January 2005
2004, like the year before, was a tumultuous year for Japan-China relations. Various incidents heightened tensions, beginning with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine and the ensuing Chinese backlash, from the dispute over natural gas development in the East China Sea to anti-Japanese sentiments over soccer's Asian Cup in China. Ever since North Korean escapees rushed the Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang in 2002, a pattern of 'media coverage of an international incident resulting in heightened animosities on both sides' is becoming prevalent.
The “Japan China Communication (JCC) Workshop” comprised of scholars and journalists from both countries held a symposium in Tokyo on November 20 and 21 of 2004 to further understanding between Japan and China (Picture 1). In this article, we analyze the media coverage portion of the symposium, featuring reports and debates. It became clear through the symposium that the China's “nationalist education” had only limited effect on anti-Japanese sentiments, contrary to popular belief in Japan. Chinese society is starting to open up and is moving towards democratization, but the government still clamps down on political dissidence and various forms of expression. Anti-Japanese sentiments are being used by various websites and commercial media to vent the peoples' frustrations, and the “Yasukuni problem” fuels such fire. A lot of the anti-Japanese sentiments disseminating over the Internet are based on factual misrepresentations, so interaction between the two countries, especially media interaction is extremely important. Above all, in the long-term, it will become necessary for China to promote political reforms and for Japan to support them. Also, it is a mistake to assume the two countries share the same values just because they are neighboring countries across the water and close in race, sharing Chinese characters. Cultural differences exist, so it is imperative that the two countries respect the other's culture and practices, especially the media.