c.Media: China-Japan Relations
A Brief Introduction of China-Japan Relations
Separated by a narrow channel, ancient China had impacted Japan on politics, economy and culture, as the influence that Japan left on Chinese modernize. These two countries used to be communicative. Chinese empire sent out labor, grain and literature works to Japan in Qin Dynasty. While during Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, Japanese empire had task so-called ambassadors to China, studying Chinese culture and political systems. However, with the decline of Tang Dynasty, Japanese empire stopped the official communicate. Nevertheless, the non-governmental trade still keeps being continual. In AD 663, the Battle of Baekgang took place, which is recorded as the very first conflict between China and Japan. Afterward, more than four main wars happened between China and Japan, while the Rape of Nanjing is considered as the most known one. It is a time that no one can ever forget in China.
On December 13th, 1937, the Japanese Imperial Army invaded Nanjing City which used to be the capital of Republic of China, and adjacent areas. During the following six weeks capture of Nanjing, the army committed such atrocities as looting, arson, executing not only prisoners but also innocent civilians, raping female aging from six till sixty or more. As the Nanjing Military Tribunal’s figure shows, more than 300,000 people were killed during the war. As many as 20,000 women were raped in a month. As large as 1/3 land turned into nothing. This awesome statistical figure is widely accepted in China. However, Japanese people hold a different view on the same thing, especially the Righty. They consider the Rape of Nanjing is over exaggerated, and some even regard it as an anti-Japan diplomatic tool. The possible number of killed people ranges from several hundred to two hundred thousand. There is another group of people deny the Rape of Nanjing’s existence. But how come people have such different ideas about the same thing? It is the problem of the Japanese history textbook, which is one of the main controversies between China and Japan. In spite of denying the commit in China, Korea and other parts of Southeast Asia in the textbook, they also avoid or conceal morality and justice evaluation and self-examination. Under such a complicated situation, Japanese Prime Ministers continued visiting Yasukuni Shrine where in memory of the past militarism and most of whom was Class-A war criminals.
The denying of the Rape of Nanjing, the problem of Japanese history textbook and the visiting of Yasukuni Shrine are the three main contradiction between Japan and China as well as some other invaded Asian countries. The relationship between such countries came to a dilemma where people hold strong bias.
DEFAME – Bias Originate From History
On one side, Chinese media emphasize more on the history that Japanese hardly admit. As far as Japanese distorts the aggression war as a war for justice, local Chinese people take more negative views to Japan. Chinese acclaim that China-Japan relationship is based on the friendly principle. However, the result does not turn out as good as expected.
Here are the examples of negative news:
w The possession of Ryukyu Islands together with Dividing line of East China Sea by Japan and the problems of Diaoyu IslandTaiwan and the First Archipelago of West Pacific arose by Japan has caused a great damage to the benefit of China.
w Opposing Japan’s bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council
As for the economical cooperation and the financial aid that Japanese government provide, however, these kind of news show up relatively less frequently. Especially after
On the other side, Japanese newspapers, press and other media give Chinese a strong strike. It’s never difficult to find news like “Chinese people committed in Japan”, “ Chinese Tourists are Noisy and Dirty” and “China-threat Theory”. Such negative information seems to create a tense atmosphere of exclusion view to China. Take the Anti-Japan Parade in 2005 as an example, some TV company plays the video over and over again on the screen to attract audience without malicious, labeling themselves not to hurt China’s impression by purpose.
Communication and Cooperation
Communication and cooperation will strengthen the trust and understanding among people as long as the media take a comprehensive, objective, responsible and truly stand to report bilateral relations affair. Correctly grasp the development tendency of bilateral relations and the mainstream, and actively promote the Sino-Japanese mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, multiple reports will help strengthen the Sino-Japanese cooperation in the field of the message, to provide them will help promote the bilateral strategic reciprocal the relationship between information. Continuing the “Beijing – Tokyo Forum” and carrying out the “Sino-Japanese dialogue media” create conditions which is conducive to frank, deep and rational conversation.
Look into the Future
A “forth” joint statement[10] by President Hu and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda read:
“The two sides resolved to face history squarely, advance toward the future, and endeavor with persistence to create a new era of a “mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests” between Japan and China. They announced that they would align Japan-China relations with the trends of international community and together forge a bright future for the Asia-Pacific region and the world while deepening mutual understanding, building mutual trust, and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between their nations in an ongoing fashion into the future”.
In October 2008, Japanese Prime Minister Aso Taro visited Beijing for celebrating the 30th anniversary of the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and the People’s Republic of China. At the reception, he remarked on his “personal conviction regarding Japan-China relations” [11]:
“We should not constrain ourselves in the name of friendship between Japan and China. Rather, sound competition and active cooperation will constitute a true “mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests.” Confucius said, “At thirty, I stood firm.” In the same way, Japan and China must now stand atop the international stage and work to spread to the rest of the world this spirit of benefiting together”
China-Related Reports’ Tendency and Length Analysis
| TOPIC | POSITIVE | NEGATIVE | ||
| REPORT SPACE | COLUMN/FULL POSITION | SUM:63 | 39 | 23 |
| PER.% | 17.4 | 56.1 | ||
| FEATURE/
HIGHLIGHT |
SUM:51 | 39 | 11 | |
| PER.% | 17.4 | 26.8 | ||
| CLIPPING/BRIEF/
BULLETIN |
SUM:155 | 146 | 7 | |
| PER.% | 65.2 | 17.1 | ||
| TOTAL | SUM：269 | 224 | 41 | |
Leave a Reply
Trackback this post | Subscribe to comments via RSS Feed
