Japan’s diplomatic issues in Asia

TOKYO: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to become the first Japanese leader to address a joint session of the US Congress when he visits Washington in April.

Here are some key questions and answers about the former US enemy-turned-ally, which, 70 years after its defeat, still has difficulties in its relations with China and South Korea in a region heavily coloured by unresolved history.

Question: What is Japan’s official position on its wartime history? Has it ever apologised?

Answer: The Japanese government has officially apologised for “its colonial rule and aggression” in the years through the end of the war, as spelled out in a 1995 prime ministerial statement.

An earlier statement issued in 1993 specifically accepted culpability for the military’s formalised system of sex slavery.

At this time, a f und was established to provide financial compensation to so-called ‘comfort women’ and Japan says dozens of them received a payout.

Question: What criticisms does Tokyo face over its stance?

Answer: Japan’s repeated apologies over the war have fallen short of satisfying China and the two Koreas, which bore the brunt of Japanese violence and say that Tokyo has not atoned enough.

They also complain about routine visits by senior politicians to the Yasukuni Shrine, a place that honours fallen soldiers, including several men convicted of serious war crimes by the postWorld War II Tokyo Tribunal.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, deputy prime minister Taro Aso and other incumbent ministers have passionately defended their visits and insist they are merely paying tribute to those who fought for their country. — AFP