Mon, June 11, 2012
By Sina English
Six Japanese lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties viewed the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea on Sunday, ahead of a parliamentary hearing on Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara's plan for the metropolitan government to purchase the islands, now in the possessions of private owners, but China strongly opposes claiming the Diaoyu Islands has been indisputable part within its territory.
The lawmakers took part in a tour organized by a private group and local fishermen with around 120 participants on 14 boats, including Tokyo metropolitan assembly members, officials of the city of Ishigaki, which has administrative jurisdiction over the islands, and reporters.
The lawmakers included Yoichiro Morioka from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, who serves as an executive of the House of Representatives Committee on Audit and Oversight of Administration, which has summoned Ishihara and Ishigaki Mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama to appear on Monday.
The poor show by the right-wing politicians, combined with the blunt denial of Nanking Massacre and distortion of historical recount, will put sand in the wheels of Sino-Japanese relations in a year when the two countries are greeting the 40th anniversary for the normalization of bilateral ties.
Given that China has replaced the U.S. jumping to be the first trading partner of Japan, the Japanese right wingers should pause to think carefully, what is the win-win deal and what is really in the interest of the Japanese people?
