Iron and Plough (Reflections on a Hundred Years of Sino-Japanese Relations)

Author: Yu Jie
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Japan, a country adorned with beautiful cherry blossoms, a nation that elevates daily life to an art form. Japan, a leading neighbor across the sea from China, once a fervent admirer and learner of Chinese culture. In Japan, certain essence of ancient Chinese culture, such as clothing, architecture, calligraphy, Go, and Zen philosophy, have been preserved most completely. Japan, an archipelagic nation on the periphery of East Asia, has, in modern times, forced China to the brink of national extinction through military force. Since the late 19th century, many of the hardships China has endured are directly or indirectly related to Japan. Historian Guo Tingyi remarked: "At the end of two thousand years, China bestowed upon Japan greatly, and Japan was built upon it to the greatest extent. In the past century, Japan has repaid China with extreme cruelty, and its harm to China has been uniquely profound. The wounds suffered by modern China, though not all can be attributed to Japan, are in fact mostly caused by Japan." Japan, today the wealthiest economic power in Asia and the world's second-largest economic entity, is an indispensable key in China's foreign relations and trade. However, even though we share the same yellow race and nationality, belong to the same Greater Chinese cultural circle, and even share the same writing system, we still feel alienated, distant, and confused by Japan until this day. Understanding the Japanese is even more difficult than understanding Europeans and Americans. Japanese writer and 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature winner Yasunari Kawabata described Japan's civilization since its control as "a warm Japan" at the award ceremony. This is a classic summary. In the eyes of Chinese people, Japan is geographically close but spiritually distant. When Chinese people observe Japan, the issues appear hazy and enigmatic. On September 29, 1972, Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai signed the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement in the Great Hall of the People, marking the true end of the long war and hostility between the two countries and the normalization of diplomatic relations. However, the lack of trust between the two peoples did not entirely vanish with a mere declaration. Suspicion and distrust, estrangement and contempt, still root in the war of blood and fire. China and Japan, one with resources and the other with technology; one a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the other a global financial and manufacturing center. Both countries have immense needs for each other. More importantly, both China and Japan are today the most important countries in the world. Their relationship is not only about the security of the two nations but also involves the peace and development of the entire world. No one enjoys living forever in the past, and no nation is willing to carry the burden of history indefinitely. The great book of history must always turn to new pages. Many Chinese people are willing to view the history, reality, and future of China-Japan relations with the greatest goodwill, tolerance, and understanding. However, the history of modern China-Japan relations, that history filled with smoke and blood, seems always difficult to turn past. If this page of history cannot be turned, the main reason lies not in China but in Japan. When Japan's courts reject lawsuits by Chinese war victims against the Japanese government, when Japanese ultranationalists construct monuments in the Senkaku Islands, when Japanese historians claim the Nanjing Massacre is a fictional event, when chemical weapons left by the Japanese army once again take the lives of Chinese civilians, when Japanese prime ministers and government officials visit the Yasukuni Shrine, the generous and kind-hearted Chinese people cannot help but rise up in protest and condemn them in unison. We do not incite hatred, but we must defend dignity; we do not seek revenge, but we must restore history. Because we painfully realize that the bloody history is so deeply connected to the present. On August 4, 2003, mustard gas abandoned by the Japanese army during World War II leaked in Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, injuring 40 Chinese civilians and killing one. In response to this incident, the Japanese government's delayed handling and the indifferent attitude of Japanese media provoked the anger and condemnation of the Chinese people. The Social Survey Center of China Youth Daily completed a survey report on the impact of the "August 4" mustard gas leak on Chinese youth. The report showed that 97.9% of Chinese youth were concerned about the "August 4" incident, 83.2% had a worsened impression of Japan as a result, and 82.2% stated they could not accept Japan's so-called "comfort money." Respondents expressed their views—"For a Japan that refuses to acknowledge history, we certainly won't have a good impression.” “'Comfort money' always reminds me of 'food thrown from above,' and I can never accept it.” “Japan should learn from this and quickly remove all abandoned weapons from our country.” “For the 'August 4' incident, anyone with a conscience would be deeply and hateful of the irresponsible attitude of the Japanese government and sympathetic to the victims' plight."