小沢訪中団 握手とツーショットだけでは

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 12, 2009)
Ozawa's group visit to China lacks substance
小沢訪中団　握手とツーショットだけでは（12月12日付・読売社説）

Many people probably wondered what was going on when they saw dozens of Democratic Party of Japan lawmakers shaking hands with Chinese President Hu Jintao and having their photos taken with him during their visit to China on Thursday.
　民主党国会議員が大挙して中国を訪問し、胡錦濤・国家主席と次々に握手をして、ツーショット写真に納まる。そんな光景に首をかしげた人は少なくないだろう。

The group, whose honorary head is DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, comprised 143 party lawmakers from both chambers of the Diet, including some of those elected for the first time in the House of Representatives election in August. The entire entourage, including their supporters, comprised more than 600 people.
　小沢幹事長を名誉団長とする訪中団の参加者は、先の衆院選で当選した新人をはじめ、衆参国会議員１４３人。各議員の支持者らを含めると６００人を超えた。

The visit was part of the Japan-China exchange program called the "Great Wall Plan" that Ozawa started years ago when he was a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.
　今回の訪中は、小沢氏が自民党時代から進めてきた日中交流「長城計画」の一環だ。

The visit also served as a so-called exchange and discussion mechanism between lawmakers of the DPJ and the Chinese Communist Party. This forum was established based on a proposal Ozawa made during his meeting with Hu in July 2006, when Ozawa was the party leader.
　同時に、民主党と中国共産党との定期協議の場「交流協議機構」の政治家交流も兼ねている。これは、小沢氏が党代表を務めていた２００６年７月、胡主席との会談で提案し、設置が決まった。

Activating exchanges between political parties is certainly admirable, since opportunities for politicians to have contact with their counterparts have become quite limited.
　日中の政治家同士のパイプが細くなる中で、政党間交流を活発化させる意義は大きい。

But we wonder if it was really necessary for so many ruling party lawmakers to visit at a time crucial for budget compilation--the first time the administration of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has faced such a task.
　しかし、新政権にとって初の予算編成が本格化しているこの時期に、これほど多数の与党・民主党議員が一斉に訪問する必要性はあったのか。

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Tough topics dodged

Ozawa held talks with Hu on Thursday, but they reportedly skirted touchy bilateral issues.
　小沢氏は１０日、胡主席と会談した。しかし、日中２国間の懸案は素通りしたという。

Investigations into cases of food poisoning in Japan likely caused by frozen gyoza produced in China have yet to get to the bottom of the matter. In addition, China has refused to hold talks with Japan over concluding a treaty to jointly develop gas fields in the East China Sea. Making matters worse, China is preparing to unilaterally start drilling in the Shirakaba gas field, known in China as the Chunxiao gas field.
　中国製の冷凍ギョーザ事件は依然、未解決のままだ。東シナ海のガス田開発問題で、中国側は、日本との条約交渉を拒むとともに、「白樺」ガス田では一方的に掘削開始の態勢を整えつつある。

According to an opinion poll jointly conducted in November by The Yomiuri Shimbun and a weekly magazine published by China's official Xinhua News Agency, about 70 percent of Japanese respondents said they do not trust China. It would not be too much of a stretch to suggest these pending issues have cast a shadow on Japanese people's feelings toward China.
　読売新聞などが１１月に実施した日中共同世論調査によると、日本では中国を「信頼できない」と答えた人が７割に上った。これらの問題が中国への信頼感に大きな影を落としているのは確実だ。

During his talks with Hu, Ozawa reportedly said discussions between governments tend to end up as mere formality. Ozawa stressed that each and every issue could be put up for discussion at party-level talks.
　小沢氏は、胡主席との会談の中で、「政府間では、どうしても形式的な議論に陥る。党と党のレベルでは、あらゆる問題を話し合えるように」と語っている。

Ozawa should have practiced what he preached from the outset of his talks with Hu. The DPJ heavyweight should have set an example by exchanging opinions frankly with the Chinese leader.
　小沢氏には早速、自ら実践し、胡主席と率直な意見交換をしてほしかった。

To his credit, Ozawa did express concern over China's military buildup during his meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie on Friday. Such candid dialogues are essential.
ただ、１１日の梁光烈国防相との会談では、中国の軍事力増強に懸念を示した。こんな忌憚(きたん)のない対話が必要だろう。

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Don't forget Washington

Japan-U.S. relations are in turmoil as the fallout continues from the Hatoyama administration's handling of the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture. Summit talks between Hatoyama and U.S. President Barack Obama, which the Japanese leader wanted to hold in Copenhagen on the sidelines of U.N. climate talks, now look unlikely to go ahead.
　鳩山内閣は、普天間問題の混乱で日米首脳会談も実現できず、日米関係は危機的な状況にある。

Worryingly, the Ozawa-led group's visit to China likely gave the impression, both in Japan and abroad, that the DPJ-led government is leaning more toward China. This could have negative repercussions on Tokyo's relations with Washington.
　心配なのは、小沢訪中団が、民主党政権の「対中傾斜」を内外に印象づけ、対米関係に悪影響をもたらしかねないことだ。

Maintaining friendly relations between Japan and China is certainly important. But cordial ties alone will not be enough to resolve the many complicated issues between the two nations.
　むろん、日中の友好関係は大切だ。だが、両国間には友好だけでは解決できない複雑な問題が多数存在する。

Bearing this in mind, interparty exchanges should be promoted through more practical visits by smaller groups.
政党間交流は、その点を踏まえ、もっと少人数の相互訪問で実務的に進めるべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 12, 2009)
（2009年12月12日01時14分 読売新聞）