Japan, China, S Korea should overcome history, promote dialogue

We must think about how relations between Japan and China and between Japan and South Korea, which are confronting each other over historical and other issues, could be improved through numerous dialogues and cooperation among the three countries.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung Se held trilateral talks in Seoul. They agreed to improve bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation among the three countries based on a spirit of looking toward the future by squarely facing up to history.
The three foreign ministers also confirmed that they will work toward realising a three-way summit meeting of their respective leaders at the earliest convenient date.
China reportedly wants to find out about the contents of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement to be issued this summer on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II before agreeing to hold a summit meeting. However, Beijing should make preparations for the trilateral summit based on a broader perspective without any preconditions attached.
Even if there are difficult problems to solve among the countries concerned, trying to find compromises they all agree on through various talks is what foreign diplomacy is all about.
Wang stressed at a press conference after the foreign ministerial talks that although 70 years have passed since the end of World War II, history issues with Japan are not yet in past tense. They still are “in present progressive form”, he added.
Beijing is making efforts to form a joint front with South Korea over history issues against Japan, such as by inviting South Korean President Park Geun-hye to its ceremony to commemorate “the 70th anniversary of the victory in the war of resistance against Japan” that is scheduled on September 3 in Beijing.
However, postwar Japan has constantly walked the path of a pacifist nation based on reflections on the previous war. The Abe administration must make proactive efforts to transmit that fact to the international community and expand understanding about it among the countries concerned.
“It is significant to promote exchanges and cooperation among the three neighbouring countries that have deep cultural ties with one another,” Kishida said at the foreign ministerial talks. Wang and Yu agreed with Kishida, and the three confirmed a policy to enhance the partnership among the three countries in the environment, disaster prevention and other fields.
Contamination of the air with PM2.5 micro particulate matter and other pollutants is a serious problem in China and its negative effects have crossed the borders to reach Japan and South Korea. If Japan helps alleviate China’s air pollution, it will benefit all three countries.
The knowledge and technology Japan has developed over time to prevent and minimise damage from disasters will also serve as a useful reference for China and South Korea.
It is important to build confidence among the three countries by steadily advancing practical cooperation in various fields.
The three countries also should deepen discussions on practical measures to contain international terrorism, which has increasingly intensified through actions by Islamic militant groups.