Octagon comments

Strangerland

If you ask Africans, Myanmar, khamar and Latinos, PRC investment, development aids and trade have no string attached. I have never heard that PRC is forcing other nations to follow their principles, ideology and joining their alliance. Another word is PRC is not lecturing and dominating others for reward. Tourism dollar is nothing to do with soft diplomacy. Winning the heart and mind of someone is a delicate task. It should become like cherry blossom with slow and gental nature. Not like volcanic eruption with hateful and inflammable lava.

For example, US tried to condemn PRC human rights in UN for many times.However it was not successful because it has been blocked by third world developing nations( mostly from Africa).

Many from west have looked down to these impoverished and backward nations with superior mentality. For PRC, they are new market and resources supplier. The outcome is western influence is waning. PRC is winning the hearts and minds that people. We can not force someone to believe our way of thinking. At least PRC has got votes from poor and developing nations as moral support. it is the beauty of the art of soft diplomacy.

Many oversea born Chinese desdendants from Yokohama, Taiwan and North America have never been a fan of PRC. One example is American Chinsese Gordon Chang who published the book called as Coming collapse of China. Interestingly Gordon Chang has been old and grey like his book. His prediction of doom and gloom has not come true yet. PRC will not win their heart because of the bad memory of their stupid ideology during 1960s. However that Chinese descendent scan not vote in UN. Their influence is limited.

However PRC has won the investment of Oversea Chinese network. The old way of winning propaganda war for bashing other with exaggeration have been over. It is 21 st century.

Except that the entire world thinks China is a threat.

I guess I have arrived on another planet. My recent visit to Africa, I felt like I was in the China town of San Francisco and Vancouver. Africans are enjoying the PRC investment, trade and tourism after a few set backs with PRC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa%E2%80%93China_economic_relations

During my trip to South East Asia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Malaysia, everyone said PRC is the engine of their economy and growth. Locals are smiling to every Chinese tourists.

http://www.icaew.com/~/media/Files/About-ICAEW/where-we-are/7189-icaew-sea-q1-2013-web.pdf

Even in Latin America, PRC is the saviours of their weak economy. Many Latino friends said there is no other nation is important to them like PRC. Some from Florida have returned back to their booming homeland. The boom is made by PRC.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/18/business/china-latam-ties/

Australia and New Zeland is enjoying their trade and tourism too. They are celebrating their relationship with beloved nation on that earth.

http://www.australiachinaquarterly.com.au/zh/business-and-politics/item/450-a-long-march-%E2%80%93-the-australia-china-investment-relationship.html

http://www.3news.co.nz/China-becomes-NZs-biggest-trade-partner/tabid/421/articleID/325810/Default.aspx

Overall PRC is the money machine showering others with joys and prosperity. It is very hard for hating that old and ancient civilization with repetitive hateful propaganda. At the end, money talk! Propaganda can not win the hearts and minds of tolerant and friendly people of the world.

I have been a loyal fan of Oliver Stones and Michale Moore master pieces. They are not only creative but also very entertaining. I am pleased to know they have joined helpless Okinawa residents for rally against the base plan.

It is heart warming to know that some great Americans have courage to stand up for weak and oppressed people of Okinawa. If there is no movement like that, Okinawa will be forever enslaved by Japan and US. More actions are needed for that struggle.

Maybe the ROK should become friends with the PRC and become foes with Japan and the USA.

It is hard to interpret the definition of friend. As a market PRC 1.3 billion market is more attractive for ROK instead of 127 millions consumers of Japan. Japan is nothing important for ROK except for Pokemon and AKB48. Selling Koran made one car or TV or Gangnam style song in Japanese market is harder than selling Ice cream to Eskimos. Therefore ROK government do not care what Japanese consumers think about them.

President Park is fluent in Mandarin and she will be well received by Beijing as one of their relative in coming APEC meeting. One thing is definitely sure that Abe will be nobody at APEC and he will feel isolated. He can not complain for nobody wanted to talk with him. He has no class as PM. It is not civic duty for host and Park have to entertain him.

Go and settle it like adults people, please.

