未解決の日中歴史問題：Japan-China History Issue Unresolved安倍首相の負った重い課題：Heavy Burden on PM Abe安倍晋三が半年前に日本の首相になった際には、首相の支持率も非常に高く、また小泉前首相がいなくなったことで日中関係の改善を期待する人たちにとっても物事がうまく回っていくようにみえた。
実際にそれ以来、政治的なレベルでは日中関係は大きく改善したが、それは主に中国のリーダーたちが2008年の北京オリンピックや2010年の上海万博を迎えて自分たちの目的に沿って日本を始め主要国との関係を再構築することに熱心であるためといえる。両国間の懸案である「歴史問題」でさえも、日中関係について共通の歴史を書くための共同研究プロジェクトが、昨年両国の政府のお墨付きで始められたこともあり、解決に向かうようにみえた。
しかしそれも今となってはうまくいかなくなってきた。安倍首相の支持率も、国内政治問題への対応を誤ったことと、国際的にも北朝鮮の核問題や拉致問題への対応も不確実になってきているために、大幅に低下している。さらに「ジャパン・タイムズ」の記事（以下のリンク参照）にあるように、日中間（日韓間も同様であるが）の歴史問題のような根本問題については、結局のところほとんど進展がなかったといえる。このような根本問題を両国の政府ではなく両国の国民の間で解決しないかぎりは、日中関係（日韓関係も同様であるが）は決して本当の意味で改善しないであろう。その一例が、最近の「慰安婦問題」の騒動にほかならない。
Article:No Common History View with ChinaThe Japan Times (3/21/2007)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070321a3.htmlComments:When Mr. Shinzo Abe took office as Japan's prime minister about six months ago, things looked rosy to him as his popularity was extremely high, and also to other peoples, especially those who hoped that Japan-China relations could improve after former prime minister Koizumi was gone.
In fact, Japan's relations with China have improved significantly on the political level since then, mainly because Chinese leaders are eager to reestablish their relations with Japan and other major countries for their own sake, in view of the upcoming international events such as the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the Shanghei Exposition in 2010. Even some of the so-called "history issues" between the two countries appeared to have been moving toward resolution, as a joint study project to co-write a single history of Japan-China relations was initiated and sponsored by the two governments late last year.
However, things do not look so good now, as Mr. Abe's popularity is way down, partly due to his mishandling of some domestic political affairs, but partly due to uncertainties in his handling of such critical problems as North Korea's nuclear and abductee issues. Furthermore, as this Japan Times article indicates, there has not been much progress after all regarding such fundamental problems as the "history issue" between Japan and China (and the same is true between Japan and South Korea for that matter). Unless those fundamental issues are resolved between the two peoples, rather than the two governments, Japan-China (and Japan-South Korea relations for that matter) could never be able to improve in the real sense of the word, as the recent episode of the "comfort women" issue indicates
- 2007/03/22(木) 21:49:04|
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