politics

Japan's envoy to UK hits back at China over Voldemort comparison

54 Comments

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2014 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


54 Comments
Login to comment

Since WW2 how many wars or military actions have the countries been involved in?

Nice caveat. Lets just forget Japan's bloody rampage across East Asia that involved every single East Asian nation, and let us look at all the little tiffs that China had since then. Lets also just forget that Japan tore China apart and that China had immense troubles putting itself back together. And last, lets just forget that Japan is an island nation insulated from the continent while China sits in the middle of it.

Its sad to see people take a black marker to pages of relevant points to cherry pick some propaganda. Its sadder when they actually seem to believe they themselves have remotely treated the issue in any sort of balanced way.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

The diplomatic corps of some of the world's most powerful states has been reduced to this?

Ms. Rowling's lawyers need to send a cease-and-desist letter...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Read the paragraph with "Enshrinment of war criminals". Note the words "secretive" in 1978.. So what about 1972 again about Yasukuni?

It was publicly disclosed in 1979. PRC had a Consulate General office in Japan as early as 1973. Do the staffs not read the current events of their host countries and are so clueless that they didn't even read the Japanese newspapers?

-1 ( +7 / -7 )

Nigelboy,

Did those "TV" participants take an oath to answer those ridiculous questions on TV while " IN JAPAN"? And how did the "TV STATION" filter the participants? How educated are those people? How many years have they lived in China, Japan? Are they inter-married to Japanese? Do they have a particular hatred towards their own kind?

When you don't have any specific buffer or parameter to establish the intent of those participants, these type of "questionaires" are at best "entertainments". Much like Jay Leno asking those stupid questions on its show participants on stage.

Look, it doesn't matter how many links you provide here considering the source and purpose. Your agenda is clear on trying to white wash everything. It might work on some simple minded folks but everyone who takes the time to read and participate here won't fall for it.

In 1972, China was busy with a whole series of internal issues and external ones with then Soviet and US as well as Vietnam and the fallout from India and Pakistan. Japan is not even on the radar until US began to use Japan as a leverage into China.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasukuni_Shrine

Read the paragraph with "Enshrinment of war criminals". Note the words "secretive" in 1978.. So what about 1972 again about Yasukuni?

Mixing an issue secretive and gradually enacted by Japan throughout the years and try to muddle the water by bringing in China's "feelings" in two separate era is by definition deplorable.

You sir, has zero credibility.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

For its part, Beijing accused Abe of double-dealing and leveled the familiar charge that he had “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people”.

Seriously? Even the Chinese residing in Japan don't know the difference between Class A and Class B,C.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBQ_ra2ktM8

Joinr Comminique in 1972. "The Government of Japan and the Government of the People's Republic of China agree to establish relations of perpetual peace and friendship between the two countries on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit and peaceful co-existence."

Of course, this only lasted a mere 13 years, when China started to bitch about Yasukuni.

And 1978.

The Contracting Parties confirm that, in conformity with the foregoing principles and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, they shall in their mutual relations settle all disputes by peaceful means and shall refrain from the use or threat of force.

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

China has border disputes with its neighbors, but so does Korea and Japan with everyone of theirs. They just don't have as many neighbors.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Since WW2 how many wars or military actions have the countries been involved in?

Japan - 0 China - Lots

Since WW2, China has managed to get in fights with just about all their neighbors. Russia, India, Pakistan, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines. And of course lets not forget their conquest of, and continued illegal occupation of Tibet.

Are people really worried about Japanese military aggression? Really?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Ok, if you are a Diplomat and you are quoting or makincored wrenches to "Harry Potter"?

Then you are a DORK!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

To those countries in Asia and other parts of the world, the Japanese militarist aggression is the darkest and cruelest history Japan ever has.

If Japan has the gut and courage to face and overcome the psychological "evil wizard" themselves, only then they can regain truly the trust of Asian neighbors and the international community, otherwise Japan will continue to stand shamefully in the dock as a defendant for life...for life and the world is watching.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

