FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
Japan’s Fukuda Writes, China and Japan Together To Build Community of Shared Future
Nov. 6, 2018 (EIRNS)—Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who has long championed cooperation between Japan and China, posted an article in People’s Daily titled “Reform and Opening Up, a Great Journey Forward,” which fulsomely praises China and promotes cooperation in Africa and elsewhere. Fukuda is still active diplomatically, and visited China early last month to prepare for Shinzo Abe’s historic visit Oct. 25-27.
Fukuda writes that he met Deng Xiaoping as a young man, and has visited China 30 times since then. “In 2000, China’s GDP was approximately a quarter of that of Japan,” he says,
“but China surpassed the latter and became the world’s second largest economy 10 years later. At present, the Chinese economy is about 2.5 times of the Japanese economy. Such a rapid development is rare even in the entire human history.”
He states that since 1964 Japan has built 3,000 km of high-speed rail, while in ten years China has built 25,000 km.
He further writes that the two nations have a different style of government, but that
“Under the strong and sound leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Chinese people have found a suitable development path for China based on the country’s national conditions, and worked hard and diligently, which greatly contributes to China’s remarkable achievements made through reform and opening up.”
He says that development requires “political stability and well-ordered society,” which both nations have achieved, although through different paths.
He particularly points to China’s role in Africa.
“The massive colonies built by many European countries on the [African] continent also caused huge agony to the people there, which turned Africa into a continent with weak economy, insufficient technology and inadequate development experiences. Xi’s visit to Africa aimed at common development and building a community of shared future with the African people. It is good to see that China has helped Africa build plentiful infrastructure and improve people’s livelihood. If Japan can join China in assisting Africa’s development, it would greatly benefit the African people. It is beneficial not only to Africa’s economy, but also the world peace and development.”
He states that this year marks the 40th anniversary of both China’s reform and of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between Japan and China, concluding: “I hope that the two countries can carry out close cooperation, so as to make contribution to the building of a community of shared future for mankind.”