ROK has already said that no more compromise for that issue. Period! There is the evidence of their territory as flying their flag over there. If Japan wanted to fly rising Sun flag, they have to use force. Period! For Diaoyu or Senkaku, PRC ships have come and go as they please for many decades. Japan is landlord in name only who can not get the rent from uncaring tenant. If Japan want them not to come anymore, Japan should capture the crew and sink the ships. Period.

Forums and school text books will not change the reality of Geo-political climate. Japan is the land of setting Sun enjoying the last minute of Sun ray before the complete darkness.

teaching manuals would be changed to make clear that the rocky islets controlled by South Korea but claimed by both nations, known as Takeshima in Japan and Tokdo in South Korea, were Japanese territory.

Japanese Children will be confused about fabrication and lies about the text book. Doko or Takeshima is absolutely under control of ROK. When they visit there, they will acknowledge that it is not belong to them as text book dishonesty. Abe should explain them why can not they raise the Japan flag and singing national Anthem there?

sets of remote islands at the center of disputes with China and South Korea are integral parts of its territory,

Publishing in the text book does not translate as reality of sovereignty. For Daioyu or Senkaku, Japan is the landlord is name only who can not get the rent from regular come and go tenants. In fact, other disputed nations will be more energized than ever and they will not back off as Abe wished for.

Japan is the land of the fabricating history and text books.

The increased price of energy was expected and can not be helped.

Japan is 70% reliant on energy import. It is heavily depending on imported raw materials too. Increasing price of energy and materials will make Japanese goods more expensive. Low yen is not everything for Japan export competitiveness. Japan can be helped by herself for diversifying nuclear energy, solar energy, wind energy and hydro power energy for less dependent on imported energy.

It is not easy to stage an economical recovery for Japan but the old ways were not working.

In fact Japan is still doing old ways of selling TV, Cars and Cameras like good old days of 70s and 80s. Even the prices are gettng cheaper, they will not be high demand like old days. No wonder Sony and Panasonic credit rating have been downgraded. Japan needed to be innovative with new products like Iphone, Ipad and Imax.

Also emerging in conversations are fears of more monetary tightening in the United States that would hit emerging countries by triggering a wave of capital repatriation

I think US needs to do more monetary tightening. Not less tightening. It has already heavily indebted with more than 17 trillions of debt. Emerging countries problem is not the US concern. In US, 30% of working age adult population is surviving with food vouchers. It is worse than emerging countries.

Japan is loosening because it can print Yen as much as it likes. Abe is not diplomatic for lecturing regional tension in the world economic forum. It is not a security forum. He should explain the superiority of Abenomic instead of territory dispute.

The forum opened against a background of mounting optimism about the prospects for the global economy this year,

Optimism will not always come reality. The problem of capital repatriation caused by loosing investor confidence. It will take many years for global economy needed to recover back to the level of 2008.

If a normal civilian murdered a single person, he or she should go to court and justice should be prevailed. For that case, he was privileged and left from Philippines as tourist. He was never been investigated for his crime. He has as not only murdered others during the war time. He also murdered other with cold blood even in the peace time( according his thinking he was still at war).

For his hunger, he stole other property such as cow, chicken or fruits. The worst thing was he did not admit any wrong doing and fabricated his story. Biased posters have transformed him as decent and honest solider disregarding the blood and headless bodies of the victims.

Imagine one of the JT poster grandpa was beheaded by him during his robbery. When the grandson or grand daughter read his fantastic story for transforming as Heroric survivor, he or she should be offended and helplessly frustrated about the injustice. Reality is Japanese government by self guilty for changing criminal as saint.

The moral of that story is Japan should be constantly reminded about white washing history with their own version. If there is no one demanding from Japan, Japan will publish new text book as Japan did not participate in WWII. Japan is the land of Saints and Angles. Everything about Japan wrong doing was rubbish.

Next Mr Li will show documents that were sent by the Senkaku islands themselves begging the Communist Chinese to come and liberate them from the evil Japanese.

