politics

Japan says it won't decide on AIIB until corruption addressed

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Nobody should be joining this new bank while it is led or controlled by China because it will only help to develop and extend their influence and power.

Two particularly important issues should be kept in mind when considering this. Firstly why was Taiwan the only country excempted from being invited to join? That's simple ... because China believe that they own Taiwan and it is only a matter of time before they take steps to take it back.

Secondly, when anybody borrows from a bank, while they have that debt they are beholden to that bank. That bank has the ability to demand repayment of that debt at any time. While other international banks are prepared to accepted certain levels of understanding about such behaviour, China is adequately demonstrating that they will never restrict their ambitions by respecting those international understandings.

Japan and PM Abe is right to be cautious. Those leaders in the west that have helped create this untameable dragon by allowing sustained and largely unregulated trade over the last 15 years in their unrestrained appetite for cheap product, and at the expense of their own economies, are going to regret their lack of foresight and planning.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

@ smithinjapan Your ignorance on this point is quite astounding compared to your usual post.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The UK Government has insisted that quote 'the standards of any new bank that they are part of, would be equal to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank'....Pledge and encourage with caution, that's all the Government of Japan needed to have stressed.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

All readers back on topic please. Posts that do not focus on the AIIB will be removed.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

As to which is more corrupt, China or Japan, since in neither country are we given the right to know, I think this is a moot point. Both are corrupt. That is for sure. So is Africa, so is the USA, Russia, the UK. There is corruption everywhere. It has destroyed each of the great civilisations so far, Egypt, Greece, Rome, etc., and it is destroying this one.

A Wikileaks wouldn't survive long in China or Japan, but whistleblowers are desperately needed in this part of the world.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

shimosueyoshi: "Can you vote out corrupt officials in China's one-party system? "

EXACTLY my point! In China you canNOT vote out the corruption -- the people have no choice! In Japan you CAN vote out the corruption, but not only do they NOT vote it out, it's almost a requirement for being voted back in!! That makes it WORSE, not better!

"Do Japanese officials illegally bribe the health industry into harvesting organs of political prisoners for short term financial gain?"

They just turn a blind eye when the yaks do it, but yes, as such, equally guilty. Mind you, they are not political prisoners but people trafficked into Japan (which is notorious for it's human trafficking problems and forced prostitution, etc.).

kiyoshiMukai: "SmithinJapan. Do you know any chinese?"

I do. Some great people, some not great; same as anyone else. Not a one of them would bat an eye before they said China is corrupt -- they agree it is. That's another difference. You won't admit Japan is as well but they'll admit China is. Just go look at Fukushima and what is tantamount to slave labor conditions, with the yakuza forcing people into debt and dependent on the work even more, and the government doing NOTHING about it except occasionally saying they want Fukushima to clamp down on sub-contractors, which they never do, and nothing is ever done. That's but one example. How often do you hear of the corruption here and the politicians denying it, then getting caught flat out and saying, "I had no idea what the people under me were doing -- I will pay back the money right away!", the whining and dining of others on our tax money, etc. No one is denying China is corrupt -- just you are denying Japan is as bad, if not worse, because the people could choose to get rid of the corruption but don't.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

SmithinJapan. Do you know any chinese? I know many Chinese that fled china because of corruption. Have you ever been there? I Installed a 4 million dollar oven in China. China is corrupt to the core.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Abe taking his orders from Washington like a good boy.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

kiyoshiMukai: "Placing Japan together with Belgium and China with Algeria. Ih've been in China and corruption is in all their culture."

No, Japan is no different. In fact, they are far worse -- they just think they can hide it. And you still vote into politics the most corrupt of the corrupt, constantly. Literally politicians who have served jail time for corruption get reelected in their home constituents, and bribery and other corruption is so widely carried out and accepted that you just don't see it as a problem.

Japan has no right to talk about corruption in terms of this bank. They will join it because they know if they don't they will be left in the dust. They're probably just waiting for backroom deals with China first, and this is their usual lip-service to the media to make themselves look better.

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

Ha ha ha ha! This belongs in the comedy section. The US puppet speaks.

US: Say hello, dummy. Jpn: Hello, dummy.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

Dont know you people. But Corruption International Lealast corrupt countries puts Japan at 15th place and china in 100th place. Placing Japan together with Belgium and China with Algeria. Ih've been in China and corruption is in all their culture.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

As most countries of G7 are founding members of AIIB, is Mr. Abe accusing them because they don’t care about corruption? Ordinary people don’t say this kind of things which may bruise other leaders.

This is another evidence that he is mentally incompetent.

“Competency is presumed unless there exists a reason to declare a person as mentally incompetent. There are several factors that would affect an individual's competency to make a particular decision, a particular contractual agreement, to execute an effective deed to real property, or to execute a Will.” The steps in declaring an individual as mentally incompetent are as follows:

**Law Dictionary: How to Legally Declare Someone as Mentally Incompetent? ** http://thelawdictionary.org/article/how-to-legally-declare-someone-as-mentally-incompetent/

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Ironic for some eu leaders sounding off about eliminating world corruption to start the G7 off in the wake of FIFA ....and oh I forgot ...we already joined AIIB without much consideration.

China’s corruption and pollution too far from Europe for them to be as aware as others about the negatives. Considering the distance, America is relatively more aware than Europe.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

That Abe, Abe, of all people should point the finger and yell "corruption."

i can't believe it.

This redefines bigotism!

-3 ( +7 / -11 )

Japan is right to opt out of this. Anything that China is involved in is rotten to the core.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

@Upgrayedd You need to study a bit further about Transparency International and what their CPI numbers mean! This is from their website:

Transparency International which measures "the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians". High numbers indicate less perception of corruption, whereas lower numbers indicate higher perception of corruption.

Actually I would have thought China's number would be larger, ie perceived as even MORE corrupt than it is!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Japan says it won't decide on AIIB until corruption addressed

This is what also enrages me with the people in this country. They will go abroad talking about a particular issue with a straight face (when their interests are in play), while in their own country, the same exact issue has been going on for ever and has been all cover up by media and the government. I mean corruption, come on give me a freaking break, corruption is Japan second name. That might sounds harsh, but sorry this is unfortunately the reality of Japan.

Now I can't really make a reason around this behavior, they just don't care or they just think that people other than them are simply just stupid to notice their ridiculous double face attitude or is is that they are just incredibly arrogant? I don't know really.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

How does Japan rank among the world in terms of corruption?

Let's look at the Corruption Perception Index as compiled by Transparency International.

Japan Ranking: 15 of 175 China Ranking: 100 of 175 US (reference): 17 of 175 Denmark (reference): 1 of 175

3 ( +12 / -9 )

concerned about corruption, LMFAO Japan has more than enough of that here to worry about

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

What a joke, Japan concerned about governance? Give me a break!

4 ( +14 / -10 )

how has corruption creeped into the conversation? this is such a lame attempt at japan and the US to maintain a hegemony on soft loans.

-6 ( +6 / -12 )

Tokyo has asked the Chinese authorities to clarify those issues but Beijing has not yet straightened them out, he said, adding that Japan would continue to talk to China about this.

Japan's finance minister Aso went Beijing to enjoy Peking Duck? forgot to clarify this point (?)

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

Japan says it won't decide on AIIB until corruption addressed...

Japanese finance minister asks, "Will you accept our corruption?"

-3 ( +11 / -14 )

Japan concerned about corruption, how nice!

How about tackling it here at home.

-1 ( +13 / -14 )

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