  Fuwa speaks on 'breaking Japan's diplomatic stalemate'Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo on May 12 gave a speech on "Breaking Japan's Diplomatic Stalemate, marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the Pacific War and focusing on the latest issues related to Japan-Asia relations." About 700 people, including 16 diplomats from 14 countries and Japanese and foreign reporters, listened to Fuwa's one-and-half-hour speech at the JCP head office in Tokyo. The speech was broadcast live via the communication satellite system and on the website. Fuwa opened his speech by stating, "If Japan is to break its diplomatic stalemate, the Japanese people must review and seriously reflect on the war of aggression." Fuwa expounded on the Japanese government's attitude toward the issues of its past war of aggression and colonial rule in Asia, focusing on recent Yasukuni Shrine visits by Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro and the government's approval of the rightist history textbooks as crucial and dangerous matters. He said, "They are linked with moves toward 'restoring honor to the Japanese war,' which contradicts the prime minister's latest statement that expressed Japan's remorse for the war." Fuwa proposed three ways for Japan to follow to end the government's diplomatic deadlock: first, the prime minister must stop visiting Yasukuni Shrine; second, the government must earnestly deal with the school textbook issue in accordance with its "remorse for its colonialism and the war of aggression" expressed in the past ten years; and third, Japan must establish a major diplomatic strategy that will help develop peaceful relations with neighboring countries in Asia. Fuwa concluded his speech by saying, "Let's increase public voices so that grass-roots discussions and responses will develop to help resolve this issue." - Akahata, May 13, 2005 |