If China is "He-who-shall-not-be-named," then Abe must be Cornelius Fudge.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Zichi, Japan was being blockaded by the US, the communists in China were murdering millions there and marching towards Japan, the legal Chinese government then fled to Taiwan, the Chinese Emperor asked Japan for assistance. I wonder if the US or any European country was in the same situation what would happen, give the key to the city to whom? Zichi, Japan was put in a situation where it had no option but to fight. Yes, bad things happened, but history has always been written by the winners. Iran - Iraq war, Libya, DPRK, Vietnam, Cambodia, Afghanistan, all the wars in Africa. Friend a lot of people in the US and Europe as well as leaders of the countries mentioned have cumulatively done much worse than Japan did 70 years ago but winners and self interest protects some and persecutes others. Chinese leaders have murdered many more people in the last 70 years than Japan did, don't see too many Chinese complaining, the ones that tempt it get jailed, killed or silenced and this is the country that wants to preach to Japan? Yasukuni represents the ancestors of Japan even if it includes some questionable souls. Abe San did not go there to glorify them but to symbolically glorify his nation through his ancestors, the Chinese know this and so do the Koreans.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Congratulations on the Japanese Prime Minister having the courage to respect his ancestors who fought for and protected Japan in visiting Yasukuni. I am not Japanese but I have also been there to thank the Japanese people for allowing me to leave in one of the safest countries in the world and cleaner than most. China should return all the government loans and development aid it received from Japan over the past 70 years if it wants to respect in the international arena. China protecting the DPRK really shows it's real face. The Chinese and Koreans who live in Japan but feel so bad even though they are involved in prostitution, drugs, and other illicit business are very welcome to go home to your respective countries and enjoy the pollution, lack of freedom to complain but most importantly corrupt your own people and leave Japan alone. The others who are not involved in illicit businesses but are involved in the pachinko businesses headquartered around Ueno and pay no taxes, please take what you already have earned as a gift from Japan, get on a boat and go home, Japan doesn't need you...

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

What?! Now you're just putting words in my mouth to keep the hysteria levels up.

You suddenly don't want to talk about ADIZ...

You don't want to talk about American spy flights...

You don't want to talk about Japan pummeling all of Asia up to 1945...

But of course what you really want to talk about is the Senkaku islands...

0 ( +2 / -2 )

You know, I'm not sure that they both aren't right. As for those who complain about the USA, those you have to thank for making the US the most powerful country in the world is Japan, Germany and Italy.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@funny car & hatsoff:

Kinda getting off track aren't you? The article is about the Harry Potter reference, and now you're each arguing about which country, Japan or China, is the most aggressive.

I think both countries are being pretty narrow mindedness and silly in this case.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

That's not a very good comparison.

What?! Its not a comparison! Its what is going on with China and what is going on with Japan. Man. Pull it together will ya?

For decades Japan has been building quite a military and quite a navy by lobbing all sorts of cash at it. Has Japan been under serious threat? No. China has just started building a real navy. And for a country surrounded by hostile nations which contains 1/6 of the planet, the comparative spending has been peanuts.

And all of Japan's spending despite America's pledge to defend Japan.

You have to look at the nature of the countries, the human rights records, the behavioral trends, the redrawn borders (not AZIZ but real territory). The evidence shows that China is an aggressor. Japan has not committed aggressive acts 68 years.

Define "aggressive acts". A horrible human rights record is not an aggressive act on the international stage.

You suddenly don't want to talk about ADIZ since it has been brought up that Japan extended hers into Taiwan's in 2010? You don't want to talk about American spy flights against China that Japan allows to take off from Kadena? You don't want to talk about Japan pummeling all of Asia up to 1945, but you do want to talk about China invading Tibet in 1950? I suppose you want to ignore the foreign aggressors of the Vietnam War, Gulf War 2 and the Invasion of Afghanistan and forget that Japan hosts those aggressors?

China has as much or more to be concerned about Japan as vice-versa.

But of course what you really want to talk about is the Senkaku islands because you imagine China has no claim and Japan has every claim. But I have no hope to open your eyes on that issue if you cannot realize what it means to be number four on military expenditure for decades on an insulated island hosting the number one spender which agresses China, as you condemn a nation spending something like 7 times less than the combination that shares borders with 14 nations making the longest border of any country in the world.

I despise the regime in China, but despite your false interpretation of China being such an aggressive and war-like nation, I have to look at my own country, The United States, and I know who is really aggressive and war-like and Japan hosts them! From the complete other side of the hemisphere, here they are, annoying China, and have been for decades.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Can't they actually keep some dignity and just ignore? But I guess politicians are still lame as ever.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Abe: Lord Voldemort

Mao: Sauron / People's Republic of China: Mordor / Korea: Saruman

It's fantasy!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Even tho I understand what is yasukuni shrine is, I don't understand why it is so bad to visit it .. I must be dumb heh like now I'm writing this from here (at the shrine) and eating my lunch.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Lame. Japan would have been better off not responding.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Yasukuni simply needs to relocate its contentious museum elsewhere and/or make a separate shrine for the currently enshrined war criminals.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Tibet, India in 2012, Sansha in 2012...

