Full text of Wen Jiabao's speech to Japan's Diet

The Chinese Premier Wen has been in Japan for a 3-day visit. It seems that his trademark smiling face has made some positive effects to ordinary Japanese and, in a way, promoted Sino-Japanese friendship during his "ice-melting" journey. The following link goes to his speech to Japan's Diet (Japanese legislation institution, i.e. parliament), and I found it interesting to share with my blog readers.

Several points to draw attention:

1. Premier Wen, as most of Chinese leaders or politicians visiting Japan in the past, first traced the majour full-dimentional influences and contributions of the Chinese culture to the Japanese development and the intensive exchanges between the both sides in the progress of time in the past.


2. Despite of the fact that the two countries have been close FRIENDS for a long period of time, it is not to neglect that the militarist agression launched by Japan to China in the WWII has done a huge damage to people of both nations and has hurt tremendousely the prosperity of both countries.


3. While taking lessons from the contemporary history, a forward-looking perspective and even closer cooperation in regional and international development issues shall serve the best interest of the two sides, let along existing differences.


4. Skipping all sensitive issues, i.e. wartime atrocities, textbooks revision, Yasukuni Jinjya tribute etc, Premier Wen stressed on China's position in the Taiwan issue. Which is quite remarkable, as Taiwan is currently only recognised by 24 states in the world*.


Full text of Wen Jiabao's speech to Japan's Diet

*NOTE:
Some friends unfamiliar with Chinese history and politics have always been asking me the same questions:
What is the relationship between Taiwan and China? Isn't Taiwan an independant country already? Why does China make a fuss on Taiwan's independance if it exerts anyway all the rights of an independant state can have?

My brief answer is as follows: it's all about GEO-POLITICS.

It's undeniable that Taiwan has been a part of China for a long period of time in the history. It's also crystal clear that the mainstream culture until 1 decade or so in Taiwan was more or less a "great Chinese culture", i.e. Han ethnic culture. The only official language in Taiwan was Madarin Chinese, as the same as in China, despite that the written form is "traditional" in Taiwan, different from the simplified characters used in China. The life philisophy and social norm owe their origin to Confucianism. The 2 most popular religions are the Chinese Budhism and the Taoism, a Chinese folklore religion characterised by traditional Chinese dieties etc.

With a politically propagated "creation" of Taiwanese identity, launched by the current governing party in Taiwan (Democratic Progress Party), many substansive changes have been undergoing in the last 10 years. For instance, the official languages in Taiwan now are listed as 3 - Madarin, Taiwanese (a Chinese dialect which is originally spoken in the Fujian Province in the south east China, and the emmigrants from this province has brought the dialect to Taiwan in the 18th century.), and Hakka (another Chinese dialect spoken in the east of Quangdon province in China). The history studied at school focuses itself on the Taiwan's local development, starting more or less from the 18th century, rather than a pan Chinese cultural perspective.

In fact, Taiwan HAS BEEN an INDEPENDANT country since Jiang Kai-Shek led Koumingtan Party (the Nationalist) withdrew from mainland China after being defeated by the Communist. Taiwan's government was recognised as the official CHINA and had a seat in UN until 1971. With 24 states recognition, Taiwan is nevertheless a fully indepedant political entity no matter how few international organisations recognise it and what China defines it.

Furthermore, the Chinese concern about Taiwan should be studied in a "greater picture". Taiwan, with little resources and dependant fully on trade, has actually very limited economic value for a vast China. In addition, a huge proportion of Taiwanese investment and HR have been drawn to the vigorous economic development in China in recent years, and the island is at a risk of bleeding out. Now we have to ask the question: why can't China just let Taiwan do what it wants?

The reason is actually simple. What China fears is not the independance of Taiwan, but the domino's effect it would inflick in China's troubled regions, such as Tibet, New Territory and maybe Inner Mongolia as well. China cannot risk to lose its control in these politically, strategically and economically important areas. Moreover, the Chinese histroy has demonstrated that any leader giving away a part of China's territoy will be condemned by its people generation after generation throughout the history. That is too much of a burden for any Chinese leader, I suppose.