In my humble knowledge, it is inhabited rocky Island. What took it so long for greedy thugs Communist Chinese to go and liberate the Island of rocks from the land of Saints and Angels of Japan? When the commies liberated it, Mount Fuji may be erupted for celebration.

Yes folks, please believe this, Communist China is not trying to take over everything in sight, no no, Communist China is just trying to liberate Asia from the shackles of the Imperialist West,

There is different nature of Imperialist west and Brutal Commies of China expansion. For example, west expansion model was based on Missionary, Merchants and Mercenary. West used the force for settlement like innocent, gental and friendly old Japan. Commies of China prefer culture influence. intermarriage and business establishment.

South East Asia is heavily populated with oversea Chinese diaspora. Their business is dominated by oversea Chinese. The king of Thai has Chinese ancestor. President of Philippines is half Chinese. Modern Chinese expansion model is more likely tribunal state for influencing with blood link, trade and cultural export. San Francisco and Vancouver are examples.

Therefore Commies will make many tribunal states instead of Colonies. Japan influence is waning because of pro long recession. In fact Japan is the land of setting Sun enjoying the last breath of fresh air before the complete Sun Set.

Why should cinima goer to bring hand gun for watching movie?

The land of free, proud and brave should allow someone to bring Automatic Grenade Launcher for watching movie. If he shots the audience with laucher, It is not the launcher but the person will be excuse.

Okinawan Gov Hirokazu Nakaima is a traitor and betrayed trust of the honest local people. If he can not deliver your promise, he should be resigned. If he will not resign, he should be deported to other part of Mainland.

The more J apologists and revisionists deny about the J imperial army atrocities, the more Japan will be demanded by offended Asians for facing the truth. A nation can not be honest about the past will get the embarrassment at the present and there will be no hope for better future.

Japan has not the healed the old wound of unpleasant past. The reason is white washing, denying and manipulating history with nationalistic agenda.

That's easy enough when the country is question is a continental country, but when the country is an island country like Japan, then each island claimed adds more nautical miles so the 12 nautical mile line is not going to be it and dry.

I agree with Stranger.

EEZ is expandable like ADIZ. If the Japan EEZ is getting larger, 12 nautical mile line will be added from the registered newest island of Japan. The more newer Island Japan clarify, the more 12 nautical miles will be added from the farthest Island of Japan. Not from mainland of Japan.

Farther from Japan means closer to neighbors shore like Senkaku. When Japan annexed Okinawa, started from smaller and closer ones. the largest one was last. Back then Japanese ship were so slow too.

It is aggressive land grabbing strategy and it will promote the regional tension.

Abe is the Automatic Banking Machine for Africa, South Asia and South East Asia. However he is not generous to Japanese homeless and unemployed army.

Each nation that is pointing a finger at Japan forget that three fingers are pointing right back at them.

In Japanese propaganda, the invasion of China became a "holy war" (聖戦 seisen?), the first step of the Hakkō ichiu (八紘一宇?, eight corners of the world under one roof). In 1940, Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe launched the Taisei Yokusankai. When both sides formally declared war in December 1941, the name was replaced by "Greater East Asia War"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Sino-Japanese_War

During WWII the Communist used terror like tactics to win their war. It is estimated that they killed between 2,000,000 and 4,000,000 of their own people. But of course not one person ever came to justice for these war crimes

During WWII, Communist were poorly equipped. They desperately needed more man power for waging their gurellia warfare. Why did they need to waste such a large volume of people they were waging two wars with Imperial army of Japan and nationalist army of China? Even they could not afford to provide every rifle for individual soliders. They may have used WMD supplied by Saddam Hussein back then. It is very logical.

The more J politicians want to white wash the history, the more they will get critism from their former Ally called as Deutschland.

JaneM

Yeah I agree. A strong military used for self defense purposes for a pacifist country sounds reasonable, but a military build up for posturing Japans interest around the globe, sorry I dont buy it. I could only imagine the headaches of having a joint anything with Japanese, look no further than the business world to see the nightmarish entanglements that creates

Yeah I agree with Mike45. Japan enjoyed peace and prosperity back in 1970s and 80s. Back then there were territory dispute too. Back then it had moderate, matured and wise government. US has contributed Japan post war success with security, market access and technology. US can be called as adopted father of Japan. Abe and his right wing associates should tone down the combative noise with neighbors and move on like others. Tolerance and patience is lacking in current J government. There is nothing racism in Mike45 post.

