麻生太郎外相は、物事をポジティブに考える明るい性格の人なのだ。

【麻生太郎外相】Japan Awaits a Democratic China


(06/03/21 )

麻生外務大臣がウォール・ストリート・ジャーナル紙に投稿した公開書簡


By TARO ASO

TOKYO -- I am positive on China. Already the biggest trading partner in our
history if combined with Hong Kong, China has powered our recent economic
recovery. Going forward, our codependence will only become more pronounced.
I welcome China’s return to center stage in East Asia -- as long as China
evolves into a liberal democracy. And I believe it will.
中国に関しては楽観的な意見を持っている。

中国は日本が経済を回復させるためのチカラを持っており、

中国、香港は、すでに日本の歴史上の貿易の最大のパートナーである。

中国が民主的な国になるから、東アジアのステージに出てくることを

歓迎する。わたしは、中国が民主的な国になると信じる。

Democracy in Asia is spreading. Not so long ago, a Japanese prime minister
would have to fly south overnight to Canberra to meet our nearest democratic
neighbor. Now, he can fly west for only two hours to Seoul, capital of one
of the world’s most vibrant democracies.

China’s turn is imminent, and I am positive on the prospects for this
evolution. Citizens of Japan, South Korea and Indonesia can all attest that
prolonged economic development creates a stable middle class, which in turn
provides a springboard for greater political representation. The question is
no longer "whether," but "at what speed" China will metamorphose into a
fully democratic nation. I can assure our friends in China that Japan is
committed to China’s success to that end.

いつ中国が民主的な世界の一員になるかだけが問題なのだと思う。

Imagine: In 20 years, China’s influence in Japan will be enormous. Chinese
holiday makers, from students to the retired, will be the largest consumers
of Japanese tourism, filling favorite tourist spots like Kyoto. Tokyo’s taxi
drivers will speak Chinese, not English. China will be one of the largest
investors in Japan’s economy. A considerable proportion of the shares traded
in Tokyo will rest in Chinese hands. Today, Japanese companies go to New
York for investor marketing trips -- soon, they will fly to Shanghai first.

In truth, there is little new or surprising about these scenarios,

considering Asia’s historical context. China is not emerging afresh as a

world power, as many claim; it is, in fact, reclaiming its historical

prominence. My hope is that China recognizes that there is no longer a place

for an empire. Rather, the guiding principles in today’s world are global

interdependence and the international harmony that can engender.

China’s history is one of extremes. In 1842, the pendulum swung to one
extreme when the Qing dynasty was defeated in the Opium War and fell under
the coercive power of the West. In 1949, the mainland swung to another
extreme, as Mao Zedong ushered in the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural
Revolution -- both now seen as misguided policies. Until recently, the
Chinese did not have the luxury of striking a balance between vision and
reality, between who they are and who they wish to be.

Crucially, China can learn from Japan’s missteps -- we have "been there,
done that." Japan has experienced extreme nationalism twice in the last
century. A telling incident occurred in 1964, shortly before the opening of
the Tokyo Olympic Games, when a Japanese teenager stabbed Edwin O.
Reischauer, then American ambassador to Japan. At the time, Japanese
emotions still ran high at the thought of U.S. power and influence.
Beijing’s leaders can learn from such Japanese experiences to better manage
their own rising nationalism. Environmental degradation, which suffocated
Japan in the 1960s and 1970s, is another area where China can learn from
Japan’s mistakes, just as we hope China is also inspired by our successes.

オリンピックの後で、若い人たちが調子に乗りすぎたという日本の過去から

中国も学んで、注意してくださいね。

（あんまり「愛国教育」のつもりで「反日教育」をしないでと忠告しているのかな？）

In terms of military presence, Japan is Asia’s natural stabilizer. The U.S.
and Japan have the world’s longest-standing security partnership. It is
transparent and a relationship between two democracies. Acting alone, the
Japanese or the Americans might raise a few eyebrows; acting together, there
is no room for misunderstanding. China and every other Asian nation can
continue to count on the built-in stabilizer provided jointly by Japan and
America, a common good that is readily available to Beijing. Hence my
request that Beijing fully disclose its defense spending, which has remained
opaque yet -- as Beijing admits -- has more than trebled over the last 10
years.

A final reflection on Japan’s post-war record: I can say with confidence
that, with a few exceptions, Japan has conducted itself openly and treated
neighboring nations as peers. As a self-proclaimed "techie," I have called
the attitude that Japan has shown toward its neighboring nations one of
"P2P," or peer-to-peer relations.

I would like these thoughts to resonate widely, especially with the citizens
of China. For this reason, I have asked my colleagues at the Japanese
Foreign Ministry to create a multi-year student-exchange program that is
absolutely positive, like my vision of China’s future.

I would very much like Japan’s youth to look warmly at China. The growth of
China must hinder no one’s interests. Our new program will facilitate the
exchange of thousands of Japanese and Chinese high school students, enabling
these young ambassadors to stay in ordinary homes in each other’s nations
and planting the seeds of mutual understanding. If our program is
successful, in 20 years’ time Japanese men and women with first-hand
knowledge of China will view the Chinese among their closest friends. And
many more Chinese will feel the same about Japan.

たくさんの日本と中国の高校生が、交換留学で、お互いに相手国の普通の

家庭を見てもらうなどのプログラムを実践して、相互理解の種をまけると

いいなと考えております。

うまくいけば、２０年後には、日本の人々は仲のいい中国の友人たちから、

中国を知ることができるし、中国の人たちも日本を知ってくれるでしょう。

（ヒマなときにゆっくり読もうっと。英語が苦手なので、読むのに時間が

かかるんだよね。）
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