Japan to consider lifting sanctions on Russia

[Aepsilons]

Japan's Ex-PM Urges Abe to Lift Anti-Russian Sanctions


Japan's former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who visited Crimea in March, called on Shinzo Abe to lift restrictive measures that Tokyo along with other Western countries imposed on Moscow after the Black Sea peninsula joined Russia.

"I think Japan should take a step back from the economic sanctions. Sadly, during the recent G7 summit Prime Minister Shinzo Abe went in favor of the decision to extend the economic sanctions against Russia for six months. I hope that the Prime Minister understands that was undesirable for Japan," Yukio Hatoyama told RIA Novosti.

According to the former prime minister, Shinzo Abe should re-evaluate his stance on the restrictive measures, which hurt bilateral relations.

"I expect Russian-Japanese relations to improve if Tokyo does not support sanctions or lifts them," the politician said. Hatoyama, who served as Japan's prime minister from September 2009 to June 2010, has long called on Tokyo to conduct foreign policy independent of the US and opposed anti-Russian sanctions.

Western countries, including Japan, imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow following Crimea's reunification with Russia, which they claim was against the norms of international law. But Yukio Hatoyama does not share this view.

Despite fierce criticism in Japan, the former prime minister embarked on a three-day visit to Crimea in March.
During the visit he urged Japanese nationals from all walks of life to visit the Russian peninsula and see with their own eyes what life there was like and how different this picture was from the one painted in the media.

Hatoyama also noted that while in Crimea he became convinced that the 2014 referendum was in line with both the Ukrainian Constitution and the norms of international law. He also reiterated his view that Japan should reject its sanctions policy as a first step towards improved relations with Russia.


Read more: Japan's Ex-PM Urges Abe to Lift Anti-Russian Sanctions / Sputnik International

 

[NiceGuy]

small JP think they can sanction a big bear Russia ??

 

[IR-TR]

Good for Japan and Russia. Those god damn Yanks need to let other countries follow their own policies and defend their own interest. These imposed 'alliances' need to be a thing of the past.

 

[TianyaTaiwan]

鸠山“友”纪夫

 

[Echo_419]

Japan's Ex-PM Urges Abe to Lift Anti-Russian Sanctions


Japan's former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who visited Crimea in March, called on Shinzo Abe to lift restrictive measures that Tokyo along with other Western countries imposed on Moscow after the Black Sea peninsula joined Russia.

"I think Japan should take a step back from the economic sanctions. Sadly, during the recent G7 summit Prime Minister Shinzo Abe went in favor of the decision to extend the economic sanctions against Russia for six months. I hope that the Prime Minister understands that was undesirable for Japan," Yukio Hatoyama told RIA Novosti.

According to the former prime minister, Shinzo Abe should re-evaluate his stance on the restrictive measures, which hurt bilateral relations.

"I expect Russian-Japanese relations to improve if Tokyo does not support sanctions or lifts them," the politician said. Hatoyama, who served as Japan's prime minister from September 2009 to June 2010, has long called on Tokyo to conduct foreign policy independent of the US and opposed anti-Russian sanctions.

Western countries, including Japan, imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow following Crimea's reunification with Russia, which they claim was against the norms of international law. But Yukio Hatoyama does not share this view.

Despite fierce criticism in Japan, the former prime minister embarked on a three-day visit to Crimea in March.
During the visit he urged Japanese nationals from all walks of life to visit the Russian peninsula and see with their own eyes what life there was like and how different this picture was from the one painted in the media.

Hatoyama also noted that while in Crimea he became convinced that the 2014 referendum was in line with both the Ukrainian Constitution and the norms of international law. He also reiterated his view that Japan should reject its sanctions policy as a first step towards improved relations with Russia.


Read more: Japan's Ex-PM Urges Abe to Lift Anti-Russian Sanctions / Sputnik International

They should have not followed US in this

 

[Shotgunner51]

Japan's former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who visited Crimea in March, called on Shinzo Abe to lift restrictive measures that Tokyo along with other Western countries imposed on Moscow after the Black Sea peninsula joined Russia.
Read more: Japan's Ex-PM Urges Abe to Lift Anti-Russian Sanctions / Sputnik International

Apparently Yukio Hatoyama and Shinzo Abe have opposite views on policies towards Russia as per this Sputnik article. How credible is this news? If it's credible, how much influence will this imply on Abe's policy?

