The Japanese Communist Party delegation led by Tetsuzo Fuwa, Presidium chair, and Jiang Zemin, Communist Party of China general secretary (president of the state), held summit talks on July 21 in Beijing, the first such for 32 years.
The talks started at 9 a.m. and were originally scheduled to last an hour but went on for one hour and 50 minutes.
Following the talks there was a press conference given by Fuwa in Beijing, in which he said both parties welcomed the normalization of JCP-CPC relations, and were convinced that it would greatly influence the development of relations between the two countries. In the talks, Fuwa proposed to Jiang Zemin "five principles" to govern bilateral relations between Japan and China going towards the 21st century.
In the talks, Fuwa first spoke on a series of questions. Then Jiang Zemin spoke comprehensively on questions, including answering points raised by Fuwa. And finally Fuwa spoke for a second time in answer to a question posed by Jiang Zemin. In the press conference, what were spoken about was itemized and explained.
The points made by Fuwa in the press conference were reported by Akahata on July 22 as follows.
On Japan-China relations First, on relations between Japan and China. Fuwa mentioned that this year is the 20th anniversary of the conclusion of the Japan-China Peace Treaty, and proposed the following five principles, on the basis of which relations between Japan and China should be developed at the turn of the century: (1) Japan should strictly reflect on its past war of aggression; (2) Japan should stick by the "one-China" policy in international relations; (3) Japan and China will stand firm on mutual nonaggression and relation based on peaceful co-existence; (4) Japan and China should solve all problems by peaceful negotiations; and (5) Japan and China should cooperate with each other for peace in Asia and the rest of the world.
Fuwa said, "We will work to make these principles the basis for Japan-China relations even under the present conservative government. When a future democratic government is established, we will institute these principles as national policy on Japan-China relations."
Fuwa said, "The first two principles have great significance for Japan today." He explained that the reason was that the problem of wars of aggression had been part of JCP activity since its foundation, and that a clear judgment has been made on this problem in world politics but in Japan there is an influential current which refuses to accept this judgment. "This is an adverse current not only against friendly relations between Japan and China but also against peace in Asia and the rest of the world."
In relation to the second principle on the "one-China" policy, Fuwa said this position has been the subject of heated discussion in Japan, in connection with defined area covered by the "Guidelines for Japan- U.S. Defense Cooperation." The source of the threat to the "one-China" policy is the "U.S. strategy of intervention and the Japan-U.S. military alliance, under which Japan is being forced to be a U.S. base for making sorties abroad," and this problem, he said, could be fundamentally solved by the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty being abrogated. Fuwa emphasized that these five principles are the "principles which should now be immediately put into practice."
Responding to this, Jiang Zemin said, "What I always emphasize in my exchanges with Japanese politicians is how to respond correctly to historical questions. This is the crux of the matter." He said that one of the questions that alarm the Chinese people is the fact that "the lessons of the war of aggression by Japanese militarism have not yet been made clear in Japan."
On the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, Jiang Zemin described it as "what was created in the Cold War era and still remains" and "to which China has always paid attention." He stressed that the Taiwan question was the most sensitive issue. He said, "The Taiwan question is sacrosanct." He stressed that the first two of the five principles are of special significance.
In his second statement, Fuwa expanded on the five principles as follows: "In Japan-China relations, ambivalence about the first two principles would not allow the other three principles to work well. Only by making this clear can relations based on true peace and friendship operate." He said he highly appreciate Jiang Zemin's straightforward understanding which was generally positive.
On the currents against Japan-China friendship, Fuwa said that in connection with the first principle such currents stem from certain trends in Japan's government parties which have not reflected on the war of aggression. In connection with the second principle on the "one-China" policy, the root of the problem is on the U.S. side. Ostensibly the United States stands for the "one-China" policy, but it actually has the Taiwan Relations Act and pursues a strategy of intervention, and the forces for such intervention are deployed in Japan and during the Taiwan crisis a couple of years ago, they took action from Yokosuka. Citing these facts, Fuwa said, "Whether President Clinton's `one-China' policy is sincere or not will be judged by the U.S. government's supralegal pressure on Japan in connection with the new "Guidelines for Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation."
