JAPAN: Moving with the Media: Key Dates to watch for volatility Listed at Bottom
A synopsis of the main issues of sociopolitical contention with it's neighbors (CHINA / KOREA).
Relevant in looking for market inflection points caused by media frenzy/nationalistic fervor.
BACKGROUND
JAPAN - CHINA
Textbooks
Recent Chinese headlines have in large part been focused on the anti-Japanese protests springing up around the country. The catalyst for this recent string of protests throughout China is the recent approval by the Japanese Education Ministry of a school textbook that plays down the extent of Japanese atrocities during WWII. Although schools will adopt books of their own accord and this particular textbook will most likely not see wide circulation, it is the symbolic gesture of a lack of genuine contrition that has enraged the Chinese; in April of 2001, a group of Japanese right-wing scholars published a textbook which also glossed over the war crimes commited by the Japanese occupation forces, but the 2001 textbook was not one which received Japanese Education Ministry approval.
Not since 1999 when NATO bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade has their been as intense a nationalistic fervor nor scale of protests against foreigners. There have been protests, often turning violent, in at least 10 Chinese cities including Beijing where protestors (estimates place the number between 10,000 to 20,000) threw stones and plastic bottles at Japanese diplomatic builidngs and overturned cars.
Yasukuni Shrine
Since the two countries normalized relations in 1972, Japan's Prime Ministers and its Emperor have issued apologies for the conduct of the Japanese Occupation Force during the 1930s-1940s (WWII) on 17 seperate occasions. However, Chinese sentiment has been that the Japanese have not expressed genuine contrition. This sentiment has been further incensed by Prime Minister Koizumi's insistance on conducting an Official Visit to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo where the souls of all Japan's 2.5m war dead since 1853 are symbolically interred; the sore point being that interred as well are 14 class-A war criminals executed after the Japanese War Crimes Trials in 1948.
Taiwan
In March, Japan deliberately made its position on Taiwan official thorugh a joint statement with the United States that Taiwan is a mutual security concern. China views Taiwan as an internal affair and has not responded well to foreign nations chiming in on the matter.
Territorial/Oil Exploration
There is a small cluster of islands east of Shanghai and south of Japan that the two countries have long argued over. To the Chinese they are known as Diaoyu and to the Japanese as Senkaku. Japan has claimed and is running a lighthouse on one of the islands to assert its claim, China has been sending test-drilling ships into the island chain's vicinity to test for oil and gas (their hope is that the Chunxiao field reserves extend farther than current estimates). On October 25th, 2004 officials from both countries met for discussions, but the 10 hour meeting consisted of only prepared statements from both sides and finished without conclusion nor aggrement on continuation of the proceedings.
JAPAN - KOREA
1910 - 1945 Colonization
The 35 year occupation of Korea by imperialist Japan, has been a point of contention between the countries for years now. Many Koreans feel that Japan has failed to atone properly for their past. For many South Koreans, the Japanese attempts to eradicate Korean culture and identity are tantamount to an affront on their nation.
Textbooks and Yasukuni Shrine
For many of the aformentioned reasons, many South Koreans feel that Japan has not fully atoned for the atrocities commited by its military forces in the early 20th century. The April, 2001 textbook previously mentioned cause much more stir in that it ommited the thousands of Korean women forced in to servitude in Japanese brothels. Later that year Mr. Koizumi compounded the anger by paying an official visit to the Yasukuni shrine.
North Korea
Although South Korea, Japan, and China stood together during the roundtable talks aimed at North Korea's nuclear disarmament; North Korea has been a topic of debate between South Korea and Japan. Since former President Kim's term, South Korea has been trying to pursue a "Sunshine Policy" of warming relations between the North and South, whilst Japan has taken a hardline with America in stonewalling North Korea as part of an "Axis of Evil."
Territorial Dispute
A cropping of volcanic islets known to the Koreans as Tokdo and to the Japanese as Takeshima has been a source of continued disagreement between the two countries. In February's headlines: After the Japanese prefecture of Shimane officially designated February 22nd as "Takeshima Day" to mark the 1905 date when Japan first claimed the island, an outraged Korean woman and her son protested by cutting off their pinky fingers and threatening to send them to the prime minister of Japan. Another outraged Korean national set fire to himself.
COMMENTARY
The background information does not paint the whole picture of the relationship between the East Asian powers nor does it seek to identify who is right or wrong as the viewpoints given are from each country's respective media; but rather serves to identify several major points of contention the media likes to focus on and above all to illustrate the lingering impact of Japan's role leading up to and during the Second World War.