 

[Aepsilons]

Apparently Yukio Hatoyama and Shinzo Abe have opposite views on policies towards Russia as per this Sputnik article. How credible is this news? If it's credible, how much influence will this imply on Abe's policy?

Abe will not directly say his views, given the sensitivities of the United States. Nevertheless, it is in my opinion that Hatoyama has been a de-facto representative of the Japanese Government (after all the man is a former Prime Minister) in trying to build heightened rapport with Japan and Moscow. If you notice, buddy, Japan has been courting two countries that the United States does not "see eye to eye" with and they include:

1) IRAN

2) RUSSIA


We are seeing the evolution , maturation of Japanese foreign policy , and this has been developing under the leadership of Shinzo Abe, actually. Abe has been more vocal than previous administrations, and despite his nationalistic tendencies, he is the type of leader we need because he gets things done. He has reduced corporate taxes, had revised corporate tax codes, has implemented monetary easing, has enforced tough anti corruption policies in Japan and on Japanese organizations abroad, has promulgated changes to the constitution that are restrictive of Japan's growth, and has promulgated the development of active foreign policy relations with foreign partners.

In time, I believe Japan will repudiate the sanctions on Russia because Russia is, to us Japanese, a strategic partner. Russia is an economic trading partner, a major supplier of raw resources to Japan, and a partner in securing sea zones. Let's be realistic, too, a positive relationship with Russia and Japan secures the northern territories and the northern flank. It , of course, leads to greater stability to Northern Asia.


By bringing Russia and China to Japan's orbit, we can expect greater integration of Northeast / Northern Asia.

We have to keep our long term visage honed in. We must not be affected with myopic/ short term views.

 

[Sam.]

Abe will not directly say his views, given the sensitivities of the United States. Nevertheless, it is in my opinion that Hatoyama has been a de-facto representative of the Japanese Government (after all the man is a former Prime Minister) in trying to build heightened rapport with Japan and Moscow. If you notice, buddy, Japan has been courting two countries that the United States does not "see eye to eye" with and they include:

1) IRAN

2) RUSSIA


We are seeing the evolution , maturation of Japanese foreign policy , and this has been developing under the leadership of Shinzo Abe, actually. Abe has been more vocal than previous administrations, and despite his nationalistic tendencies, he is the type of leader we need because he gets things done. He has reduced corporate taxes, had revised corporate tax codes, has implemented monetary easing, has enforced tough anti corruption policies in Japan and on Japanese organizations abroad, has promulgated changes to the constitution that are restrictive of Japan's growth, and has promulgated the development of active foreign policy relations with foreign partners.

In time, I believe Japan will repudiate the sanctions on Russia because Russia is, to us Japanese, a strategic partner. Russia is an economic trading partner, a major supplier of raw resources to Japan, and a partner in securing sea zones. Let's be realistic, too, a positive relationship with Russia and Japan secures the northern territories and the northern flank. It , of course, leads to greater stability to Northern Asia.


By bringing Russia and China to Japan's orbit, we can expect greater integration of Northeast / Northern Asia.

We have to keep our long term visage honed in. We must not be affected with myopic/ short term views.

Don't sanction russia nagato , show us your independent country.

 

[Shotgunner51]

Abe will not directly say his views, given the sensitivities of the United States. Nevertheless, it is in my opinion that Hatoyama has been a de-facto representative of the Japanese Government (after all the man is a former Prime Minister) in trying to build heightened rapport with Japan and Moscow. If you notice, buddy, Japan has been courting two countries that the United States does not "see eye to eye" with and they include:

1) IRAN

2) RUSSIA

We are seeing the evolution , maturation of Japanese foreign policy , and this has been developing under the leadership of Shinzo Abe, actually. Abe has been more vocal than previous administrations, and despite his nationalistic tendencies, he is the type of leader we need because he gets things done. He has reduced corporate taxes, had revised corporate tax codes, has implemented monetary easing, has enforced tough anti corruption policies in Japan and on Japanese organizations abroad, has promulgated changes to the constitution that are restrictive of Japan's growth, and has promulgated the development of active foreign policy relations with foreign partners.

In time, I believe Japan will repudiate the sanctions on Russia because Russia is, to us Japanese, a strategic partner. Russia is an economic trading partner, a major supplier of raw resources to Japan, and a partner in securing sea zones. Let's be realistic, too, a positive relationship with Russia and Japan secures the northern territories and the northern flank. It , of course, leads to greater stability to Northern Asia.

By bringing Russia and China to Japan's orbit, we can expect greater integration of Northeast / Northern Asia.

We have to keep our long term visage honed in. We must not be affected with myopic/ short term views.

Insightful analysis!

So put it simply, Abe and Hatoyama have concensus about national priorities (you have mentioned most above, the visions, on geo-economics), and the two men are playing their respective roles in one co-ordinated action plan i.e. Abe as head of state should stay engaged with US (on myopic / short term), while Hatoyama as a heavy-weight political figure will court Russia (and say Iran, China).

Is my summary accurate?

If that's the case it will be optimistic to see Japan lifting sanction on Russia, the question will be simple, when? I suppose there is no fixed time yet, but sooner the better!

 

[[Bregs]]

wow very good move by Japanese Govt, a welcome step indeed

 

[Aepsilons]

Insightful analysis!

So put it simply, Abe and Hatoyama have concensus about national priorities (you have mentioned most above, the visions, on geo-economics), and the two men are playing their respective roles in one co-ordinated action plan i.e. Abe as head of state should stay engaged with US (on myopic / short term), while Hatoyama as a heavy-weight political figure will court Russia (and say Iran, China).

Is my summary accurate?

If that's the case it will be optimistic to see Japan lifting sanction on Russia, the question will be simple, when? I suppose there is no fixed time yet, but sooner the better!

Definitely a welcome step!!

That is how Abe operates. He has to be flexible and he does so despite his nationalistic tendencies (some would even argue that this nationalistic charade is all but a front ---- in the grand scheme of things). Remember that as the USA is trying to isolate China, rally support against China in the SCS, in that same month, Abe sent 3,000 Japanese business federation members led by Toshihiro Nikai, who is a member of the LDP, to meet with Xi Jinping.

Toshihiro Nikai (left) presents to Xi Jinping a letter of salutations from Shinzo Abe (it was written in Chinese, btw!)

 

[terranMarine]

Cunning politics, Japan can't afford to anger US but will also approach these countries in a courtship not to be sidelined.

 

[LowPost]

I hope he can convince EU members to follow Japan's lead as well as this is very desirable for the sake of prosperity and stability in Europe (as for the EU-Russia relations). Yet this seems to be a distant dream...

Good for Japan and Russia. Those god damn Yanks need to let other countries follow their own policies and defend their own interest. These imposed 'alliances' need to be a thing of the past.

Double reply, sorry for that, but don't forget to tell that to the German Chancellor, the French President, the British Premier, the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council and the Eastern European EU member states.

 

[mike2000 is back]

small JP think they can sanction a big bear Russia ??

Japan is the worlds 3rd largest economy(i.e 3 times larger than your Russian patron bro), and far more advanced technologically than Russia overall. So in what ways do you call Japan small?lol
Most of your infrastructure is build by Japanese ODA aid, not Russian finance(as they have shortage of funds themselves), Russia was even asking Japan to invest in its far east(as it doesn't has the required fund/expertise to do so) and help it exploit its oil/gas in its northern arctic coast as it lack the technical and financial capabilities/know how to do so by itself .lol

Japan is anything but small. If Japan is small then i don't know what Vietnam is to be honest.

 

[IR-TR]

I hope he can convince EU members to follow Japan's lead as well as this is very desirable for the sake of prosperity and stability in Europe (as for the EU-Russia relations). Yet this seems to be a distant dream...



Double reply, sorry for that, but don't forget to tell that to the German Chancellor, the French President, the British Premier, the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council and the Eastern European EU member states.

Eastern Europe is difficult. It's like some of the smaller South East Asian nations; being irrationally fearful. No, Russia taking Crimea doesn't mean they're gonna take half of Poland and the Baltics again. The Western Europeans, if you look into history, don't really view Russia as a legitimate country. A bunch of ex-vikings from Western Russia went on and took half of the globe and all it's resources. They want those resources (many Asians as well). And on top of that, the US doesn't want Europe to get too close to Russia, it would make the US irrelevant. So it's a mess. Pragmatic Europeans just want to trade. I just want peace and prosperity. So we'll see what happens. Kudos to Japan anyway if they lift sanctions.