On the morning of the 11th, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa reported the 2023 edition of the Blue Book on Foreign Affairs at a cabinet meeting.
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) and the Jiji News Agency, the diplomatic office described Korea as an “important neighbor.”
The diplomatic blue book evaluated the solution to the forced labor issue announced by South Korea in March this year. “There is a need to return Japan-Korea (Korea-Japan) relations to a healthy one and further develop it,” he said. This sentence was not in the 2022 diplomatic blue book.
The unreasonable territorial claim to Dokdo continued.
According to the Sankei Shimbun, the diplomatic blue book described Dokdo as Takeshima (the name of Dokdo claimed by Japan) and stipulated that “(Korea) is continuing its illegal occupation without any grounds under international law.” The expression of illegal occupation continued for six years.
In addition, the Blue Book of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the flow of international cooperation led by the United States has weakened as competition between countries has intensified with the rise of China and others. “The international community is at a turning point in history,” he pointed out.
The diplomatic blue book said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February last year, “is an act of violence that shakes the foundation of the existing international order. He pointed out that it symbolizes the end (end) of the post-Cold War era.”
Regarding Russia, “Japan is the only country exposed to radiation from war, and nuclear threats are never acceptable to Japan. There should be no use of that (nuclear).” The nuclear threat was strongly criticized as “absurd language.”
In cooperation with the G7, it announced its policy to continue sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine.
Regarding the issue of the Kuril Islands (Japanese name Northern Territory), a territorial dispute between Russia and Japan, and the conclusion of the Russia-Japan peace treaty, he said, “It is not a situation where we can talk about prospects.” However, he stated that he would stick to the policy for signing the treaty.
Regarding China, which is actively engaged in military activities in the East and South China Seas, it was evaluated as “the greatest strategic challenge ever.” In the 2022 edition of the Foreign Affairs Office, “Strong Concerns over Security,” the expression was strengthened.
The diplomatic blue book pointed out that North Korea, which is pursuing nuclear and missile development, is a “grave and imminent threat to Japan’s security guarantee.” “The security environment around Japan is in the most difficult situation after the war (after World War II),” he expressed a sense of crisis.
Based on the China-Japan summit in November last year, he wrote that he would aim to build “constructive and stable (China-Japan) relations.”
The Blue Book of Foreign Affairs first described the ‘Global South’, emerging countries in Asia and Africa. “It is extremely important to cooperate with as many emerging and developing countries as possible through an inclusive approach that overcomes differences in values and interests,” he said.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.