Politically Korea and Japan are further down the road of normalization:
1)In 1998, then President Kim Dae Jung visited Tokyo and received a "heartfelt apology" for Japan's colonisation of Korea from then Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.
2)In 2001, after the textbook and shrine incident of that year, Prime Minister Koizumi made a visit to Seoul; where he visited a prison where many Korean resistance fighters were tortured during Japanese occupation. He made an apology for Japanese acts of aggression.
3)2002, the two countries jointly host the World Cup.
4)2002, Prime Minister Koizumi visted then President Kim Dae Jung in Korea for 3 days.
Politcally China and Japan are still a bit more distant:
1)1998, Chinese Premier Jiang Zemin visited Japan. China demanded an apology that went beyond what what was given to Korea, Japan refused.
2)2001, Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi visits China.
*)These were the last official visits by the leaders of either country to their respective counterparts.
Economically, the three nations are driving forward East Asia and the linkages between the three are too numerous to detail. The major points are:
1)Japan and Korea: roughly $70 billion in trade.
2)Japan and China: roughly $213 billion in trade.
*)China is Japan's largest trading partner; US and Japan trade is worth about $197 billion.
*)The three countries will seek to keep their relative exchange rates stable and have been doing so by buying heavily into US Treasury Bonds (to help keep the dollar from declining rapidly).
Looking forward, items to keep a watch on:
1)China is a staunch opponent of Japan's bid for a seat on the UN Security Council.
2)In March, China announced a 12.6% rise in official defence spending; they spend about $30 billion on defence.
Dates to keep an eye on:
05/04 - The May 4th Movement (1919 protests which are a mark of Chinese Nationalism)
07/07 - The 1937 full scale invasion of China by Japan
08/13 - Battle of Resistance
08/15 - The anniversary of the end of World War II (Japan's Surrender)
09/18 - The 1931 Japanese occupation of Manchuria
12/13 - The Massacre at Nanjing, China
What needs to be done is something akin to the Germans and French after WWII.
Socially - The equivalent of the Franco-German textbook commission that assembled scholars in an effort to agree on a common account of the countries' recent history.
Politcally - The equivalent of Helmut Kohl and Francois Mitterand holding hands at Verdun and saying "Never Again" (1984).
Relevant in looking for market inflection points caused by media frenzy/nationalistic fervor.
BACKGROUND
JAPAN - CHINA
Textbooks
Recent Chinese headlines have in large part been focused on the anti-Japanese protests springing up around the country. The catalyst for this recent string of protests throughout China is the recent approval by the Japanese Education Ministry of a school textbook that plays down the extent of Japanese atrocities during WWII. Although schools will adopt books of their own accord and this particular textbook will most likely not see wide circulation, it is the symbolic gesture of a lack of genuine contrition that has enraged the Chinese; in April of 2001, a group of Japanese right-wing scholars published a textbook which also glossed over the war crimes commited by the Japanese occupation forces, but the 2001 textbook was not one which received Japanese Education Ministry approval.
Not since 1999 when NATO bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade has their been as intense a nationalistic fervor nor scale of protests against foreigners. There have been protests, often turning violent, in at least 10 Chinese cities including Beijing where protestors (estimates place the number between 10,000 to 20,000) threw stones and plastic bottles at Japanese diplomatic builidngs and overturned cars.
Yasukuni Shrine
Since the two countries normalized relations in 1972, Japan's Prime Ministers and its Emperor have issued apologies for the conduct of the Japanese Occupation Force during the 1930s-1940s (WWII) on 17 seperate occasions. However, Chinese sentiment has been that the Japanese have not expressed genuine contrition. This sentiment has been further incensed by Prime Minister Koizumi's insistance on conducting an Official Visit to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo where the souls of all Japan's 2.5m war dead since 1853 are symbolically interred; the sore point being that interred as well are 14 class-A war criminals executed after the Japanese War Crimes Trials in 1948.
Taiwan
In March, Japan deliberately made its position on Taiwan official thorugh a joint statement with the United States that Taiwan is a mutual security concern. China views Taiwan as an internal affair and has not responded well to foreign nations chiming in on the matter.
Territorial/Oil Exploration
There is a small cluster of islands east of Shanghai and south of Japan that the two countries have long argued over. To the Chinese they are known as Diaoyu and to the Japanese as Senkaku. Japan has claimed and is running a lighthouse on one of the islands to assert its claim, China has been sending test-drilling ships into the island chain's vicinity to test for oil and gas (their hope is that the Chunxiao field reserves extend farther than current estimates). On October 25th, 2004 officials from both countries met for discussions, but the 10 hour meeting consisted of only prepared statements from both sides and finished without conclusion nor aggrement on continuation of the proceedings.
(from one of my favorite reads - the Economist)
JAPAN - KOREA
1910 - 1945 Colonization
The 35 year occupation of Korea by imperialist Japan, has been a point of contention between the countries for years now. Many Koreans feel that Japan has failed to atone properly for their past. For many South Koreans, the Japanese attempts to eradicate Korean culture and identity are tantamount to an affront on their nation.
Textbooks and Yasukuni Shrine
For many of the aformentioned reasons, many South Koreans feel that Japan has not fully atoned for the atrocities commited by its military forces in the early 20th century. The April, 2001 textbook previously mentioned cause much more stir in that it ommited the thousands of Korean women forced in to servitude in Japanese brothels. Later that year Mr. Koizumi compounded the anger by paying an official visit to the Yasukuni shrine.
North Korea
Although South Korea, Japan, and China stood together during the roundtable talks aimed at North Korea's nuclear disarmament; North Korea has been a topic of debate between South Korea and Japan. Since former President Kim's term, South Korea has been trying to pursue a "Sunshine Policy" of warming relations between the North and South, whilst Japan has taken a hardline with America in stonewalling North Korea as part of an "Axis of Evil."
Territorial Dispute
A cropping of volcanic islets known to the Koreans as Tokdo and to the Japanese as Takeshima has been a source of continued disagreement between the two countries. In February's headlines: After the Japanese prefecture of Shimane officially designated February 22nd as "Takeshima Day" to mark the 1905 date when Japan first claimed the island, an outraged Korean woman and her son protested by cutting off their pinky fingers and threatening to send them to the prime minister of Japan. Another outraged Korean national set fire to himself.
(from - the Economist)
COMMENTARY
The background information does not paint the whole picture of the relationship between the East Asian powers nor does it seek to identify who is right or wrong as the viewpoints given are from each country's respective media; but rather serves to identify several major points of contention the media likes to focus on and above all to illustrate the lingering impact of Japan's role leading up to and during the Second World War.
Politically Korea and Japan are further down the road of normalization:
1)In 1998, then President Kim Dae Jung visited Tokyo and received a "heartfelt apology" for Japan's colonisation of Korea from then Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.
2)In 2001, after the textbook and shrine incident of that year, Prime Minister Koizumi made a visit to Seoul; where he visited a prison where many Korean resistance fighters were tortured during Japanese occupation. He made an apology for Japanese acts of aggression.
3)2002, the two countries jointly host the World Cup.
4)2002, Prime Minister Koizumi visted then President Kim Dae Jung in Korea for 3 days.
Politcally China and Japan are still a bit more distant:
1)1998, Chinese Premier Jiang Zemin visited Japan. China demanded an apology that went beyond what what was given to Korea, Japan refused.
2)2001, Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi visits China.
*)These were the last official visits by the leaders of either country to their respective counterparts.
Economically, the three nations are driving forward East Asia and the linkages between the three are too numerous to detail. The major points are:
1)Japan and Korea: roughly $70 billion in trade.
2)Japan and China: roughly $213 billion in trade.
*)China is Japan's largest trading partner; US and Japan trade is worth about $197 billion.
*)The three countries will seek to keep their relative exchange rates stable and have been doing so by buying heavily into US Treasury Bonds (to help keep the dollar from declining rapidly).
Looking forward, items to keep a watch on:
1)China is a staunch opponent of Japan's bid for a seat on the UN Security Council.
2)In March, China announced a 12.6% rise in official defence spending; they spend about $30 billion on defence.
Dates to keep an eye on:
05/04 - The May 4th Movement (1919 protests which are a mark of Chinese Nationalism)
07/07 - The 1937 full scale invasion of China by Japan
08/13 - Battle of Resistance
08/15 - The anniversary of the end of World War II (Japan's Surrender)
09/18 - The 1931 Japanese occupation of Manchuria
12/13 - The Massacre at Nanjing, China
What needs to be done is something akin to the Germans and French after WWII.
Socially - The equivalent of the Franco-German textbook commission that assembled scholars in an effort to agree on a common account of the countries' recent history.
Politcally - The equivalent of Helmut Kohl and Francois Mitterand holding hands at Verdun and saying "Never Again" (1984).
posted by howa at
4/18/2005
