The China-Japan Apology Stalemate Continues...

Of course, I knew that another apology by Japan for the wartime atrocities, recently recited by Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi would not be enough for China. Because the people that run China are a bunch of babies.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi attempted to head off a crisis with China over interpretations of history Friday by offering an unexpected but carefully couched "heartfelt apology" for the "tremendous damage and suffering" inflicted by Japan during World War II.

Speaking at the opening of an international forum in Jakarta, Indonesia, with Chinese President Hu Jintao listening, Koizumi made a dramatic appeal to soothe Chinese fury, which had manifested itself in violent demonstrations this month outside Japan's Embassy and Consulates in China.

"In the past, Japan--through its colonial rule and aggression--caused tremendous damage and suffering for people of many countries, particularly those of Asian nations," Koizumi said. "Japan squarely faces these facts of history in a spirit of humility."

But Chinese leaders say thank you for the apology but its not enough.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said China welcomed Koizumi's apology — but said more need to be done.

"That President Koizumi expressed this attitude in this arena is welcome. We welcome it," Kong told reporters at a summit of Asian and African leaders in Jakarta. "But to express it is one aspect. What's of much more importance is the action. You have to make it a reality."

China's ambassador to South Korea, Li Bin, said: "Of course, words are important. But I believe actions are more important."

So, what do these idiots in Beijing want? They asked for an apology and they got it. So if actions are more important, then what type of actions? Japan's constitution is written so that their security forces are defensive in nature and offer little threat at this time to their neighbors. Most of the people are anti-war since they had seen first hand what the horrors of war can do to their neighbors and also themselves. Japan has rebuilt themselves in a resposnsible neighbor to both Asian countries and to those in need around the world. Japan has been a very generous and donated resources and established organizations to alleviate poverty, introduce medicine and promote development in the poorest countries in the world. So, its not these types of actions that the Chinese officials are talking about.

Oh, yes, then their is the issue of the Yasukuni Shrine visits.

The shrine was founded in 1869 as Tokyo Shokonsha, and was renamed Yasukuni Shrine in 1879. It was build in order to commemorate and worship those who have died in war for their country and sacrificed their lives to help build the fundament for a peaceful Japan (the meaning of Yasukuni is "peaceful country").

The deities of about 2.5 million people who died for Japan in the conflicts accompanying the Meiji Restoration, the Satsuma Rebellion and similar domestic conflicts, the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, the First World War, the Manchurian Incident, the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War are enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine in form of mortuary tablets with inscribed names. The Yushukan, a museum commemorating Japan's wars is located just next to the shrine's main buildings.

Many Chinese are incensed that Japanese leaders still visit the shrine that memorialises Japan's 2.5 million war dead. Included among the 2.5 million that lost their lives are 14 war criminals. Let's see that is 0.00056%.

So, yes, maybe we should get all excited when a Japanese Prime Minister visits a shrine where 2.5 million of his fellow countrymen died in various wars, some of them of aggression. But these visits may also symbolize that leaders have to remember the futility of war and the incredible destruction that follows for both sides of these conflicts. In fact, the Japanese have actually considered building another shrine to their war dead that excludes the war criminal element.

For some people, especially in the Asian countries which suffered most under past Japanese imperialism, the shrine has become a symbol for Japanese militarism and ultra-nationalism, and many are taking the prime ministers' visits as a sign hat Japan's political leaders are not looking critically enough at their country's history.

Attempts to remove the war criminals from the Yasukuni Shrine have failed due to the shrine's refusal. Other discussions to solve the problem center around plans to create a currently non-existent alternative to the Yasukuni Shrine for commemorating and worshipping Japan's war dead.

In many countries, leaders visit tombs and resting places of fellow citizens that died. Some even visit the cemeteries of soldiers of opposing armies. President Ronald Reagan made one such visit to a cemetery of war dead on a visit to Helmut Kohl in 1985. He faced severe scrutiny since the cemetery also included 49 members of the Waffen SS.

The Waffen SS had been the combat branch of the Third Reich's elite guard, the Schutzstaffel. Created in 1923 to serve as Hitler's bodyguards, and expanded by Heinrich Himmler in the 1930s -- nearly one million men had served in the SS by the end of the war -- the Schutzstaffel included the Totenkopf, or "Death's Head" division, the men who had served as guards at the concentration camps.

Reagan decided to go ahead with the visit even though...

Many questioned Reagan's claim that most of the SS soldiers at Kolmeshohe had been teenagers drafted against their will into serving the Third Reich. But further research revealed that, indeed, most of the 49 SS dead were between the ages of 17 and 20. Kohl confirmed that in the last days of the war he was able to avoid service in the SS because he was only 15, "but they hanged a boy from a tree who was perhaps only two years older with a sign saying TRAITOR" because he had tried to run away rather than serve

The German public supported the visit despite the controversy generated due to the SS graves. At one point, as victors, we have to forgive the vanquished. It is incumbent upon us to face and then put the past behind us. Maybe China, and maybe rightly so, feels as if they were not the victors. With years of civil war, and then the brutal rule of the still in power Chinese Communist Party, the people still don't feel as if they have won.
The biggest problem that I see with the Chinese leadership is that they make all kinds of noise, incite their people to riot in the streets of the country, and then will never be satisfied with any of the outcomes. Reagan took political heat in an attempt to mend fences with Germany. What are the Chinese willing to do...what actions are THEY going to take to try to mend fences with Japan? In my opinion, they are incapable of operating in the global area in a cogent well thought out manner. I wish everyone here good luck when they inevitably really screw up!