Criticism of war shrine visits is a mistake, says Japanese analyst
Beijing is making a mistake by politicising the visits of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the Yasukuni Shrine, a leading Japanese analyst says.
Speaking after a seminar in Hong Kong, Shinichi Ichimura, president of the East Asian Economic Association and chairman of the Japanese Society for Asian Studies, said the shrine visits criticised by Beijing were a religious matter in Japan.
'Many prime ministers in Japan's history, and even the emperor, visited the Yasukuni Shrine,' he said.
'How can a nation intrude into another country's religion?' Professor Ichimura asked.
He also warned that long-term bilateral ties would suffer if anti-Japanese feelings continued to grow on the mainland.
He said he did not expect any major breakthrough in Sino-Japanese relations, even if Mr Koizumi and President Hu Jintao met at this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum.
'But the situation will probably change in one year,' Professor Ichimura said. 'Before Mr Koizumi leaves the prime minister's position, he will try to push forward changes.'
He described the Taiwan issue as the biggest problem in Sino-Japanese relations.
On the intrusion by a Chinese submarine into Japanese territorial waters last week, he said: 'I can't see any benefit China can get from the submarine intrusion. [This] might be a mistake made by the Chinese military departments.'
Professor Ichimura highlighted the problems faced by the mainland economy, including a possible bubble in Shanghai's property market.
'The [problems of the] last decade - the 1990s - in the Japanese economy were primarily due to the persistent effects of the bubble economy,' he said. 'This will happen in Shanghai. Be careful.'
He said the most difficult problem in China could arise from the inequality between the rich and the poor. 'Income gaps can cause serious social disorder,' he said.