A uniquely Japan vision for the world, ummm, Id rather not know about it. I prefer the current status quo with the U.S. calling the shots, as imperfect as it is, than anything Japan or joint Japan. Mr Yew is a wise man, and amazingly he implemented everything British for his new country. Japan should stick to what it exports best, cars and AKB48.

Whether Abe or Diet or Public want to amend the Article 9, it will not be easy and rocky road ahead. According David Franklin post, US may even intervene for reining Abe is not going too far. Japan has right to defend herself. However it is debatable about revising the constitution.

No amount of apologies is going to stop China from increasing its military and threatening its neighbors.

If the apologies are sincere and remorseful, neighbors will accept it. I was born and raised in Myanmar or Burma. Government is corrupted and shamelessly accepting Japan aids for white washing the history. Decent and Ordinary people will not change history according Abe wish. Japan commited atrocities and unspoken crimes against Myanmar people.

Abe changed the history during his first term. He was and is a flip flopper. He is shamelessly promoting his polictial agenda.

Are the Chinese going to leave Tibet if Abe apologizes for his visit?

Are the Japanese will free Okinawa if Chinese going to leave Tibet? Are Japanese going to leave Takeshima as Korean territory?

China is no less a threat now than it was in 1274. Geography dictates politics and the geography hasn't changed and neither has the politics

Japan is no less a threat now that it was in 1937 to19 45. Right wing nationalists are trying to change the constitution for revising and glorifying the imperial army unfinished business. Pure and Clean Yamato clans will protect and control Asians from the west. Asians will say NO to Abe grandpa nationalistic and imperial progaganda.

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India was ready to retaliate against American diplomats in India by threatening to downgrade privileges and demanding information about how much they pay their Indian household staff, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

India should take immediate retaliation instead of talk. Expel US ambassador and downgrade diplomats and counselor privilege and immunity. During my visit to Deili, I noticed that some US diplomats are enjoying their royal privilege there. Imagine if they are in US, they even have to clean their bathroom by themselves. They have to cook their meal by themselves. They have to wash their dish by themselves.

The bottom line is India is not respected by US as other nations such as Russia or China. India should cease co-operation with US for hunting down the terrorist network. It is no longer the business of India.

Many posters wanted to withdraw attention from US police cruelty and barbaric act as she is pampered caste of India. It is nothing to do with social status of India. US police is heavy handed and no little respect to Indian female diplomat.

According the common law, everyone has presumption of Innocence. She has been faced with the injustice of animal like treatment.

My point was that their presence has acted as a 'DETERRENT' against any armed aggression against Japan.

The world is no longer in Saving Private Ryan era of 1945. If there is aggression toward Japan, no one will waste their fuel and time for sending Marines for landing on shore. NK has already flied over rocket over Okinawa. It has demonstrated they have little concern over base.

Instead of accommodating base on Okinawa, investing for anti missile system and computer viruses is more reasonable for modern world.

globalwatcher Dec. 08, 2013 - 05:19AM JST

Where did you get a distorted idea as Tokyo-star is a winger? I do not think he is.

Many Doom & Gloom Sayers predicted about Implosion of PRC since 1950. Some even said it will be less than five years back in 1960s due to famine and hardship of Great leap forward and Cultural revolution back then. It was the worst and worst time of PRC. Surprisingly It was not come true.

Self proclaimed fortune tellers or doom sayers are not Prophets or Gurus. If the future is according what they said, Son of God will be born again. Back in early 1990s, I read the book called as "Coming Collapse of China" written by another Guru Gordon Chang".

Although I am not a fan of PRC, I do not think PRC will implode soon. It is something unique about the longevity of more than 5000 years old civilization. They have survived for thousand years with wars, famine and natural disasters before the July 4th of 1776.

