ID :
96731
Fri, 12/25/2009 - 11:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/96731
The shortlink copeid
Japan-China joint history research highlights gap in views+
TOKYO, Dec. 24 Kyodo -
History scholars from Japan and China agreed there is a need to conduct further
joint research to promote mutual understanding after wrapping up a three-year
study on Thursday that highlighted differences in their views of wartime and
postwar history.
They plan to release the content of their final report within a month, but
decided to postpone the announcement of the postwar section because China was
wary about the impact the report could have on ordinary citizens, they said.
The report would consist of papers submitted by both sides, and they noted it
would ''not be a common view that is agreed between the two sides, but the
views of the writers.''
On the number of victims of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, which is often disputed
between the two countries, the panelists revealed their rift during a press
conference held the same day after they met for the fourth time to discuss
their research.
But they also stressed the significance of their study, with Shinichi Kitaoka,
a University of Tokyo professor who heads the Japanese research team, saying,
''It was big progress to become able to understand that your partner has
different opinions.''
''We have seen a certain amount of progress...and we feel that there is a
meaning in conducting a second term of this kind of study,'' Kitaoka told the
press conference, which was also attended by Bu Ping, director of the Institute
of Modern History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and head of the
Chinese research team.
When the second term will start will be up to the governments and the people
who will be involved, according to Kitaoka.
The study started in late 2006, based on an agreement between then Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
During the study, Kitaoka said the participants faced difficulties ''on matters
that are directly linked to our time'' and that ''quite a large gap exists
between Japan and China on assessments'' such as over the Cold War era and the
1950-1953 Korean War. But he did not elaborate.
Among issues related to postwar history, the focus was the bloody 1989
Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. Chinese leaders have
justified the use of military force against the demonstrators.
Differences of viewpoint between the two countries over wartime history were
also revealed during the press conference when a reporter asked how they
addressed the Nanjing Massacre in their study.
Bu, as his personal view, said that it is ''correct to refer to the records of
the postwar Nanjing military tribunal and the Tokyo war crimes tribunal'' that
state the number of victims as more than 300,000 or more than 200,000.
But Kitaoka responded that ''there is a need to question the credibility'' of
such trial records, while noting that the panelists did not go so far as to
discuss such matters during their study.
A number of Japanese researchers consider the death toll to be between 100,000
and 200,000.
Kitaoka noted, however, that the two sides have agreed the massacre occurred
and that the Japanese scholars admitted it was ''basically caused'' by the
Japanese.
As for the reason for postponing the announcement of the postwar history
section of the report, Bu said, ''We must consider the impact on (Chinese)
people.''
His remarks indicated that the Japanese arguments in the report, if announced,
could trigger strong opposition from the Chinese side.
Ties between China and Japan have improved in recent years after souring due to
former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the war-related
Yasukuni Shrine during his tenure from April 2001 to September 2006.
But differences over interpretations of history still linger as potential
problems.
The panel began with a total of 10 researchers and scholars from both
countries, with the plan to report its findings by the end of 2008, the 30th
anniversary of the bilateral peace treaty.
But the release of the report has been postponed several times. In late August,
the Japanese Foreign Ministry announced that the panel meeting would be held in
September to summarize the study. But China asked for a postponement, citing
''technical reasons.''
Following Thursday's meeting, the panelists released the outline of their
report, which included descriptions about how the study proceeded.
Referring to Japan's wartime aggression in China, the outline of the modern and
contemporary history section said that ''quite a large difficulty exists
between the people of Japan and China to mutually understand each other on the
issues of the nature of the war and war responsibility.''
==Kyodo
History scholars from Japan and China agreed there is a need to conduct further
joint research to promote mutual understanding after wrapping up a three-year
study on Thursday that highlighted differences in their views of wartime and
postwar history.
They plan to release the content of their final report within a month, but
decided to postpone the announcement of the postwar section because China was
wary about the impact the report could have on ordinary citizens, they said.
The report would consist of papers submitted by both sides, and they noted it
would ''not be a common view that is agreed between the two sides, but the
views of the writers.''
On the number of victims of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, which is often disputed
between the two countries, the panelists revealed their rift during a press
conference held the same day after they met for the fourth time to discuss
their research.
But they also stressed the significance of their study, with Shinichi Kitaoka,
a University of Tokyo professor who heads the Japanese research team, saying,
''It was big progress to become able to understand that your partner has
different opinions.''
''We have seen a certain amount of progress...and we feel that there is a
meaning in conducting a second term of this kind of study,'' Kitaoka told the
press conference, which was also attended by Bu Ping, director of the Institute
of Modern History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and head of the
Chinese research team.
When the second term will start will be up to the governments and the people
who will be involved, according to Kitaoka.
The study started in late 2006, based on an agreement between then Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
During the study, Kitaoka said the participants faced difficulties ''on matters
that are directly linked to our time'' and that ''quite a large gap exists
between Japan and China on assessments'' such as over the Cold War era and the
1950-1953 Korean War. But he did not elaborate.
Among issues related to postwar history, the focus was the bloody 1989
Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. Chinese leaders have
justified the use of military force against the demonstrators.
Differences of viewpoint between the two countries over wartime history were
also revealed during the press conference when a reporter asked how they
addressed the Nanjing Massacre in their study.
Bu, as his personal view, said that it is ''correct to refer to the records of
the postwar Nanjing military tribunal and the Tokyo war crimes tribunal'' that
state the number of victims as more than 300,000 or more than 200,000.
But Kitaoka responded that ''there is a need to question the credibility'' of
such trial records, while noting that the panelists did not go so far as to
discuss such matters during their study.
A number of Japanese researchers consider the death toll to be between 100,000
and 200,000.
Kitaoka noted, however, that the two sides have agreed the massacre occurred
and that the Japanese scholars admitted it was ''basically caused'' by the
Japanese.
As for the reason for postponing the announcement of the postwar history
section of the report, Bu said, ''We must consider the impact on (Chinese)
people.''
His remarks indicated that the Japanese arguments in the report, if announced,
could trigger strong opposition from the Chinese side.
Ties between China and Japan have improved in recent years after souring due to
former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the war-related
Yasukuni Shrine during his tenure from April 2001 to September 2006.
But differences over interpretations of history still linger as potential
problems.
The panel began with a total of 10 researchers and scholars from both
countries, with the plan to report its findings by the end of 2008, the 30th
anniversary of the bilateral peace treaty.
But the release of the report has been postponed several times. In late August,
the Japanese Foreign Ministry announced that the panel meeting would be held in
September to summarize the study. But China asked for a postponement, citing
''technical reasons.''
Following Thursday's meeting, the panelists released the outline of their
report, which included descriptions about how the study proceeded.
Referring to Japan's wartime aggression in China, the outline of the modern and
contemporary history section said that ''quite a large difficulty exists
between the people of Japan and China to mutually understand each other on the
issues of the nature of the war and war responsibility.''
==Kyodo
