Monday, June 02, 2008

• Tokyo and Beijing and the Search for 'Normalcy'

  
  
  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/31/world/asia/31japan.html?ex=1369972800&en=734c0ecf23240583&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
  
  Interesting article in today's WSJ and NYTimes today.  China called upon Japan to airlift blankets and tents to earthquake riddled Sichuan provence. 
  
  Tokyo's bright idea - "Let's airlift them with a bunch of Japanese military planes!"
  Beijing actually acquiesced until today, when they went "Dude!  Did you forget about WWII?"
  
  So, long story short - Japan is now going to send aid using chartered civilian aircrafts instead.  An interesting situation because there are two ways you can look at it: 
  

  1. The Japanese are insensitive for wanting to help China out using a bunch of airplanes reminiscent of the ones that it used against them 70 years ago. 
  2. The Chinese are stubborn for holding a 70 year grudge considering the magnitude of the situation and Japan's good intentions

  both views are correct and it just goes to show that Beijing and Tokyo still have a long way to go before there's a sense of 'normalcy' between the two capitals.  Giving aid to a earthquake torn region should not be a diplomatic exercise the history of which spans a the great part of the 20th century.  Sadly, as the diplomats argue the refugees of Sichuan suffer.
  
  

  • 5:19 PM
  • 31 views
  • 2 eprops
  • 1 comment