Jerry pender

From electronics and automobiles, to textiles and green energy technology, East Asia is a hub for some of the world’s most important markets. Each country has used its nationalistic pride and history of determination to accomplish great things. However, it is also this same nationalistic pride and determination that has prevented these countries from becoming more interconnected as a region. Although there is some cooperation between the countries, there is a long way to go before any cohesive East Asian community can be realized. Historical accuracy disagreements, disputed territories, past invasions and occupations, and general distrust are just a few of the issues which stand in the way of an East Asian community. These issues make it very difficult for any sustainable East Asian union, but not impossible. In order for an East Asian community to be realized there has to be an acknowledgment and acceptance of truthful accounts of historical events; territorial disputes need to be handled multilaterally; and there must be a realization of how beneficial a cohesive East Asian community would be for all the parties involved.

One of the major issues preventing improved relations between China, South Korea, and Japan is the inaccurate depiction of past wartime actions by the Japanese. Since as early as 1955, the Japanese government has launched numerous challenges to history textbooks in an attempt to mask or soften some of the most egregious atrocities that were committed as a result of Japan’s past aggression. Three of the most important refuted accounts arise from the 1937 Nanjing massacre, Japan’s colonial rule of Korea, and the use of comfort women from Korea and China by Japanese soldiers during World War II. The Japanese government has a responsibility, not only to its neighboring countries, but also to its citizens to accurately record these historical events.

The only way to move forward and learn from past mistakes is to truthfully acknowledge the events that took place. Refusing to fully accept and take responsibility for things that happened in the past will not accomplish anything positive for future generations. In addition, it has been reported that only a very small percentage of schools use the most objected versions of Japanese history textbooks. With such a small number of students influenced by the viewpoints taken in these textbooks, the actions of the Japanese government seem more symbolic than actually accomplishing any real distortion of history. In light of this fact, there is no plausible reason why Japanese government officials cannot alter their position on these issues and help facilitate greater regional cooperation. If the Japanese government would be willing to do this, then the next step would be for China and South Korea to accept any apologies issued and move forward without seeking any form of reparations or other benefits from Japan. Once these things are done the three countries would then be able to address the issue of disputed territories, which is the second major issue blocking the advancement of greater regional cooperation.

Various territorial disputes currently exist between Korea, Japan, and China. There is a dispute between Japan and South Korea over the Dokdo/Takeshima islands, a dispute between China and Japan over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, and a dispute between China and Korea over Baekdu Mountain. Although many people would argue that there is not much, if any, economic value to possessing these territories; the historical and cultural significance of these territories to the citizens of these countries cannot be understated. For Koreans the Dokdo/Takeshima islands represent independence from Japanese colonialism, the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands dispute help highlight a ‘century of shame’ for the Chinese, and both the Koreans and Chinese believe Baekdu Mountain was the stage for the legend of the founding of their respective countries.

Given these circumstances, solving these disputes will be very difficult. The simplest and fairest solution would consist of a multilateral approach involving a council of members from the countries engaged in the dispute along with members from a few agreed upon outside mediator countries. This council should then proceed to use authentic historical documents to decide who originally possessed the disputed territories. The country with the earliest documented claim should be granted ownership. In the case of Baekdu Mountain, where there is sufficient evidence that there was joint possession for over a thousand years, it should continue to be jointly possessed and any actions to suggest sole ownership of the mountain should be strictly prohibited. This solution would be a fair method of solving the disputes and would also allow each government to maintain respect within its country.

There is no doubting the importance of China, Korea, and Japan in the world economically, culturally, or technologically. These countries represent 2 of the top 3 and 3 of the top 15 economies in the world. There are close to 1.5 billion collective speakers of their respective languages, and you would have a difficult time finding a region in the world advancing technology more than the governments and corporations of these three countries. In fact, these East Asian countries are competitive, if not world leading, in numerous industries in the global market today. Imagine the impact they could have on the world if they could just figure out a way to get past their differences and become an East Asian community based on regional economic, political, and social stability. The possibilities would be endless. Yes, the challenges for this community to be realized are great but the future rewards would be even greater. Maybe one day their pasts will not continue to stand in the way of their future. Until then the world can only hope.

Jerry pender