Abe Says Japan Ready to Counter China's Power Premier Urges China to Refrain from Using Force
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urges China not to use force to change the status quo in Asia. His comments are the latest signs of the troubled ties between the Asian giants. TOKYO—Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday that many nations were concerned that China was attempting to use force to change the status quo in Asia, adding that Tokyo's role as the region's leader is to urge Beijing not to follow such a path. The comments by the Japanese leader are the latest signs of the troubled ties between the Asian giants, strained by a territorial dispute and differences over how they view their wartime history. "I've realized that Japan is expected to exert leadership not just on the economic front, but also in the field of security in the Asia-Pacific," Mr. Abe told The Wall Street Journal, referring to his meetings with the region's leaders at a series of summits earlier this month. "There are concerns that China is attempting to change the status quo by force, rather than by rule of law. But if China opts to take that path, then it won't be able to emerge peacefully," he added. "So it shouldn't take that path, and many nations expect Japan to strongly assert that. And they hope that as a result, China will take responsible action in the international community." Mr. Abe, whom China has criticized as attempting to whitewash Japan's wartime actions and beef up its military, also said countries in the region shared concerns over Beijing's arms buildup. "It's not just Japan. Many countries have expressed concerns over the increase in China's military spending which is not transparent," he said. But the Japanese leader, who has set economic recovery as his top policy agenda, stressed that ties with China—Japan's top trading partner—is of utmost importance for Tokyo. He called it a "strategic relationship of mutual benefit" stressing that he was open to talks with Chinese leaders and urged Beijing to take the same approach. "One should not shut the door to dialogue just because of one issue. Japan's has its door open, always." Mr. Abe has not held formal talks with Chinese leaders since becoming prime minister last December. He has said that Beijing has refused to come to the table unless Tokyo makes a concession over a key territorial dispute. Both make claims to a series of islets in the East China Sea, currently administered by Japan. Japan says the Senkakus, as it calls them, are Japanese, and that there is no room for debate. China refers to them as the Diaoyus and say they belong to Beijing, demanding that Tokyo recognize the existence of a dispute. While Mr. Abe shook hands and spoke briefly with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a gathering of Asian leaders in Indonesia, they have not had a sit-down summit, and the Japanese leader has yet to visit China. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.