EDITORIAL | Why Are Japanese Politicians Heading to China But Not the US?

We must question the diplomatic acumen of the politicians leading both the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito.

The secretaries-general of both ruling parties are slated to start a three-day visit to China on January 13. The purpose of the trip is to participate in a "Japan-China Ruling Party Exchange Conference" with the dictatorial Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This will be the first time such a meeting has taken place since October 2018.

Don't these party bigwigs have their priorities for such high-level visits all wrong? Isn't the first place top officials of the ruling parties supporting the Shigeru Ishiba administration should go, after all, to our ally, the United States?

Start with Allies and Democracies, Not Dictatorships

This particular meeting was launched in 2018. Nonetheless, since then, China has become the single greatest threat to Japan. The days of merrily visiting China any time just because the politician received an invitation are over. The intent might be to produce tangible results, but there are few prospects of that happening.

On January 20, Donald Trump will begin his second term as President of the United States. For Japan, the Japan-US alliance is the cornerstone of its foreign policy and national security. Therefore, Japanese leaders should first strengthen their relationship with the US.

Communication between Japanese political parties and politicians with members of the US government and Congressional officials increases understanding. It also offers an effective way to complement Japan's official diplomacy.

Trump has adopted a tough stance on China. Moreover, he has made the Japan-US alliance the centerpiece of his diplomacy and security policies. Japanese leaders should look first to solidifying the country's relations with the US, instead of falling for overtures from the CCP that will bear no fruit.

*LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama (©Sankei by Nobuhiro Imanaka)*

Moriyama's Shallow Hypocricies

LDP Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama has said, "It is important to carry out dialogue among governments, parties and lawmakers as part of our efforts to build ties at various levels."

However, we have not observed concrete improvements in Japan-China relations from such meetings in the past. Another directionless visit would certainly please the Chinese side, which would seek to project a conciliatory atmosphere.

Moriyama has also said: "The world is becoming more inward-looking. And the champion when it comes to this inward-looking trend is Trump, who will soon be taking office."

Moriyama obviously lacks awareness of Trump's policies. Moreover, as one who is so ready to mock the leader of an allied nation, he has no concept of his own role as the head of Japan's nation's largest ruling party. If he has concerns about the direction of the incoming Trump administration, why not visit Washington and make Japan's case?

Dialogue Only Works from a Position of Strength

Reportedly, at the upcoming meeting in China, Komeito will propose the creation of an Asian version of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). That entity would be a multilateral security dialogue framework. However, the OSCE's predecessor organization was able to engage in dialogue with the Eastern Bloc precisely because of the solidarity of the allied North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

It would appear that the secretaries-general of the LDP and Komeito fail to understand this point. Are they blind to China's manipulation so they can't see how Beijing would take advantage of such a simplistic proposal?

Continuing to engage in "friendship" activities with the CCP out of a sense of inertia is dangerous in itself. If these party officials are still intent on visiting Beijing, they should use the opportunity to effect the release of all the Japanese nationals unjustly detained by the Communist government.

(Read the editorial in Japanese.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun