China G8 rejection seen slap at Japan PM diplomacy By Teruaki Ueno TOKYO, Feb 23 (Reuters) - China's rebuff of Japan's suggestion it take part in next July's Group of Eight (G8) summit may indicate growing diplomatic rivalry between Asia's wealthiest nation and its largest, analysts said on Wednesday. By refusing to sit with G8 leaders, Beijing was showing its determination to keep Tokyo from playing a dominant diplomatic role in the region, they said. "The refusal to participate in the summit is China's firm expression that it will never let Japan play a dominant role in Asia and elsewhere," said Nozomu Akizuki, professor of Asian diplomacy at Tokyo's Meiji Gakuin University. "China regards Japan as its main rival in Asia," he said. "The Chinese are beginning to hold that view even more strongly than before." China Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao confirmed on Tuesday that Beijing had no intention of joining the summit of the world's seven rich nations and Russia to be held in July on Japan's southern island of Okinawa. Beijing's rejection, even before an official invitation had been tendered, to tentative suggestions it attend the meeting was a slap in the face both to Japan's diplomatic ambitions and to Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi who has been closely identified with the idea. Seeking to match its economic clout with diplomatic prowess, Japan has tried for years with limited success to broaden its leadership in an Asian region that was a victim of Tokyo's military aggression in World War Two. MILITARY PAST WEIGHS ON JAPAN China, which suffered from Japan's military aggression in 1937-1945, says the wartime past cannot be forgotten, and Japanese nationalists persist in periodically providing them with fuel for fury by trying to play down the atrocities. Analysts said it was always unlikely that China would attend the G8 because its communist leaders -- keenly aware of China's 19th century humiliations at foreign hands -- are unwilling to take part in international meetings except on an equal footing. Any suggestion that Tokyo was speaking on Beijing's behalf would only raise hackles as China's growing economic strength underlines its emerging position as one of Asia's major powers, gaining slowly but steadily on Japan, they said. Both Japan and China, however, could end up the losers in the regional rivalry since other Asian countries such as South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam are hardly happy over the struggle between the two powers for domination. As the rivalry heats up, most Asian countries could distance themselves from both Japan and China and instead shift their allegiance more to the United States, said Terumasa Nakanishi, a professor of international diplomacy at Kyoto University. OBUCHI HURT BY SUMMIT AMBITIONS Some Japanese lawmakers and Okinawa's governor have come out in favour of China taking part in the summit in some form. But pundits said Obuchi's own hopes of making the summit a high-profile success by getting Beijing to attend were at fault. "It was clearly Prime Minister Obuchi's blunder," said Nakanishi. "This represents a total lack of diplomatic sense on the part of his government." Stressing that Japan is the G8's only Asian member, Obuchi has repeatedly said he would solicit the views of Asian countries including China and reflect their views at the summit, set to bring together leaders from the United States, Japan, France, Germany, Britain, Canada, Italy and Russia. Perhaps putting the best face on the rejection, Japan's top government spokesman said on Wednesday that Tokyo has not completely given up. "We must think of whether or not to formally discuss with China after hearing the opinions of major countries and Asian nations," Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki told a news conference. © copyright 2000 Reuters, Ltd.

-- Possible Impact (posim@hotmail.com), February 23, 2000

Answers

Ya know,

I don't consider myself a big fan of China, but I can't say I blame them on this one.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), February 23, 2000.

Frank,
A real big problem that most americans don't know about - the major asian groups all believe that others are sub-human. This is fading a bit in recent years, but still a dark undercurrent in regional politics. The rest of the world is not immune to similar feelings, EU politics will get "sticky" with further Eastern expansion.

-- Possible Impact (posim@hotmail.com), February 23, 2000.

China's intransigence would indicate that they intend to pursue a different strategy other than cooperation with the G8. China clearly has their own agenda and team work (as in New World Order) is not in their play book.

This is a clue of their intentions as in NOT to co-operate with G8.

Another analytical tool is to study their capabilities. China has been upgrading their military and proliferating weapon systems faster than any other power.

So we have Intent = non-co-operation w/G8 and Capability = increased military strength. A thread on this forum postulated China would be a world class superpower by 2030, this might indicate China has an accelerated schedule.

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), February 23, 2000.