Wen Jiabao this morning became the first Chinese Prime Minister ever to address the Japanese parliament during his visit aimed at further improving Sino-Japanese diplomatic ties.
Reciprocating PM Abe’s visit to China last year, it’s a significant move from China. Japan last received such a visitor 7 years ago, and the troubles of the intervening period have been well documented.
Both Wen and Abe seem keen to maintain the momentum of the thawing of the previously icy relationship. At a banquet thrown on Wednesday evening in honour of PM Wen, both Prime Ministers made noises about cementing friendships and focussing on a brighter future - Abe perhaps rather more urgently than his counterpart, who made several references to Japan’s need to “reflect on history”. Abe, for his part, urged a little more transparency in ’surging’ Chinese military spending.
And a whole raft of agreements have apparently been drawn up and signed. The main issues appear to be cooperation aimed at the denuclearisation of North Korea, finding ways to “jointly develop gas deposits in disputed waters”, as well as plans to collaborate on a successor to the Kyoto environmental protocol.
Things would go smoothly so long as the Japanese prime ministers of today and tomorrow refrain from acting stupid in office. Abe was fortunate that the Chinese leadership is committed on pushing for greater bilateral agreements in the areas of trade and are even kind enough to give Abe friendly reminders to stay the course.
In any event, everything is either just wishful thinking and we have to wait and see how this all plays out
Let’s hope Abe schedules a whole bunch of appointments in August and conveniently isn’t able to go to Yasukuni. Maybe a trip abroad can be schedule for mid-August.
I am quite impressed that the Chinese delegation offered friendship by using such bold words and talking about the past.
Of course it was designed to make China look like the one offering the vine leaf of peace and thats great. I applaud it. I just hope these two governments can stick to the plan. The bottom line here is business. Japanese business want access to mainland China and China wants Japanese capital investment. So hopefully the money issue will overshadow past uncomfortable issues and pave way for a co-prosperity sphere that EVERYONE benefits from.
It will Alex so long as politicians don’t put each side in a bad position with idiotic gaffes
“Wen Jiabao this morning became the first Chinese Prime Minister ever to address the Japanese parliament during his visit aimed at further improving Sino-Japanese diplomatic ties.”
China doesn’t have a prime minister. It has a Premier of the State Council. That is Wen.
http://english.people.com.cn/data/people/wenjiabao.shtml
Secondly, Jiabao is not the first Chinese leader to address the Diet. Then Communist party chief Hu Yaobang did it in 1983 as did Peng Zhen, then head of China’s National People’s Congress, in 1985.
just in the interests of accuracy.
Well, in most western press he’s entitled Prime Minister (I think Premier of the State Council wouldn’t resonate with most western readers, but sounds pretty similar to PM when you get down to it).
Even so, I take your point. But even substituting that title, I don’t think the other two held that title (and I didn’t say ‘leader’).
No, really, he’s isn’t a Prime Minister, its just wrong.
He is most commonly referred to as a Premier in all the Western press I’ve seen. Some, mostly American, media outlets use the term Prime Minister, but this isn’t accurate. It is like calling Shinzo Abe the President of Japan, or Elizabeth Windsor the Empress of England. Get my drift?
On your second point, u didn’t say ‘leader’ - conceded. But your use of the term ‘Prime Minister’ implies that this is what you meant, whatever his appropriate title may be.
So if you want to stick with the sentance “Wen Jiabao this morning became the first Chinese Prime Minister ever to address the Japanese parliament” it is still innaccurate. No Chinese Prime Minister, including Wen because he is not a Prime Minister, has ever addressed the Japanese parliament. And likely never will because CHINA DOESN’T HAVE A PRIME MINISTER.
Sorry to bust your balls on a technicality here overoften… but my country DOES have a PM so it’s a little close to home.
Righto, I’ll concede. Apologies for provoking you to capital letters.
So all that aside, any thoughts on the story itself?
(heavy breathing)… calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean…
The story! yes, I have many thoughts! Thoughts which I will process over the weekend over many-a-beer, two BBQs and a much-anticpated footy match. I will then post my assessment. It has been too long between posts and too many smartarse nitpickings. I apologise for my emotionalism, sir.
No worries. It’s nearly beer o’clock anyway.
i have one little thought..on the offshore disputed oil and gas reserves…how will the intended legislation currently before the Diet,regarding the defence of drilling platforms & rigs,impact on this Great Leap Forward in Mutual Understanding as fleshed out by Chairman Wen and PM Abe ??.
my guess is it will put the kibosh on it and everything will go back to normal.
that is.. “say $orry Japan…say $orry”.
So what’s a different between a Prime Minister and a Premier of the State Council? I mean, besides the name
Well I was thinking that. But I was reluctant to ask.
And rem, I think you’re spot on.
[…] China and Japan. Also please view JAPUNDIT contributor Overoften’s post on this titled Wen’s Day for a more detailed look at Mister Wen’s trip to […]
I suppose all we have to now is to await the usual blowback from the chicoms.
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200704210088.html