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Updated Monday, May 9, 2011 11:34 pm TWN, The China Post news staff and CNA |
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Ma calls himself Japan's friendMa indicated his “pro-Japanese” stance in a speech he delivered at the unveiling of a memorial garden dedicated to a Japanese engineer credited with the construction of the “Chianan Canal” and “Ushantou Reservoir” in southern Taiwan while the island was under Japanese colonial rule. Rejecting the “anti-Japanese” label some Taiwanese and Japanese media have allegedly been trying to slap on him in recent years, Ma said he was “Japan's best friend.” “I am pro-Japanese, not anti-Japanese,” said the President. The memorial garden, located in the Siraya National Scenic Area, was rebuilt by the scenic area's management from the living quarters of Yoichi Hatta and others. Yoshiro Mori, a former Japanese prime minister, who headed up a delegation of more than 200 Japanese visitors, was also on hand at yesterday's ceremony along with the Japanese visitors. Calling the handover of Taiwan to Japan after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 a tragedy, Ma pointed out that although controversies surrounded the ensuing Japanese rule over Taiwan, Japanese contributions to Taiwan in terms of its construction efforts cannot be deliberately denied out of hand, adding he was in favor of the memorial project because of Yoichi Hatta's important contributions to Taiwan. Although under Japanese colonial rule the bulk of Taiwan rice was shipped to Japan under Japan's “Industrial Japan and Agricultural Taiwan” policy, many of the waterworks engineered by Yoichi Hatt have benefited generations of people in Taiwan since the recovery of the Island from Japan at the end of World War II, Ma noted. “I hope people can look at the love-hate relationship from different historical perspectives,” Ma said. Mori expressed his hope that the memorial garden will become a bridge between Taiwan and Japan in their bilateral exchanges, saying he personally felt honored knowing the respect Taiwan had for Yoichi Hatta. “I hope this memorial park will serve as a bridge to further enhance bilateral exchanges between Japan and Taiwan,” he said. Tourism Bureau Director-General Janice Lai said every effort was made to capture the essence of the old Japanese buildings restored on the site. She said the team that renovated Hatta's dorm and three other nearby buildings visited Japan several times to learn traditional construction techniques so that the restoration would be as authentic as possible. Comments May 9, 2011 Upwell@ Reply While Japan certainly has done a lot of good not just to Taiwan but for the world in terms of their technological know-how it is equally necessary for a nation to be mature enough to acknowledge their wrongs towards the Chinese and those in Asia who for no reason apart from Japan's policy of expansion at the time, suffered untold cruel treatment. Like a grown up matured man, acknowledging one's wrongs is just part of one's moral obligation. May 10, 2011 drjp81@ Upwell@ wrote: Then we should suggest that all countries line up and be ready to "mea-culpa" to their misdeeds of the latter 20th century. You will find that no one will show up for it. In this, Japan is just like any other Asian or otherwise country. Maturity is only useful with other mature entities. Or as the old saying goes, may the one without sin, throw the first stone.While Japan certainly has done a lot of good not just to Taiwan but for the world in terms of their technological know-how it is equally necessary for a nation to be mature enough to acknowledge their wrongs towards the Chinese and those in Asia who for no reason apart from Japan's policy of expansion at the time, suffered untold cruel treatment. Like a grown up matured man, acknowledging one's wrongs is just part of one's moral obligation. May 17, 2011 Upwell@ You are not implying that Taiwan is not mature enough to seek an apology. Many nations have admitted their mistakes. Germany never denied the evilness of the Nazi regime and indeed it is a criminal offence in that country to deny it. If any one has to be without sin before he or she can ask for what is right, the whole judiciary systems of the world would collapsed. After all these systems are maintained by human beings not angels. Nobody will think less of another whether a human being or a nation if one admits one's mistake. After all to err is human as you put it, an old saying it is. May 17, 2011 steven0521@ "Ma called himself a Japanese friend". It seems like an ironic title or implies that is not true. However, there is no morality in international relationship. What is said might not always be true. After the cold war, Taiwan is destined to pair up with the US to fight China. Since that is the case, Taiwan is sure to be allied with Japan in western Pacific. During the colonial time, Taiwan like other colonized countries is "developed" by the imperial countries. Japan might have developed Taiwan in some way, but if we look from the other side, it is a kind of development to transport more resources out of Taiwan. Such a development is more efficient for Japan to "develop" or "pillage" Taiwan. Let by gones be by gones. At the moment, the relationship between Taiwan and Japan is both competitive and cooperative. Both countries have the same interests toward China, economically and in military. Under this circumstance, it is not hard to see why Ma called himself the friend of Japan. As for southern Korea, we are still competitors. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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