Deng Xiaoping’s Visit to Japan+35 Years

                              (Photo: China Daily)

October 22, 2013 will mark the 35^th anniversary of then Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping’s historic visit to Japan. Deng was the first Chinese leader in history to set foot in Japan and the first to meet her emperor.

Deng’s visit was an official goodwill visit made at the request of the Japanese government.  One of his first duties during this groundbreaking trip on October 23, 1978 was to attend the ceremony with Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda to exchange instruments of ratification for the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty. (See photo below)

Professor Ezra Vogel in his mammoth work, Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China (2011) states that many Japanese felt that helping China modernize was a way of apologizing for Japan’s past behavior. Throughout the trip many references were made to unfortunate 20^th century events, which meant the war-years period from 1937 until 1945. Deng Xiaoping emphasized the long view, noting that China and Japan had a 2000-year history of cultural relations that included shared linguist elements, architecture and the philosophy of Buddhism.

During his 1978 visit Deng met Japanese from all spheres from the emperor to private citizens, politicians and business leaders. He also rode aboard the Shinkansen and visited Kyoto and Nara. Among the business leaders he met were Konosuke Matsushita and the chairman of Nissan Motors, Kawamata Katsuji.

In Vogel’s book Deng is pictured as enthusiastic about Japan’s progress, the role of management in creating Japan’s postwar miracle and the benefits of capitalism as seen in the quality of life of ordinary Japanese citizens. Deng readily admitted that China had much of value to learn from postwar Japan.

At a press conference Deng was asked about the Diaoyu/Senkaku issue. He answered that the issue should be put aside so that later and wiser generations could solve the problem. It should be noted that a few years earlier, essentially the same answer was given by then Premier Zhou Enlai to Japan’s Prime Minister, Kakuei Tanaka.

Looking back 35 years, we can see a time when optimism and forward thinking characterized China-Japan relations. The question is now what will it take to get relations back on track? Nationalism and emotion-driven national policy was not what statesmen and leaders in both countries had in mind back in 1978.

                                                                     (Photo: China Daily)