On eliminating nuclear weapons The second question is about nuclear weapons. Fuwa said, "As the communist party of the atom-bombed country, the JCP gives great importance to the question of getting nuclear weapons eliminated," and added that when India and Pakistan carried out nuclear tests, the JCP protested to both countries and sent letters to the leaders of the five nuclear weapons possessing countries. He said he was aware of the resolute position that China had taken, among the nuclear weapons possessing countries, on the elimination of nuclear weapons and on the question of the first use of nuclear weapons. Quoting from his letter, Fuwa said, "To get a breakthrough in the present situation on nuclear weapons, it is necessary for some of the nuclear weapons possessing countries to take the initiative, and China is in the position of being able to take such an initiative. We hope that China will siege on an opportunity to play its role."
To this Jiang Zemin said he understood that Japan as an atom-bombed country gave importance to the nuclear weapons question. He said China is a nuclear weapons possessing country but its nuclear weapons are very limited in number, and from the outset China expressed its position as being for the elimination of nuclear weapons and against the first use of nuclear weapons. He said China is opposed to nuclear tests.
Fuwa in his second statement pointed out that both sides are in agreement on the aim of getting nuclear weapons eliminated. And on this basis it was necessary for an initiative to come from nuclear weapons possessing countries. He again asked China to "play a positive role in good time," making the best judgment of the circumstances and timing.
On the problem of non-alignment The third is the problem of non-alignment. Fuwa pointed out that 20 of the 23 countries in Asia have joined the Conference of Non- Aligned Nations, and that China also takes part in it as an observer, which leaves only Japan and South Korea which have not joined. He said that "characteristic of the Asian situation" is that, in the major development towards non-alignment, "the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and the Republic of Korea-U.S. alliance are the thorns in its side," and that the JCP is giving attention to China's recent foreign relations with the United States, Russia, France and other countries, characterizing them as "constructive and strategic partnership," and as explained not a partnership based on military alliance but a partnership based on good neighborly relations of a non-aligned type from which it is not intended to confront any third country. Fuwa pointed out that this is on "common ground with the non-aligned movement." In this regard, Fuwa said, "This will be a task in connection with Japan's future course and also for peace and stability in Asia in the 21st Century."
Responding to this, Jiang Zemin on the new "partnership" with the United States and other countries, stressed that "the partnership is for good neighborly relations and friendship, and is not an exclusive one."
When looking at the 32 years of interrupted JCP-CPC relations, Jiang Zemin gave a detailed explanation of "socialism with Chinese characteristics." In the last part of his speech, Jiang Zemin said, "I would like to get your view on the question of the world communist movement since the end of the Cold War, Chair Fuwa." After giving his own ideas on five points, Jiang Zemin asked for Fuwa's answer.
On the communist movement in the world Fuwa devoted a big part of his second speech to this problem. First, on the problem of how to view the dissolved Soviet Union, Fuwa explained the JCP conclusion on this as was set out in the JCP 20th Congress. He then put forward the view based on the international appeal issued by the JCP following the disbanding of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, as follows: (1) It is necessary to be free of any influence of Soviet great-power chauvinism and the thinking of taking the Soviet Union as a model; (2) It is important to make efforts to apply scientific socialism to each country independently, and set out a course which suits the particular conditions in each country; (3) It is necessary to take a definite attitude of rejecting the "long live capitalism" argument. The contradictions and bankrupt state of world capitalism have deepened since then, but there are many who have lost the ideals of revolution and socialism because of the influence of the "long live capitalism" argument, Fuwa said.
Fuwa went on to say that in some countries there are some positive developments, but on the whole the situation has not matured in this direction. With regard to international exchanges, the JCP attaches importance to the exchange of experiences and theoretical exchanges between two parties, and in JCP-CPC relations this question will also be included in future exchanges, he said.
Jiang Zemin concluded his speech by saying "Arigato" (Thank you in Japanese), and the summit talks ended in a friendly atmosphere.
Besides Tetsuzo Fuwa, Japanese Communist Party Presidium chair, the following attended the talks from the JCP: Kazuo Shii, Secretariat head; Tadayoshi Ichida, member of the Standing Presidium and Secretariat vice head; Tomio Yamaguchi, member of the Presidium and Secretariat; Hikaru Nishiguchi, member of the Secretariat and head of the International Department; Yoshiro Shimazu, member of the Central Committee and Press Service Department head, and others.
Besides Jiang Zemin, Communist Party of China general secretary, the following attended the talks from the CPC: Dai Bingguo, member of the Central Committee and head of the International Department; Tang Jiaxuan, foreign minister; Li Chengren, deputy head of the International Department; Liu Hongcai, deputy director general of the International Department; Qiu Yuanping, deputy director of the Central Policy Research Center, and others. (end)
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