Greetings,
"The Global Forum of Japan (GFJ) E-Letter" is delivered electronically bimonthly, free of charge, to the readers in the world interested in Japanese thinking on the relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs by the Global Forum of Japan (GFJ), private membership organization in Japan for policy-oriented international exchanges.
It will provide the global audience with our news on "GFJ Commentary" and "GFJ Updates."
If you wish to unsubscribe, please enter your email address in the "unsubscribe" box at the following link:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/e-letter/unsubscribe.html
Chairman & President, GFJ
"GFJ Commentary"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"GFJ Commentary" presents views of members and friends of GFJ on the relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs. The view expressed herein is the author's own and should not be attributed to GFJ.
----------------- - - - -----------------
Does the USA Assume Japan and China Agree to Reshelf the Senkaku Issue?
By TSUMORI Shigeru
Professor Emeritus, Toyo Eiwa University
I attended the Japan-US Dialogue hosted by the Japan Forum on International Relations the other day, which was entitled "Alliance in a New Defense Guideline Era". In the conference papers distributed to the attendants, I took notice of a phrase written by former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Rust Deming, who was one of the panelists of this event.
It states, "Japan and China tacitly agree to 're-shelf' the Senkaku issue", but if this is an official view of the Department of State, that is a serious problem. So far as this issue is concerned, I may not have to mention it too much as that is well known to the Japanese public through frequent debates, but I would like to remind the American side that the official view of the Japanese government is "Re-shelfing is neither declared nor implicit agreement". I believe this argument is right.
Regarding the meeting between Kakuei Tanaka and Zhou Enlai to restore Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations in 1972, and also Japanese responses to Deng Xiaoping's statement in 1978, there is no unanimous agreement among experts how to interpret the implication of both incidents. Though one former senior Japanese diplomat assumes that there was an "implicit agreement" between Japan and China, this is a minority view, and it does not represent the official view of our government in any case.
The Japanese government's position is that so far as the territorial rights of the Senkaku Islands is concerned, they belong to Japan without doubt, both in terms of international law and history, and this position has not changed for years. Ever since Japanese territorial rights were confirmed in 1894, the Chinese side had not protested against this decision, and therefore, the Japanese government's position is firmly legitimate.
If the US government dares to accept China's "re-shelfing theory", that is not fair and neutral at least, and we should never dismiss it. The United States says that Article 5 of the US-Japanese Security Treaty will be applied to the Senkaku Islands, but they stay impartial to territorial rights. That is utterly unacceptable for us, and their argument is incoherent.
At the conference, the American side stressed that they take the same stance to Japan's territorial issues except the Northern Territories, (that is Takeshima), but this is hardly understandable.
Regardless of the position about the Senkaku territorial issue, we must correct wrong understanding about the re-shelfing on the American side immediately, based on the fact.
(This is the English translation of an article written by TSUMORI Shigeru, Professor Emeritus, Toyo Eiwa University, which originally appeared on the e-Forum "Giron-Hyakushutsu" of GFJ on March 15, 2015.)
----------------- - - - -----------------
For more views and opinions in the backnumber of "GFJ Commentary," the latest of which are as follows, please refer to:
http://www.gfj.jp/e/e-letter/back_number.html
No.60 Inherent Difficulties of Standing in "Middle of the Road"
by OGATA Rintaro, Member of the House of Representatives
(27 April 2015)
No.59 Japan as the Key Actor to Strengthen US-Indian Partnership
by TAKAMINE Koushu, Research Fellow, Okazaki Institute
(17 February 2015)
No.58 Dual Tends of Great Power Aspiration and Micro-Nationalism
by NAKAMURA Jin, former National Paper Writer
(22 December 2014)
No.57 How to Cleanse Asahi's Widespread "Misreports" on Comfort Women
by SUGIURA Masaaki, Political Commentator
(23 October 2014)
No.56 Public Diplomacy Reconsidered
by CHINO Keiko, Journalist
(28 August 2014)
No.55 New Putin Doctrine: Prelude to "New Cold War"?
by IIJIMA Kazutaka, Journalist
(26 June 2014)
"GFJ Updates"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"GFJ Updates" introduces to you the latest events, announcements and/or publications of GFJ.
Event
------------- - - - -------------
The Second Japan-GUAM Dialogue "The Japan-GUAM Relationship in the Changing World" was held in Tokyo on July 17, 2015.
It was held jointly by the Global Forum of Japan (GFJ) and the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM), under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Worldwide Support for Development (WSD), and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). Please note that GUAM stands for Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova.
It was attended by 97 participants including Cong. KIUCHI Minoru, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Prof. MUTSUSHIKA Shigeo, Professor of University of Shizuoka, Mr. Valeri CHECHELASHVILI, Secretary General of GUAM, and Dr. Ioan Mircea PASCU, Vice President of European Parliament etc.
For more information, please refer to;
http://www.gfj.jp/j/dialogue/20150717_cp.pdf
====================================================================
Please send your comments and/or questions to:
info@gfj.jp
To customize your subscription, or unsubscribe, please refer to:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/e-letter/e-letter.htm
Officer in Charge: TAKAHATA Yohei
The Global Forum of Japan
2-17-12-1301, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052
JAPAN
Tel: +81-3-3584-2193
Fax: +81-3-3505-4406