[list_indonesia] [ppiindia] China must find `seeds of peace' with Japan

** Mailing-List Indonesia Nasional Milis PPI-India www.ppi-india.da.ru **

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200504150143.html

China must find `seeds of peace' with Japan
04/15/2005



      The late Chinese Premier Chou En-lai was 19 years old when he left China 
in the autumn of 1917 to study in Japan. A poem he composed at the time says: 
"Singing no more on the banks of the Yangtze/ I made up my mind to head east 
for Japan." 

      He took the entrance exam for Tokyo Koto Shihan Gakko (advanced teacher 
training school) the following spring, but failed. To cheer himself up, he 
visited Hibiya Park in central Tokyo, where he was deeply moved by the sight of 
two grade-school girls planting flowers and playing. According to "Shu Onrai 
19-Sai no Tokyo Nikki" (Chou En-lai: A 19-year-old's Tokyo diary), a paperback 
from Shogakukan, he said: "People in China always call Japan a `trashy nation.' 
But when you really think about it, how could you ever say that of Japan?" 

      The Japan he came to know was a far cry from what he had heard back home. 
This discovery at an impressionable age must have left a lasting impact on 
Chou. 

      Anti-Japanese demonstrations are spreading in China, accompanied by 
criminal acts of violence-throwing stones at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, 
vandalizing Japanese restaurants and injuring Japanese. The fact that Chinese 
law enforcement authorities have done nothing to punish the offenders raises 
suspicions about the government's possible complicity in this eruption of 
anti-Japanese sentiment. 

      And the angry mob is obviously not acting on any accurate information 
about Japan, either. 

      According to "Shinpen Shu Onrai Goroku" (The analects of Chou En-lai: new 
edition) published by Akimoto Shobo, the Chinese premier said nearly 20 years 
before China's relations with Japan were normalized: "In the last 60 years, 
Sino-Japanese relations have not been good. But this is already past history, 
and we must regard it so ... . We must not let our children and grandchildren 
be influenced by this history." 

      In refusing to dwell on the negative and opening up to the negotiating 
partner, Chou demonstrated the broad-mindedness and finesse of a seasoned 
politician. 

      He went on: "We must find the seeds of peace within ourselves. And I 
believe such seeds do exist." 

      These words ought to be pondered anew, not only by the agitated Chinese, 
but also by us Japanese who are one part of Chou's "we." 

      --The Asahi Shimbun, April 14(IHT/Asahi: April 15,2005) 

     



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Give the gift of life to a sick child. 
Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 'Thanks & Giving.'
http://us.click.yahoo.com/lGEjbB/6WnJAA/E2hLAA/BRUplB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

***************************************************************************
Berdikusi dg Santun & Elegan, dg Semangat Persahabatan. Menuju Indonesia yg 
Lebih Baik, in Commonality & Shared Destiny. www.ppi-india.org
***************************************************************************
__________________________________________________________________________
Mohon Perhatian:

1. Harap tdk. memposting/reply yg menyinggung SARA (kecuali sbg otokritik)
2. Pesan yg akan direply harap dihapus, kecuali yg akan dikomentari.
3. Lihat arsip sebelumnya, www.ppi-india.da.ru; 
4. Satu email perhari: ppiindia-digest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
5. No-email/web only: ppiindia-nomail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
6. kembali menerima email: ppiindia-normal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ppiindia/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    ppiindia-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 



** Mailing-List Indonesia Nasional Milis PPI-India www.ppi-india.uni.cc **

Other related posts: