Pro-China officials placed in top positions within Japanese gov't｜Politics｜News｜WantChinaTimes.com
Sadakazu Tanigaki and Toshihiro Nikai, two pro-China figures of Japan, have been appointed senior posts within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party by prime minister Shinzo Abe as a way to improve Tokyo's relationship with Beijing, reports London-based The Guardian.
Sadakazu Tanigaki was appointed the secretary general while Toshihiro Nikai became the chairman of the party's general council. Nikai is considered a friend of China for leading the first Japanese delegation to visit Beijing after the Sichuan earthquake of 2008. Sadakazu Tanigaki had previously made the open announcement that he would not visit Yasukuni Shrine if elected prime minister.
From the perspective of Tanigaki, Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japanese war criminals among the fallen, is an obstacle in Japan developing a normal relationship with China.
Shinzo Abe is seeking a chance to meet Xi Jinping, China's president, and Park Geun-hye, South Korea's president, during the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Beijing this November. His new appointments are a supposed gesture of good will, according to the report.
Clint Richards, the associate editor of the Toyko-based Diplomat, said that China is actually looking forward to improving its relationship with Japan. The next two months will be extremely important to see whether Japan is able to reconcile with China two years after it nationalized the disputed Diaoyutai islands in the East China Sea. However, it is still too early to say whether Xi and Abe will meet.
Sadakazu Tanigaki and Toshihiro Nikai, two pro-China figures of Japan, have been appointed senior posts within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party by prime minister Shinzo Abe as a way to improve Tokyo's relationship with Beijing, reports London-based The Guardian.
Sadakazu Tanigaki was appointed the secretary general while Toshihiro Nikai became the chairman of the party's general council. Nikai is considered a friend of China for leading the first Japanese delegation to visit Beijing after the Sichuan earthquake of 2008. Sadakazu Tanigaki had previously made the open announcement that he would not visit Yasukuni Shrine if elected prime minister.
From the perspective of Tanigaki, Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japanese war criminals among the fallen, is an obstacle in Japan developing a normal relationship with China.
Shinzo Abe is seeking a chance to meet Xi Jinping, China's president, and Park Geun-hye, South Korea's president, during the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Beijing this November. His new appointments are a supposed gesture of good will, according to the report.
Clint Richards, the associate editor of the Toyko-based Diplomat, said that China is actually looking forward to improving its relationship with Japan. The next two months will be extremely important to see whether Japan is able to reconcile with China two years after it nationalized the disputed Diaoyutai islands in the East China Sea. However, it is still too early to say whether Xi and Abe will meet.
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