EEE会議（北朝鮮核問題：　日中韓３国関係の複雑さ）..................................................................031021


北朝鮮核問題の解決のためには日米のほかに日韓中の緊密な連携プ
レーが不可欠ですが、この３者間の関係は残念ながら必ずしも緊密であ
るとは言えません。
最大の障害になっているのは、やはり歴史、靖国、教科書問題です。
中国は、将来の対日外交を有利に進めるためには歴史問題を未解決の
ままにしておいた方が得策と考えているようですし、日韓でも共通の歴史
教科書編纂の試みがなされているものの韓国側の対日不信感が相変わ
らず根強く、しっくり行きそうにありません。日本国内でも、対中、対韓関
係についていろいろ複雑な見方が存在しているのは事実です。このような
状態では、日本政府が拉致問題や核問題の解決に中韓の積極的な助力
を依頼しても（表面的にはともかく）なかなか本気に動いてくれるとは思え
ません。　日本外交にはまだまだ工夫の余地が残されているように思い
ます。
この点に関連して、小生が参加している米国の日本関係のEメール会議
で最近出てきた２通のメールをご紹介します。最初のものは中国との関
係、2番目のものは韓国との関係から論じています。何らご参考になれば
幸いです。
--KK

***************************************

I too am not an expert on the textbooks, but I am very curious about
the issues surrounding both countries' inability or unwillingness to
settle the history debate to each other's satisfaction.  I recollect
that young people in Japan were polled reference this issue (CSIS
did the research I believe) and it was found that Japan should do
more to heal the wounds so to speak, but they also felt that China
should stop harping on the past and move on with the relationship.
Young people favored making an apology and also favored passing
on the sense of responsibility to the next generations.  However, as
pointed out by Mike Green and Ben Self in an article they published
in Survival, in Japan's eyes China has lost the "moral superiority"
they used for a long time regarding the history issue when China
became increasingly aggressive reference Taiwan and territorial
disputes. As Japan sees China become more of a threat the history
issue is not likely to be settled.  In addition, I don't think China
necessarily wants it settled - it's a great tool to continue to pressure
Japan to make concessions when friction between the two arises.
It's also a source of nationalism in China.

Paul Daniels, Visiting Research Fellow, Institute for International
Policy Studies

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The textbook issue would indeed be a fruitful topic for some serious
research.  Add South Korea to the mix.

There is a committee of South Korean and Japanese historians who
have been labouring away for some time to provide a common
version of history.  If they pull this one off, they would be good
candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize!

Teaching a common version of history was critical to West German-
Polish rapprochement in the early 1970s.  And the shared history of
Germany and Poland, with six million Poles killed in the second
world war, is far 'worse' than anything that has happened between
South Korea and Japan since the days of Hideyoshi and his mad
efforts to invade China via Korea.

As noted, I also think it's time for the Japanese government to get
out of the business of vetting textbooks in any shape or form.
Leave  it to professional historians, teachers and parents, as is
done in Western countries.  But presumably this is just another
instance of bureaucratic interest trumping national interest in Japan.

Robyn Lim