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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 1978)
opinion tom thompson Treaty serves China-Japan interests Vice-Premier Teng Hsiaoping’s recent visit to Tokyo was an occasion brimming with good will, enough to douse memories of jealousies and wars that in the past have too often embittered relations between the two countries. China and Japan formally ratified recently the peace and friendship treaty signed in August. At the treaty ceremony, Teng took Japan's Prime Minister Fukuda by the shoulders and delivered a Gallic hug. Yet there is, in fact, little sentimentality in the relationship. Realistic, practical calcula tions ouweigh any other factors in shaping the two countries’ policies. The crucial determinant of the basic policies of China and Japan toward each other is security. Both Peking and Tokyo have been uneasy about the other’s close links to another power that has appeared threatening. Chinese policy was shaped throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s by Peking’s percep tion of Japan as a base for American power which the Chinese at that time saw as the principal immediate threat to them. In contrast, since Chinese leaders have given priority to the Soviet threat, they have viewed their relations with Japan — linked to the United States — as necessary to create a counterweight to Soviet power. The Japanese, throughout the 1950's and 1960’s, regarded the Soviet Union rather than China as the main potential threat to their security. Today Japan’s primary security concerns focus even more clearly than before on the Soviet Union, in part because of increasing Russian naval activity in Asian waters. In this context it is hardly surprising that Moscow has stated coldly that the new tre aty between China and Japan is aimed at the Soviet Union. Virtually any Chinese foreign policy is part of China’s effort to fight against the hegemony which the Soviet Union is supposedly trying to establish both in Asia and in Europe. At first, the Japanese, not wanting to irri tate the Soviets, declined a place in the anti-hegemony crusade. China had de manded an explicit “anti-hegemony” clause in the treaty, obviously aimed at the Soviet Union. Asked why Japan now has accepted the Chinese thesis on hegemony, Japan's Foreign Minister Sonoda disingenuously replied that there was absolutely no reason why the Russians should object to the tre aty. There is a section that disavows the treaty’s connection with third party coun tries. But Moscow’s leaders are not impressed. Two hapless Japanese fishery negotiators have already had their visa extensions re fused. Most analysts agree that with the signing of the treaty between China and Japan, Moscow’s relative importance in Asia is likely to see a steady decline. Peking’s leaders could not be happier. The jubilant People's Daily said the signing of the treaty “proclaims the ignominious bankruptcy of the Soviet social-imperialist plot to interfere and sabotage Chinese peaceful relations with Japan.” Actually, China’s interest in Japan is not simply to check Soviet power. China’s leaders have decided that in the post-Mao era of economic development they should allow and even encourage imports of ad vanced foreign technology. Japan now is one of the most technologi cally advanced of countries, but is in urgent need of more opportunities for its energies and technology. China is wealth in natural resources and manpower. The needs of the two countries thus complement each other. In all logic, Japan is the right country to undertake to help in modernization of China. As a result Japan is now China's largest trading partner by a large margin and it is Peking’s most important external source for advanced technology and capital goods. Most important, Japan has become a major source of credits since China began accepting medium-term foreign credits to finance portions of its imports. The Japanese likewise see the current relationship in very beneficial terms. Even though China trade is a tiny fraction of Japan’s total trade and is not critical to the Japanese economy, Tokyo views it as im portant. To the Japaneses// trade is impor tant. Japanese business with China has been steadily increasing, culminating in a $10 billion order for steel mills earlier this year. An ethylene plant the Chinese have just ordered from Nippon Kihatsuyu and Maru beni is only the first in a series of major trade deals. China's rapidly expanding production of crude oil may become increasingly impor tant in China’s trade with Japan. Japan is definitely to be the biggest market for it. China s raw materials and Japan’s indus trial capacity are an old theme in the history of the two countries’ relations with each other. The theme has often included ten sion and even war. But now the old ele ments of conflict have become the new basis for a peace treaty and trade. Forego coalition n«prtm«d torn »>• Owgon Journal One political question facing the upcoming Legislature is whether Oregon has a two-party House, as the political umbrellas indicate, or a three-party House wearing a two party disguise. The question revolves around the band of conserva tives who run and win elections as Democrats. They wound up labeled the “Hornets” in the last session. But while they are nominally members of the majority party, they were reluctant to accept the responsibility of their role in the majority last session. The alignment of the new House appears to be 26 regular Democrats, 26 Republicans and nine Hornet-style Democrats. At issue is whether the House is organized as it should be in the two-party system with the majority party conduct ing the business of the chamber and the minority serving in the vital watch-dog role of the opposition. Or will a coalition rule with the Hornets teaming with the Republicans? Or perhaps with enough of the Republi cans unwilling to accept the Hornets that they coalesce with the regular Democrats? Oregon should have had enough of coalition control with the 10 years that a small band of Democrats joined Repub licans in running the Senate. But of couse coalitions are not formed for the well-being of the state but rather for the personal power of a few individuals. The hope is that the small band of Hornets will drop, their game playing and accept their responsibility as mem bers of the majority party to operate the House in the 1979 session. For them to do otherwise makes a mockery of the political process that is based on a two-party system. Methods differ Open letter to politically con cerned students: Be wary of “savior organiza tions" and self-appointed “lead ers.” To illustrate: Sterling Hayden was once asked by one of the world’s leading socialists if he was communist or socialist. He replied he was communist. Asked the difference, Sterling Page 4 state*.' that he believed that com munisn was justified in using to talitarian means to achieve the socialist ideal. “That is also the chief difference between us,” stated the old socialist, “because I believe that totalitarian means destroy the very fiber of humanism which make the socialist ideal a neces sity.’’ (This is in Hayden’s own book, "The Wanderer,”by his own hand.) The difference between com munism and socialism is METHOD. The difference between capitalism and facism is METHOD. The difference between monar chy and tyranny is METHOD. The difference between aristoc racy and feudalism is METHOD. The Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade, claiming human ity, has consistently praised, on this campus, the government of Mao Tse-tung, and consistently condemned the present rulers of China? Why? Both are com munist. Let’s examine. The government of Mao was so repressive that it even controiled people’s style of dress, type of hair-cut, and forbade public danc ing! The present government has tried to returif some of those things to the people, and, in addi tion, has raised a few salaries. Madame Mao ordered her fol lowers to call her "Niang-niang,” the pet name of a former empress of China. This has something to say about her style of rule. A question of method. We choose one and leave the other. It is sad that there are still masochists who choose to be hated and feared, rather than re spected. It is sad that the RCYB is found on an otherwise peaceful campus. Thanks. Bye. James Carroll junior, Aslan studies Friday, November 17,1978
