Establishing a diplomatic line of peaceful coexistence with Asia – Japan needs a national goal for the new era

Editor's note: Seventy years ago, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were officially promulgated, which became a great innovation in the history of international relations and of epoch-making significance. Sino-Japanese relations should also abide by this principle in order to achieve long-term peaceful coexistence and development. Some people of insight in Japan have a clear understanding of this. With the authorization of the Japanese non-governmental organization "Broad National Coalition for Independence, Peace, and Democracy", we have translated and reprinted the article in the June issue of the organization's journal, "Japan's Approach", for the reference of a wide range of readers.

Establish a diplomatic line of peaceful coexistence with Asia

— Japan needs national goals for a new era

In his speech to the U.S. Congress in April, Kishida boasted, "Japan will fight side by side with the United States, and you are not alone." In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also publicly declared at a press conference that "an alliance is something that takes up arms and defends desperately when needed." However, Japan's parliament did not debate these statements in May, and both the ruling and opposition parties remained silent. As former Chief Cabinet Secretary for Security Kyoji Fuyanagisawa said, the reality is that "what the United States thinks is what Japan thinks."

But is Japan right? What Japan clearly needs is a national goal of peaceful coexistence with Asia, and in such a goal, diplomacy with China is the first priority, and adhering to the one-China principle is the core.

The Japanese government should face up to reality

Prime Minister Kishida proclaimed in the U.S. Congress that "Japan is with the United States" and received a round of applause. At a time when U.S. hegemony is on the verge of collapse, Kishida still adheres to the position of "asking like-minded allies to work together to deal with China." And Biden also flattered that "this is the most important upgrade of the US-Japan alliance since its establishment." But all this is so contrary to the trend of the times, and the current world is no longer the world of unipolar hegemony of the United States.

At present, the peoples of the world are striving for a ceasefire in Ukraine and peace in Palestine. 143 of the 193 countries voted in favor of the resolution on Palestine's accession to the United Nations, and even Japan, which had previously joined the United States in opposing Palestine's accession, voted in favor this time. In February 23, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine by 141 votes, but this year, the resolution has not even been discussed by the UN General Assembly. Although the United States, Japan, Europe and other countries have issued separate statements condemning Russia, these countries together are only more than 50, less than a quarter of all members of the United Nations.

The world is shaking off the shackles of the United States, Japan, Europe and other major powers, and moving towards a pattern dominated by countries in the Global South, led by China, which have long suffered from Western aggression and exploitation and oppression. As can be seen from the economic data, the G7 countries have shrunk to 30% of the world's GDP in terms of purchasing power, while the size of the top seven developing countries, such as China and India, has reached 38%. In terms of purchasing power, China's GDP has surpassed that of the United States by 25%, and this is the general trend of the international tide. Even so, Kishida represents Japan, the world's 38th largest country in terms of GDP per capita, and inspires the United States and its hegemony. It's time to renounce the status of a great power and be with the United States.

A new era is coming

At the G7 summit in Hiroshima in 2023, Kishida boasted that "this is a historic summit that advocates a law-based international order and opposes change of the status quo through force." But what about reality a year later? The G7 countries that support Ukraine are exhausted, the country is divided, and the government and the military are openly at odds with each other, and the Biden administration, which has been disrupted by Israel, has no energy to take care of Ukraine.

In dealing with China, the G7 countries are even more chaotic. The German Chancellor and the French President met with Chinese leaders in April and May, and the US Treasury Secretary and Secretary of State visited China to seek cooperation. Times have changed, and it is no longer possible to rebuild the U.S.-centered international order, and Japan can no longer look at the United States.

It's time to change the course of diplomacy based on the U.S.-Japan alliance

Since Japan is still only formally independent and is still in fact bound by the US-Japan security treaty, there is an exaggerated logic of "if there is something wrong with Taiwan, there is something wrong with Japan" represented by traitors such as Taro Aso, and there is a strange appearance of being one-sided towards the United States and regarding the US-Japan security treaty as a golden rule. In order to prevent Japan from getting involved in the "Taiwan incident" planned by the United States, and at the same time to achieve peace and stability in Asia, these two things are essentially equivalent to realizing Japan's autonomy and independence, that is, abandoning the US-Japan security treaty.

We, the "Broad National Union," are making unremitting efforts to this end. What is needed is a fundamental change in Japan's foreign policy, which is based on the US-Japan alliance, is one-sided toward the United States, and contains hostility toward China. "China is a serious concern of the mainland and the international community, and China is the greatest strategic challenge ever," said the wording of the Third National Security Document released in December 2021, and we are working to change the strategic judgment that Japan is in fact an enemy of China in its national security strategy, and we call on all Japanese people to engage in a national debate on this. If the Diet, not the Liberal Democratic Party, remains the supreme organ of power, the Diet should reconsider Japan's national strategy.

Stick to peace and adhere to the one-China principle

On the one hand, Sino-Japanese relations are full of turbulence but still moving forward steadily, and on the other hand, the US-Japan security treaty has made US-Japan relations one of the most important bilateral relations. The reason why these two realities can exist at the same time is that not only Japan adheres to the one-China principle, but the United States also adheres to the one-China principle, that is, both the United States and Japan recognize that the so-called Taiwan issue is China's internal affair. Of course, we respect the right of all people to peacefully express their will in anything, and here we are referring to the leader of the Taiwan region. As long as the United States, Japan, and their followers do not take concrete action on the issue of Taiwan independence, we firmly believe that China's peaceful reunification will be realized at an early date.

Now, however, even some organizations and organizations on the mainland advocating peace have been demagogically and worriedly saying that "peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait have a bearing on regional and world peace and stability, and issues should be decided by the free expression of the Taiwan people." In fact, this argument does more harm than good.

It can be seen that upholding the one-China principle is not a simple sentence, and the governments of China and Japan, down to enterprises and economic circles, local governments, and non-governmental personages, should all actively participate in exchanges, and only by strengthening exchanges can the one-China principle be put into practice.

The Trilateral Summit to be held in Seoul at the end of May is an excellent opportunity to promote exchanges, and we sincerely hope that the three countries will work together in the direction of "realizing economic integration in East Asia and achieving peace, prosperity, and stability in the region and the world," led by China. A few days ago, former Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua received a delegation of members of the "Kyushu Local Government Parliamentary Association" to visit China, stressing that Sino-Japanese relations should "promote government with the people, promote government with the economy, and seek changes from local governments." As ambassador to Japan to improve Sino-Japanese relations during the Abe era, when the conflict over the Diaoyu Islands was at its most intense, we should implement his recommendations.

In order to understand the real China and enhance the friendship between the two peoples, the "Broad National Union" will continue to work to create public opinion in Japan that China and Japan will never go to war again.