After decades of being deemed a threat, China is finally militarizing. Meanwhile, Japan's military spending has been steady for decades

That's not a very good comparison. You have to look at the nature of the countries, the human rights records, the behavioral trends, the redrawn borders (not AZIZ but real territory). The evidence shows that China is an aggressor. Japan has not committed aggressive acts 68 years.

Saying Yasukuni is an internal affair is like saying intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads are an internal affair, at least until they have entered your airspace.

Hysteria.

My vote, if I had one, would not fall naturally to Abe, but whoever is PM needs to be realistic and cautious about China's intent in Asia, and not let Japan get caught with its pants down.

But there is clearly a pro-Japan lobby though, and they refuse to honestly reflect on the situation by such as things as calling people who dare to honestly look at both sides as "the pro-China lobby".

You've been looking honestly at both sides then?

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Does that make the Senkaku's Hermione? Taiwan is Ron Beasley? USA is Dumbledore?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Some of the JT crowd that post on these kinds of threads are quick to jump on Japan.

Yeah, and some are quick to jump on China. Eh, hatsoff?

There is concrete evidence of China militarising and invading countries and abusing human rights, but little or no mention from the pro-China lobby.

Yeah, China is militarizing now. After decades of being deemed a threat, China is finally militarizing. Meanwhile, Japan's military spending has been steady for decades, and Japan was ranked fourth in the entire world in military expenditure in 2005 and now Japan is also increasing arms expenditures. And Japan is host to the most warring nation on Earth, America, which spends 5 times more than China on the military.

Meanwhile, China does not have the luxury of being on island off the coast of East Asia. China is the center of East Asia and has real defense needs. Its not just that China has border disputes with many of its neighbors, its also that China's neighbors have disputes with China!. Next I will quote you again:

and invading countries

What countries? When? Are you going to go back into decades old history for China, but gloss over Japan's rampage across Asia relative moments before?

And China's human rights record? This is about Japan and China, and how the Japanese government seems to think that invading China, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Burma, etc. was some sort of joke and a game. Did you expect us to bring up Tianamen Square, Liu Xiaobo and qi gong?? Nobody is remotely trying to deny China's horrible human right's record. It is horrible. We all condemn it. But that is truly an internal affair. Saying Yasukuni is an internal affair is like saying intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads are an internal affair, at least until they have entered your airspace. Bullox!

Also bullox to your declaration of a pro-China lobby here. But there is clearly a pro-Japan lobby though, and they refuse to honestly reflect on the situation by such as things as calling people who dare to honestly look at both sides as "the pro-China lobby".

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Shinzo Abe's visit to the yasukuni war shrine is part of the reason why the behavior of the Japanese ghostly militarism arises again. Abe, is committed to pleasing those Japan nationalists who were proud of Japan before and during the second world war. There are always some hopeless people in Japan, who are not at all feeling guilty or sorry the least for what their country had done to the world.

Lord Voldemort, your evil deed will soon destine you to the 18 layers hell!

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Touche.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

All I can say is that if they are calling each other names, it is not likely to escalate to bullets very soon.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

So Japan's answer to being equated to Voldamort is to say, "Na-uh! YOU'RE Voldamort!"?

2 ( +8 / -6 )

China: Your Mummy's fat!

Japan: No, your's is fatter!!

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Seems to me both have crossed over to the dark side of the force, if you'll allow me to mix genre.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

An ill-advised choice of words Hayashi-san. Someone's speech writer needs to be canned.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

[ “But ties have soured since Tokyo bought a set of disputed islands in the East China Sea in 2012, fueling nationalism in both nations that has seen paramilitary ships and planes from both sides involved in regular standoffs around the isles. ” ]

Ties soured long before Tokyo bought the islands. The language “ties have soured since Tokyo bought - - -” denotes that Tokyo is the one to blame. It is not. The tie cannot but sour as long as China claims it is the legal owner of the islands and sends boats and war planes into the vicinity while Japan takes counter measures. To say Tokyo is the one to blame you need to say that China legally owns those islands and Japan is holding them illegally, which is beyond one reporter’s.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Stupified!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Japanese Foreign Monostry needs to instgruct its ambassadors and envoys not to be big mouth. Just stay away when envoys of other caountries redicule Japan. Let it go. Be diplomat. Let people who are good in argue to do argument, Just concentrate on diplomacy job.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Abe’s hawkish admin fails to see that it is playing right into media's hands in UK by living up to the image the Japan’s neighboring countries have been eager to paint Japan as – a country is pursuing unrepentant militarism. (by the way, such assumption is ridiculous.)