Gordon Chang and many doom sayers have been old and Grey now. Their dream of implosion has not come true yet. Right now, It has become economic power and modernized nation. Haters can keep dreaming about the fairy tale of the implosion.Unlikely they will not see that dream during their lifetime.

The Japanese learned to make cars Americans want and Americans can do the same in Japan.

American knows how to make cars. However they do not know how to make the Detrioit as boom town instead of ghost town.

Because of the small sizes of Japanese farms, the majority of farmers earn less than ¥3 million pa?

Keeping fit with farming make farmers get away from Dementia and Alzheime. If there is no work for them, mental illness of elderly will be sky rocketted. It is better they have work as much as they can.

Besides that no rice is good enough for making Sushi like Japanese rice. J rice is irreplaceable and forever for Sushi.

Cleo

Indeed, I calculated with your link for distance between Senkaku and PRC eastcoast. Even it is less than other posters mentioned before. Their information is 136 km or 84 miles.

I have got the distance as 130 km. Therefore if you think they have misled that, pls supply your calculation with link pls? I may be right or wrong. Their statics is closer to 140 km less than you mentioned.

Cleo

I am not interested in political or geographical debate. I have seen above poster link of http://larouchepac.com/node/29049. According their information, distance is 84 miles or 135 km. I have not seen your link yet. According your post, the distance is more than that.

Would it be possible to link for me?

Once again, no interest in heated debate. Just curiosity about which link is more reliable and accurate. If your link is better, I will never go back to that site again.

Nigleboy!

As your usual post, you have defended Japan opportunistic land grabbing or stealing because of ROC and PRC civil war. Japan was lucky to hand over back in 1972.

Obviously you have not read the Taipei treaty signed with US witness i1951. Japan agree that to void shinmonosaki treaty which was signed in 1895 as a loser of war of WWII. When Japan won Japan grabbed Diaoyu and Taiwan. When Japan lost Japan Japan surrendered unconditionally. Full stop!

Besides that I am not a fan of China and not defending for PRC. If you research the homeless rate and suicide rate, Japan is still higher even the population is many times smaller than your beloved China. There is nothing to proud as nation as one of the depressed frail mentality and lacking social support. I have enjoyed Japan back in 1970s. and 1980s. I wish Japan get back the good old days.

Japan did in fact incorporate them under terra nullius in 1895.

Japan did in fact incorporate Taiwan back in 1895. Japan lost the war and signed treaty with Taiwan in 1951 with Taipei treaty. Japan should honor the treaty give back to Taiwan. As a loser of war, Japan could not bargain for leaving that rocky island. Germany has never bargained like Japan.

Those aren't "hawkish" by any means

If those are not hawkish by any means, It can be called as the most aggressive, provocative and nationalistic movement of pre WWII. If you review all of Ishihara and Abe speeches, most of them are militarily, military and military. In fact Japan is still the pacifist nation according the constitution. Therefore it is against the law for making the nationalistic movement.

It's simply an attitude change in Japan to become a "normal" nation and to remove themselves from the post war regime

Post war Japan back in 1970s and 1980s was the golden age of peace and prosperity of Normal Japan. There were no unemployment, debt ridden and corrupted government, highest suicide rate of the world and incredible poverty. Since 1991, Japan has been in pro long recession of lost decades. Japan has lost the confidence about dealing with natural disasters, economy and neighbors. That insecurity and frustration promoted Japanese right wing politicians for making the neighbors as their punching bags. Japan has lost the charm and normality. How sad?

If we can view Japanese designed air defence zone, it is exactly identical with PRC air map. Air zone is not like ground which can be put with barriers and walls. Besides that most passengers from Planes of commercial air routes were PRC citizens.

When Japan declared the exactly the same size of Air defense zone almost touching the PRC shore, no one has complained about it. When Japan declared ADIZ over Takeshima or Dodko, by expanding Japan's ADIZ over and beyond Takeshima or Dodko, right up near to Ullungdo,there was no noise. Bullying and intimidating to smaller neighbor with recklessness.

