Monthly Archives: October 2010

Exclusive Interview with Professor Yamazaki Ryuichiro

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Beijing taking the place of Tokyo as a centre of American Asia Pacific strategy is, in part, mass media sensationalism.

Professor YAMAZAKI Ryuichiro

Introduction:

Visiting Professor, APU

Ambassador & Deputy Permanent Representative to United Nations (1999)

Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry and of Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori (2000)

Ambassador to Vietnam (2001)

Ambassador & Chief Negotiator for WTO (02)

Ambassador to Philippines (04-07)

1. What is the main agenda of Obama’s visit?

President Obama was attending APEC Summit in Singapore on 14th November, and it was quite obvious that he would visit Japan, Korea and China on this trip because these three countries are the key regional players. The main agenda in Tokyo was to discuss several bilateral issues as well as to address global issues of mutual concern such as the world economy and climate change.

1. Unlike Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, why did President choose Japan as his  first destination in Asia?

Japan is a long-standing ally of the US, sharing many political and economic values, and our bilateral relations are under-pinned by the Japan-US security alliance. While in Tokyo, President Obama delivered a major Asia policy speech. His schedule in Tokyo manifests the importance that President Obama and his Administration place upon the crucial relations with Japan. Even in the present age of globalization, Japan still is the gateway to Asia for the US..

2. Just last month, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates shut the door of negotiation on relocating US military base in Okinawa. But during his recent visit, Obama seemed to have reopened that door. Why has the change come so suddenly?

Okinawa base issue was not the main topic of President Obama’s visit. The two leaders did agree to continue discussions on this issue at Ministerial level.

3. Prime Minister Hatoyama has been talking a lot about ‘equal partnership’. What does he specifically mean by that?

Actually, ‘Equal Partnership’ is not a new concept, and President Obama himself has endorsed such relationship since taking office. The word “Partnership” itself indicates a relationship between equals. And it is clear that US and Japan, being the first and second largest economies in the world, equal partnership is a dynamic concept that not only benefits both countries, but also benefits  the rest of Asia and ultimately the world.

4. Why is Premier Hatoyama calling for a greater East Asia Community? Does that not strain its relationship with US?

PM Hatoyama wants to bring out every potential of Japan, China and Korea to help solve the present global economic crisis, and especially in Asia by tapping the potentiality of the other dynamic economies in Asia-Pacific. An open institution in the form of an “East Asia Community” would serve such purpose. This kind of institution building would not pose any problems to Japan’s relationship with US because the results of such efforts would also benefit the US. In fact, by creating an East Asia Community sometime in the future, I think the region would ultimately open up itself more to the rest of the world, especially to the US.

5. Lastly, with China’s rise as a major economic and military power, do you think that China is more important for US today than Japan?

China has always been an important neighbor for Japan, and comparing Japan and China  vis-à-vis American importance is not a constructive approach. The notion of Beijing taking the place of Tokyo as the centre of American Asia Pacific strategy is, in part, mass media’s sensationalism.

The fact is that China is important to both US and Japan, while Japan is also important to both US and China., The overall relationship among our three countries is already so deep and interconnected, in this age of globalization, that there are plenty of opportunities to make it a win-win situation for all three, while being careful to take into consideration the benefits of 

countries other than these three, especially in the Asian region.

*By Iqra Anugrah, published in The APU Times, 3 December 2009

http://aputimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=174:interview-professor-yamazaki-ryuichiro-&catid=1:academic-news&Itemid=187&lang=en

Commemorating the Fall of Berlin Wall: a Tribute to Humanity

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Commemorating the fall of Berlin Wall: a Tribute to Humanity

By Iqra Anugrah, APS3

In the middle of 20th century, world witnessed the end of the Second World War. This catastrophe of civilization, however, did not end at that point. The winners of the war, namely the Western bloc led by the US and the Communist bloc led by the USSR, started to dismantle the power of the loser, Germany. The West initially proposed liberal democracy and market economy as a model for the newly reconstructed Germany, something that the USSR rejected. As a consequence of this policy, the Soviet Union initiated the declaration of Soviet-style republic in the Eastern part of Germany, to challenge the existence of West Germany. The construction of the Berlin Wall later started in 1961, in order to prevent emigration from the East and Western influence in Soviet-occupied areas.

Twenty years ago, in 1989, no one would imagine how the Berlin Wall could fall. At that time, socialism was tried to be implemented in East Germany. In the so-called Democratic Republic, the state provided everything. East Germany guaranteed free healthcare for everyone, free education until university level and the participation level of women in politics. Those things looked like an earthly heaven, but what went wrong?

In this “People’s Republic”, people could not elect their own leaders. Some party bureaucrats from the undemocratic Socialist Unity Party, SED, claimed to represent them. They also could not travel freely to foreign countries, especially those countries which were labeled as “capitalist”.

In Leipzig, twenty years ago, people started to gather at the historical St. Nicholas’ Church. At that time, it was prohibited for East German citizens to gather for political activities. The only thing the East German authority did not know was that Church was the only place for people to voice their aspirations.  People came and as the time goes by, more and more people attended the service. Slowly but sure, the voice of struggle started to reach out.

When the authority heard the news, they were not happy about it at all. They tried to arreste some people. But the spirit never dies and the movement still kept on going. Every Monday, after the regular prayer, people gathered for the demonstrations. The Montagsdemo, Monday demonstration began with few people, until 70,000 out of 500,000 citizens of Leipzig came to the street, driven by their consciousness and made the demonstrations noted as one of the most peaceful revolutions in the world. People were holding candles, a symbol of resistance and non-violence. Facing fully-armed security forces, the demonstrators shouted the most powerful chant, Wir sind das Volk!-“We are the people”, a statement for people’s sovereignty. They challenged the legitimacy of the authoritarian GDR regime and asked for more openness and freedom in the country.

The demonstrations spread to many other places as well, including Berlin. Series of peaceful demonstrations finally led to the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989 and the fall of East German socialist state, which later triggered the fall of communist bloc in Europe.

Twenty years later a lot of people gathered again at St. Nicholas’ Church, prepared for another demonstration. In the past, people united for fight against the authoritarian nature of the communist rule. Now they unite again, struggling against the injustice of social security cuts, market fundamentalism and war, as a tribute of humanity.

*Published at The APU Times, November 2009