You have to give China some credits for its savviness in playing international diplomacy cards After Abe’s pilgrimage, which have made Abe and the company look like a bunch of diabolical warmongers.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Japan and China are acting like children.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

This is creepy and very inappropriate — leaders on both sides portraying their bilateral conflict through the lens of a Harry Potter fantasy world where supernatural forces go head to head.

This sort of rhetoric eerily reminds me of the latter years of the Reagan presidency when he would schizophrenically refer to the former Soviet Union as the Evil Empire, in reference to the Star Wars Saga.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

"One is to seek dialogue, and abide by the rule of law. The other is to play the role of Voldemort in the region by letting loose the evil of an arms race and escalation of tensions, although Japan will not escalate the situation from its side," he said.

Lord Voldemort indeed. Mr. Hayashi should have included a verse or two from the Bible for good measure.

It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number. (Revelation 9:14-16)

1 ( +2 / -1 )

China-Japan relations, Yasukuni, weapons, USA, all that sells news. Nobody cares when someone is getting killed in the traffic

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

China needs to stop throwing its toys out of the pram and be a good boy and play nicely.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

“It is ironic that a country that has increased its own military spending by more than 10 percent a year for the past 20 years should call a neighbor ‘militarist,’” Hayashi wrote.

“Its attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion has raised concerns not only in Japan, but also among its neighbors throughout the East China Sea and the South China Sea,” he wrote in a reference to China’s vigorous claims to territories disputed by nations such as the Philippines and Vietnam.

Some of the JT crowd that post on these kinds of threads are quick to jump on Japan. From reading their posts you'd almost imagine Japan was about to invade some countries again. Yesterday someone wrote 'You don't "pledge to never wage war again" by waging war.' (And I had a good, hard look around Tokyo yesterday and I couldn't see any war going on. I even saw lots of Chinese tourists happily doing their shopping in Shinjuku - where's the war then?)

What they never seem to do is deal with the points mentioned by Hayashi above. There is concrete evidence of China militarising and invading countries and abusing human rights, but little or no mention from the pro-China lobby. Japan is not as pure as the driven snow, but the evidence goes against China on balance.

13 ( +17 / -4 )

This is getting more than ridiculous.

Most popular comments on JT have to do with Yasukuni, China and Japan's bickering, Abe.

Aren't there more important things to be concerned about in regards to Japan?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Speech is silver, but silence is golden.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

It's clear that what is needed is a Sorting Hat.

Not sure that would help Farmboy. Both the Chinese and Japanese leadership would wind up in Slytherin.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

China, Japan, DPRK and SK and all idiots when it comes to diplomacy and international relations. Anyone that can't see that all 4 countries are to blame for the current state of East Asia need to get themselves de-brainwashed.

6 ( +11 / -5 )

Maybe the Chinese think its "cool" to compare their relations with neighboring countries with characters from children's books, but I'm afraid they'll soon run out of evil characters. By using Yasukuni China is attempting to meddle in the affairs of Japan and affect some form of control over her destiny - of course Japan refuses such dysfunctional behavior.

War is evil and everyone suffers, this we know, so why is China provoking all their neighbors and growing their military by 10% per year? When was the last time anyone attempted to invade China? On the other hand China is poking its finger in the chest of all her neighbors, and stealing territory from all of them. It is obvious that China is the aggressor here - any growth and expansion of China is not good for the world.

If characterization is necessary, then China must be Gollum.

9 ( +15 / -6 )

Japan will not escalate the situation from its side

So Shintaro Ishihara and PM Abe are officially Chinese now? It was Chinese elements that nationalized the Senkakus? It was the Chinese PM Abe who went to pray at a shrine honoring war criminals and glorifying Japan's past of invading places such as China? It was the Chinese that expanded Japan's ADIZ in 2010 right into Taiwan's ADIZ? It was China that claims to renounce war but stubbornly clings to old war gains and is deaf to the claims of others? Its China hosting the American military which antagonizes China and starts conflicts around the globe?

Of course not. Japan is pure as driven snow and innocent as an angel! What a joke of a statement by Hayashi.

-9 ( +12 / -21 )

Yes, throw mud at each other. More the better. That's going to help so much in "improving relationship with yours neighbors".

Americans will soon have to take over from Abe. Who do you think they'll talk to? Not Abe for sure.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

OK you two now BE GOOD or we will have to take you out of the sand box!!!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

J. K. Rowling? We dropped to Ms. Rowling? Though I like her prose, it doesn't reflect Japanese-Chinese relations. And if it did, you need help.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

You have got to be seriously kidding me!

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites