. Someone restored soldiers memorial letters at Iwojima and Clint Eastward directed and coproduceed General and soldiers History mivie. So I changed my mind not to criticize without knowing. The academy awarded film, Letter fro, Iwojima, I waxched years ago. The body of never found as the island was all perished. Shindo never tell that but I dug. I watched English language version, Wikipedia has full explanation of the picture.

While it is true that a country which is soon poised to be the world's largest economy can hardly be called 'Communist', taking issue with the nomenclature is like saying the DPRK isn't really democratic. That's just what they like to call it. I mean look at the English name of Japan's ruling party:. Liberal Democratic Party? Yeah, right.

Its just a handle conveniently used that has no real basis. One could argue that in this day and age, that all so called first world democracies are in actuality 'plutocracies' or 'corporatocracies' but its just easier to fall back on the tried and tested word 'democracies'. The thing with all labels is that they are bound to become outdated or misrepresentative of the nations or entities they ostensibly represent.

According to Marx and Engel's definitition of communism no country historically can be deemed communist. When in any so-called communist country have the workers ever controlled the means of production? Rather, when put into practice in any country historically the workers have become the means of production to serve a cadre of higher ups and party officals. So it is doubtful if in reality if any country rightfully be called communist. So what's the big deal if China likes that essentially unatainable label?

Chuck Fina

Until China puts Labor Day back in September, where it always beolngs, they have no voice in international affairs. Not May first.

"The nation doth protest too much, methinks" ... but if it distracts its own populace from all the ethnic tensions, abuse and corruption within I suppose it will go on forever. Or at least until the CPC elite have bundled all their wealthy out of the country.

I had been wondering why Shindo suddenly visited Yasukuni alone. So, I checked Shindo in Wikipedia to see who his family is enshrined in Yasukuni, Gosh I found, His grandpa was General Kuribayashi whose body was never found. That means his Grandfather;s soul was enshrined in Yasukuni. Then I found the General was sent to defend Japan at Iwo Jima. Then I remembered I watched Clint Eastwood directed and co-produced historic films a few years ago. The name was Letters From Iwojima. So, I checked Wikipedia. in English and Japanese. I read and read and so now I began thinking he probably went to report what he will achieve in Japanese politics to his Grand Father. Read the Letter From Iwojima in Wikipedia.

If that were true, he would have gone discretely, without an entourage and media in tow, and in plain clothes.

@Strangerland: He went with plain business clothes. He went alone. No LDP members accompanied him. He had gone discretely. He did not have media in tow. It was awfully cheap looking plain clothes. I don;t think he changed clothes there. Look at the picture to check his cheap looking attire. Photo, my guess is Yasukuni took like other tourists and visitors it does.

Interesting, not a word of this visit last night on NHK's seven o'clock news! I was waiting to see if they would report about it, but I guess for the right wingers at NHK this isn't news.

@ Castle Doctrine

I mostly agree with you up to a point. But there is Tibet. There is also China's current behavior in the South China sea where it wants a huge horse shoe shaped chunk of the world's oceans. The problem with China is it is using its victimization in the past as an excuse to become a victimizer in the present.

The problem with Japan is that it is denying its role as victimizer in the past to avoid being a victim in the present.

I went there last year and nobody protested.

And are you a representative of Japan?

China's reactions to this Yasukuni visit once again just underlines the methods by which they try yo control and steer their nationalist populace, because the main purpose for them is to keep the anti-Japan fire burning.

There are 14 war criminals enshrined at Yasukuni.

Fourteen class A war criminals. Over 1000 war criminals overall.

In China, there are currently 32 million more boys under the age of 20 than girls. That's 32 million kills in the last 20 years merely due to the sex of the fetus.

China has a lot more important ethical disputes to address than what may or may not have happened 80 years.

I never understood the hullabaloo about the Yasukuni, except that it is nothing more than a distraction.

Surely if those souls are so evil ... which I don't think Communists actually believe in existing anyway ... then surely they are better off being interned in a shrine and preyed for, rather than floating around the ether getting up to mischief?

That's how ridiculous the Chinese are being. What to they want, evidence that the souls have been cast out and doomed to spend eternity in Hell? That sounds like medieval lunacy to me ...

I think Minister Shindo went to Yasukuni to pray for his Grandfather who was sent to Iwojima by Tojo, I don;t think he went to pray for Tojo and other A class War criminals who were hang.

If that's the case, then he may be being unfairly branded.

Communist China protests at the drop of a hat

Communist China does not exist, as China does not follow the tenets of communism, and therefore is not communist. Now if you had written "Oligarchy China protests at the drop of a hat", you'd be correct.

