Japan’s new administration plays with fire

日本新政府这两把“火”恐将烧到自己

Source
China Military Online
Editor
Xu Yi
Time
2021-10-19 17:19:26
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida inspects the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on October 17. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun)

陈洋

By Chen Yang

据《朝日新闻》10月18日报道,日本首相岸田文雄就任后,于17日首次前往福岛县,视察了福岛第一核电站。在接受媒体采访时,岸田表示,核污水排海工作不能拖延,相关工作的透明度非常重要。此外,岸田17日还以“内阁总理大臣”名义向靖国神社供奉名为“真榊”的祭品。

Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun reported on October 18 that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida inspected the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima Prefecture on October 17, and said in an interview that the discharge of contaminated water into the sea shall not be delayed any longer and relevant work shall be kept transparent. Besides, also this new prime minister, on the very same day, sent the “masakaki” tree offering in his new official capacity to the Yasukuni Shrine.

从福岛核污水处理到向靖国神社供奉祭品,新首相岸田文雄的做法有违其长期以来的“鸽派”形象。不惜自毁形象迎合日本国内保守势力,岸田政府何以取信于亚洲邻国和国际社会?日本新政府点的这两把“火”恐怕会烧到自己。

From supporting the discharge of nuclear contaminated wastewater to the sea to paying homage to Yasukuni Shrine, the latest moves by Japan’s new prime minister go contrary to his usual dovish profile and reflect his eagerness to cater to the conservative forces at home at the cost of his own image. With such a sudden change of face, how does the Kishida administration expect to gain trust from its Asian neighbors and the international community? Japan’s new administration is playing with fire and is very likely to get burned itself.

在就任首相之前,岸田从未向靖国神社供奉“真榊”,且在修宪、历史问题以及增加军备等方面与安倍晋三等自民党内保守势力保持一定的距离。如今,就任首相后,岸田就迅速表态将继续推进福岛核污水排放入海,并向靖国神社供奉“真榊”,这无疑与其长期营造的“鸽派”形象不符,不得不令人质疑岸田真正的政治理念究竟为何。

Before being elected as prime minister, Kishida had never sent the “masakaki” offering to Yasukuni Shrine and has kept his distance from Shinzo Abe and other conservative forces within the Liberal Democratic Party on issues such as revision of the constitution, historical issues and the increase of military budget. Yet soon after he took office, things have changed so fast. Such a mode of action that goes completely contrary to the dovish image he has carefully kept for so long makes people wonder what his real political intention is.

早在菅义伟政府决定将福岛核污水排放入海时,就引来日本社会舆论强烈反对。比如,作为日本主流媒体的《朝日新闻》今年1月发布的一份民调显示:55%的受访者“反对”将核污水排放入海。而对于首相向靖国神社供奉“真榊”祭品一事,在日本国内历来也有反对声音。《朝日新闻》曾多次批评安倍晋三和菅义伟以“自民党总裁”“内阁总理大臣”身份向靖国神社供奉祭品,“这会让人认为,日本忘记了对过去的反省,试图为战前的历史辩护”。

Yoshihide Suga governement’s decision to discharge Fukushima nuclear sewage into the sea had aroused vehement opposition in Japanese society. Asahi Shinbun, a mainstream media outlet in Japan, published a poll in January this year that showed 55% of the respondents opposed this decision.

The offering of “masakaki” by prime ministers to Yasukuni Shrine has also been a target of objection in Japan. Asahi Shinbun has many times criticized Shinzo Abe and Yoshihide Suga for sending offerings to the shrine in the name of the president of LDP and prime minister because “that would make people think Japan has given up reflecting on history and is trying to defend its history of aggression before the war”.

岸田表态支持将福岛核污水排放入海,以及以“内阁总理大臣”名义向靖国神社供奉祭品的做法,明显是在延续效仿两位前任做法,但这违背了日本社会主流民意——共同社18日发布的民调显示,68.9%的受访者认为岸田“不应该”继承安倍和菅义伟两届政府的路线。

The latest moves by Kishida are obviously an imitation of his two predecessors, which has betrayed the mainstream public opinions of the Japanese people. A poll published by Kyodo News Agency on October 18 showed that 68.9% of the respondents held that Kishida should not continue down the path left by the Abe and Suga administrations.

岸田此举也辜负了周边邻国对日本新政府的期许。岸田近期先后与俄罗斯、中国、韩国等周边邻国领导人通话,表现出了修复菅义伟政府时期低迷周边外交关系的意愿。但令人愕然的是,在核污水处理问题上,岸田政府非但没有做出调整,反而一意孤行。

The new prime minister has also let down Japan’s neighbors. He has held phone conservations with the leaders of many neighbors recently, including Russia, China, and ROK, expressing his wish to mend the diplomatic relations with them that were strained during Suga’s reign. To everyone’s surprise, the Kishida administration didn’t change its plan for disposing of the radioactive wastewater, but chose to stick with the plan of sea discharge against opposition from all sides.

岸田效仿前任向靖国神社供奉祭品的做法,更无助日本与周边邻国建立信赖关系。韩国外交部发言人表示,韩国政府敦促日方以新内阁成立为契机正视历史,以实际行动表现对历史问题的虚心反省。中国外交部发言人赵立坚18日表示,中方已通过外交渠道向日方提出严正交涉,日方应切实信守正视并反省侵略历史的表态和承诺。

The presentation of offerings to Yasukuni Shrine only made things worse, which has made it harder for Japan to form a relationship of trust with its neighboring countries. The spokesperson of ROK’s Foreign Ministry said that the ROK government urges the Japanese side to take the formation of the new administration as an opportunity to face up to history and take concrete actions to reflect on history, sincerely and modestly. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Zhao Lijian, also said on October 18 that the Chinese side has lodged solemn representation with the Japanese side through the diplomatic channel. The Japanese side should earnestly honor its statement and commitment of facing up to and reflecting on its history of aggression.

自1955年自民党成立至今,自民党宏池会先后诞生了池田勇人、大平正芳、宫泽喜一等首相,他们在任期间对日本深化发展周边外交均做出了不同程度的贡献。正反两方面的历史经验,值得同为宏池会出身的岸田文雄认真掂量。

Since the LDP was founded in 1955, its Kochi-kai faction has turned out several prime ministers including Hayato Ikeda, Masayoshi Ohira and Kiichi Miyazawa, who during their term contributed to the deepening of Japan’s diplomatic relations with surrounding countries to varying degrees. Historical experience, both on the upside and downside, is worth learning from by Fumio Kishida, the latest prime minister produced by the faction.

 

Editor’s note: This article is originally published on haiwainet.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.

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