Pro Japan media and pro Japan posters have hypocrisy and double standard about Do as what Japan told you! Not as what Japan did it before.

The United States on Monday joined ally Japan in vowing not to recognize China’s declaration of an air defense zone

US backed. US joined. US supported. All words are the music for my ear. I do not take them seriously. My memory went back to Hainan Island incident of 2001. There was a dispute about air defense zone declared by PRC from US. I remember the bombardment of bias posters from both pro US and pro PRC. Interestingly all of them are old and grey now. They are no longer in their prime. Their hatred posts have evaporated as steam.

Back then US air crew were detained by PRC. US demanded immediate release. Senator John McCain demanded PRC apology. PRC did not. However US did not use force and waited patiently for their release. US many not recognize PRC air zone. However all commercial airlines do not take risk and have identified their air route to PRC.

Peace comes from compromise and patience. Not from confrontation. Imagine US flied missiles over PRC, there will be no release of air crew and PRC missiles will fly over US too. It is a lose lose confrontation.

Ingle boy

If you look at map, ROC or Taiwan is the nearest one to Senkaku. You can debate it is closer to Okinawa chain. If you ask Okinawa natives, they do not agree that Okinawa is part of Japan. If Japan will do a referendum like Scotland,,Okinawa is willing to separate from Japan. In Okinawa, many descendants have Fujian ancestor like Taiwan.

According your logic, Senkaku was inhabited. It is hard to prove that PRC or ROC ancestors heritage. However Ryuku people have proof that they have never been Japanese entity until annexation. Senkaku is chain Island of Okinawa. Not Honshu or Kyushu or other Japanese mainland chain. If Okinawa is independent, it will be another claimant of Okinawa. Japan is the farthest nation without Okinawa. Even Japan could not annex Okinawa chain Islands together at once. Small Islands were grabbed first. The largest one was the last. If we follow dot line of Okinawa, Hainan was part of Okinawa chain too. However it is so close to PRC.

Meiji will admit you Okinawa and Senkaku were never part of Japan if he is still alive.

Ingle boy

I have read countless Japanese altered version from many treads. Nothing will change the fact that Japan was a loser of war. If you ask Germany, Germany has lost all territories of pre WWIi with France or Poland. ROC president Chang kei shaik was unable to present at San Fransisco back in1950. If Japan was a winner back then, all of PRC and ROC were belong to Japan and all of their citizens are speaking Japanese now.

Due to civil war, ROC retreated to Taiwan. Later on ROC signed Taipei treaty with US witness. Both ROC and PRC were not present at SF treaty as you said. Athletes was correct that it was a backroom deal. Japan did not honor the Taipei treaty either.

Anyway, there will be no forceful solution from PRC or ROC for another 100 years as Abe and Ishihara PR.If you check the birth rate of Japan, it is too low for sustaining the current level of population. Uncomfortable truth is Japan will be gradually disintegrated in the future due to the demographic factor. It will come from internal factor. Not from external threat.

Abe should realize that Senkaku issue is not only between Japan and China but also with Taiwan. Since 19th century, Taiwanese fishermen come and go as they pleased. If Abe shoot down one of Taiwan plane, there will be rapid fire response from Taiwan Arm Force. Sky will be the limit. Recently Taiwanese navy approached the Phillipines maritime zone for the settlement for the murder of Taiwanese fisherman. Phillipines navy and coast guard have run away and hiding somewhere. They are too chicken about shooting Taiwanese navy ship.

Phillipines president Aquino was encouraged by Abe for shooting PRC ship. Their coastguard shot Taiwanese ship instead of PRC ship.

They have gut to murder unarmed fisherman. Not then armed navy servicemen. Abe likes Phillipines president talk touch, insecure about future and talk like the loose canon. Unlike Japan, Taiwan is not hiding behind US with armor, It has a combat ready service men and women.

Taiwan is the smallest chilly. I however it has a gut to stand up with both Japan and China. It is not the fan of China. However it is willing to settle with both Japan and Phillipines if it is bullied and intimidated. Bring it on Abe! A little chilly is often the hottest.