I went there last year and nobody protested. Not only that, there were Chines speaking people there, but I don't know if they were from Taiwan or the mainland.

China is often angered by actions of Japanese officials.

@ Strangerland

For whatever reason, and I think it is poor PR advice, the Chinese 50 cent Army has decided to run a script focusing on Abe being a right winger etc etc etc. "Unfairly branded" is the norm.

I think it work better of Americans as they have a "president" fixation but not so well on other nationalities, including Japanese, who know better.

Well, it's closer. Still not correct though.

I haven't take issue with calling the ruling party the communist party - that would be accurate. It's the name they have chosen for themselves in their self-delusion. It's calling the country communist that I take issue with, as it's clearly incorrect.

Its just a handle conveniently used that has no real basis. One could argue that in this day and age, that all so called first world democracies are in actuality 'plutocracies' or 'corporatocracies' but its just easier to fall back on the tried and tested word 'democracies'.

The difference is that said countries are still democracies due to the right to vote. China isn't even remotely communist, and it's arguable as to whether it ever was.

It's entirely relevant - China isn't communist.

You're point makes absolutely no sense. What matters is China's actions, not their ruling party. No-one is getting angry at China because of that, they're getting angry at China because they constantly bully Japan, drag up the past at every opportunity, attempt to dictate what Japan can and cannot do, and try to paint Japan as villains when their own past is further from laudible than that of Japan's. There is absolutey no relevance in China being Communist or not. It's their actions which are causing outrage. One could argue that the United Kingdom is an inaccurate term, since it isn't really united, and though we have the Royal Family, it's the Prime Minister and politicians who run the country ultimately. But no-one presses that issue whenever Britain takes any actions which upset other nations, so no-one should with China either. Whether China is communist, capitalist or whatever, China is still a tyrannical nation seeking to upset the status quo by force. There can be no denying or avoiding that.

What did happen is that over a thousand war criminals enshrined at Yasukuni got millions of Chinese killed.

There are 14 war criminals enshrined at Yasukuni.

The Chinese did horrible things mostly to themselves.

Which is worse than doing "horrible things" to others. As the leader of China, Chairman Mao should have been protecting his people and enriching their lives, not rounding them up and slaughtering them in their millions. He failed as a leader and as a Human. I'm not defending the actions of these 14 Class A war criminals, but Japan's past is far less bloody than China's. At least Japan acknowledges its past and has apologised repeatedly for it. China and South Korea still want more though. That won't happen now. They're pushing too far, playing the situation all wrong. They can't let go of the past. They cannot forget, and they cannot forgive. Not the behaviour one would expect from civilized countries in this day and age.

China protests at Japanese official blowing his nose. Chinese protest at Japanese official pointing at cloud. Chinese politicians need to shut up and fix their own rotten country.

When Communist China burns down the Murderer known as Mao's tomb then they can complain all they want.

Can you say the same for the war criminals in Yasukuni shrine?

Many points concerning Mao Zedong prove China to be hypocritical. But that does not mean they are wrong about Yasukuni.

If Mao had gotten millions of Japanese killed, I would support Japanese protests of Chinese government officials visiting Mao's Mausoleum. But that is not what happened. What did happen is that over a thousand war criminals enshrined at Yasukuni got millions of Chinese killed. But Japanese politicians who visit there never say anything about it.

You know, I really don't expect much from the Chinese as they openly revere Mao. I do expect more from the Japanese though. The Japanese really did horrible things to China. The Chinese did horrible things mostly to themselves.

Can you say the same for the war criminals in Yasukuni shrine?

Shh... Don't confuse the right wingers.

Who cares?

It's like if people, when criticizing the US, kept saying 'Communist America has a real ____ problem'. It makes no sense, is America is as Communist as China - which is to say not at all.

Whether China is a Communist nation, an Oligarchy or a Kingdom does not change the fact that Chairman Mao killed millions of Chinese citizens during the Cultural Revolution. It does not change the fact that China invaded Tibet and East Turkminestan. It changes nothing.

I didn't claim it changes anything, and you are right about the points of which you speak. But it's just weird you'd rather call a country something it isn't, rather than be accurate. If you don't even know the political system that the country you are criticizing, then are any of the other points you are claiming accurate? Your willingness to be inaccurate calls into question the reliability of your other claims. I suppose if that doesn't bother you, then it's your right to be as inaccurate as you want, but you can't complain when people question what you say.

So stop banging on about how China isn't communist. It's irrelevant.

It's entirely relevant - China isn't communist.

Angry Japanese do not know when to stop. They need to understand that savagery is not something to be proud of. At this age, high officials showing respect to war criminals can happen only in Japan. Learn from Germans. Repent and move on.