As the Japanese Premier Yoshihiko Noda arrived in Beijing on Sunday it was clear what the hottest topic on the discussion table was going to be. After North Korean leadership changed hands in the aftermath of Kim Jong-Il’s death, the repercussions of the instability of the Korean Peninsula were obviously going to encompass Japan and China as well. Both sides have been vying to ameliorate their diplomatic ties off-late, as the 40th anniversary of the resumption of their ties is on the horizon – a landmark moment in the relationship. And now with the situation in the two Koreas bordering on volatility, the two Asian giants have another raison d’être to draw closer.
Owing mostly to the legacies passed on by various regimes at the helm, and partly to the maritime animosity, China and Japan have had a streak of unceremonious bondage. Noda is a relative newbee in the Asian game, having only joined the office in September, but he has been making positive noise about improving the Sino-Japanese bond. Only recently Japan expounded its intent of making a ‘symbolic’ purchase of $10 billion dollars in Chinese bonds. This, coupled with Japan sending the ‘Kirisame’ destroyer to the Chinese port Qingdao on a five-day good will visit, should set the ball rolling towards mutual amicability.
China’s contribution after Japan was struck by the triple disaster in March this year is also worth its fair share of approbation. Japan was hit by a massive earthquake, measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale, which resulted in another catastrophic tsunami that in turn lead to a major meltdown in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. China provided emergency relief amidst the trio of back-to-back calamities, in addition to material support; and its media also openly praised the Japanese nation’s resilience and lawfulness under extreme conditions. The year 2011 was a positive one for the China-Japan relationship, and now with events in North Korea having the potential to throw in another sizzling ingredient in the Asian cauldron, another significant chapter in Asian – and indeed global – diplomacy is on the verge of being written in Beijing.
After North Korea pulled out of the six-party talks in April 2009 the negotiations stalled as a result and the primary intent of Yoshihiko Noda would be to make a step towards the resumption of the talks now that Pyongyang is bracing itself for ‘heir apparent’. The resumption of the aforementioned talks is in the benefit of both Beijing and Tokyo and apprehensions regarding the developments in DPRK would continue to exist till steadiness is reached at the North Korean helm. The long term security of Northeast Asia hinges on smooth transition of power in Pyongyang.
Unlike the previous regimes, the current Japanese regime has taken a more prudently open approach towards Beijing and is vying to pacify all the matters that have resulted in a strained relationship between the two sides. Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has also echoed the Japanese intent that would be a positive step towards regional prosperity and security. If the talks go according to plan, 2012 can safely be prognosticated as a year of Sino-Japanese cooperation, as the two collectively endeavour to enhance themselves in the realm of trade and be the flagbearers of peace and tranquility in the historically capricious Northeast Asia.
The writer is Sub-Editor,
Profit. He can be reached at khulduneshahid@gmail.com