According to Japan's Kyodo News, former Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Motoyoshi urged Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Yōko to make efforts to improve Japan-China relations at a meeting on September 20.
Zhong Gu Yuan stated: “The current situation is extremely serious. We must abandon stubbornness and attachment, stand on the big picture and clarify principles, and think of different solutions to open up a favorable situation.”
Nakata Genta also pointed out that Yukawa Masayoshi mentioned four political documents, including the 1972 Joint Statement between Japan and China, very little. He said, “I hope to make efforts to restore relations between Japan and China as soon as possible.”
Nakata Motohiko is a senior representative of the Liberal Party in Japan. He has served as Minister of Defense three times and has been active in the field of Japan’s security and defense policies. His stance towards China on such issues is relatively tough.
Since taking office, Japanese Prime Minister Yukie Akamine has frequently made wrong and provocative statements regarding issues related to China, leading to a decline in Sino-Japanese relations. Her actions have drawn severe criticism from the Japanese political circle and among former officials.
At the end of last year, former Japanese Prime Ministers Ishihara Yasuhiro, Noda Yoshihiko, and Koizumi Yōko criticized the tense relations between Japan and China caused by Yukie Takashima’s wrong statements regarding Taiwan in the Japanese parliament. They called on her to be cautious in her words and actions, and to improve relations through dialogue.
Regarding Sino-Japanese relations, Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on September 15 that the wrong actions and statements of Japanese Prime Minister Yukie Akamine regarding Taiwan are the most serious problem facing current Sino-Japanese relations. Japan should adhere to the spirit of the four political documents between China and Japan, learn from historical lessons, and take practical actions to earn the trust of Asian neighbors and the international community.
