Saturday, January 13, 2007

"Amitiés à l'Asean, sauf aux Birmans"!



La Birmanie, Etat narco trafiquant pourchassant
impitoyablement les opposants qui croupissent en geôle
depuis des années ou ont été massacrés lors de féroces
répressions, ainsi que les minorités nationales des
hauts plateaux Birmans ou des zones frontalières
telles que les Karens, est à présent dans la ligne de
mire du président Français Jacques Chirac à l'occasion
de la première visite du japonais Shinzo Abe dont le
pays entretient des relations teintées de grande
ambiguïté avec la Birmanie. Un Etat aux riches
gisements énergétique avec lequel la France entretient
aussi de fructueuses relations gazières malgré des
accusations d'atteintes aux droits de l'homme portées
par des organisations "caritatives" américaines.

Citation agences :

"L'entrée du Japon au Conseil de sécurité de l'Onu et
la Corée du Nord ont dominé l'entretien et le dîner de
travail entre Jacques Chirac et le nouveau Premier
ministre japonais, vendredi soir à l'Elysée. Les deux
dirigeants se voyaient pour la première fois depuis
l'accession de Shinzo Abe à la tête du gouvernement
nippon, en septembre. Qualifiée de "très amicale" par
le porte-parole du président français, Jérôme
Bonnafont, la rencontre a notamment porté sur
l'élargissement du Conseil de sécurité, que Jacques
Chirac a qualifiée d'"urgente" et de "capitale".

En raccompagnant son hôte à sa voiture, Jacques Chirac
a demandé à Shinzo Abe de transmettre ses "amitiés aux
membres de l'ASEAN, sauf aux Birmans". Lors de
l'entretien, le président français a exprimé "le
souhait que la communauté internationale parvienne à
susciter une évolution démocratique dans ce pays". Il
a notamment évoqué le cas de la lauréate du prix Nobel
de la paix Aung San Suu Kyi, toujours assignée à
résidence à Rangoon. Quasiment au même moment, au
siège new-yorkais des Nations unies, la Chine et la
Russie opposaient leur veto à un projet de résolution
présenté par les Etats-Unis pour inciter la junte
militaire birmane à entamer une transition
démocratique.

Alors que Shinzo Abe cherche à promouvoir l'idée d'un
rôle accru du Japon dans les questions de sécurité
internationale, Jacques Chirac a "souligné
l'importance du dialogue entre l'Union européenne et
le Japon ainsi que l'intérêt des décisions prises lors
du sommet de l'Otan à Riga". Les deux dirigeants ont
également évoqué la situation en Afghanistan, au
Proche-Orient, la question du développement en Afrique
et celle de l'environnement. Le Japon doit participer
à la conférence sur la gouvernance écologique mondiale
prévue à Paris les 2 et 3 février.

Shinzo Abe termine par Paris sa tournée européenne de
quatre jours - la première depuis son accession au
pouvoir en septembre -, qui l'a emmené à Londres,
Berlin et Bruxelles."

Fin de citation



La presse européenne discriminée par Shinzo Abe?

Shinzo Abe a rompu avec la coutume qui est de recevoir
les journalistes correspondants de la presse
internationale accrédités au Japon avant sa tournée
européenne. Mais il a accordé une interview exclusive
a BBC et a Reuters TV! Le bureau du premier ministre
Abe a présenté ses excuses a certains journalistes,
expliquant que le temps était limité après les fêtes
de nouvel an et que le premier ministre donnerait une
conférence de presse ouverte a tous a son retour
d'Europe et de la réunion de Manille de l'Asean.

En outre, un article jugé insultant sur la personne de
l'épouse du premier ministre Abe, qualifiée
d'alcoolique par un article du quotidien le Figaro
citant, avec une certaine légèreté professionnelle, un
torchon réputé pour sa désinformation et ses
scandales, a attiré une grosse colère des services de
relations avec la presse.

Les 2 événements sont ils liés? Des collègues
japonais estiment que le fauteur de trouble japonais
et maitre-censeur n'est autre que le "Special Advisor
to the Prime Minister Hiroshige Seko", ancien chargé
des relations publiques de NTT, connu pour son ton
très arrogant et cassant avec les médias. Les
diplomates japonais se sont ainsi précipités sur les
médias français de Paris qui ont été conviés a
déjeuner, pour leur présenter habilement les buts du
voyage d'Abe Shinzo et ont démenti avec gravité ce
qu'ils estiment être des insultes prononcées contre la
First Lady japonaise, Akie sama, dont les journalistes
japonais connaissent bien le tempérament amical et
enjoué, héritière d'une dynastie de l'agroalimentaire,
dans la ligne de mire de la presse a scandale nippone.

L'auteur de ces lignes ayant lui-même rencontré Akie
sama, lors d'une présentation ou elle est apparue
élégante et sympathique, mais fragile et un peu
timide. L'administration du premier ministre Abe a
encore des leçons a prendre des grands communicateurs.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

La prise de Pekin par la Royal !




Le suivi journalistique de Segolene Royal en Chine a
atteint des records. Tour de force et super pub,
etant donne le non evenement. Il est vrai que les
socialistes francais du Mitterrand & Cresson's team,
auquel appartenait Segolene Royal, y ont de bons amis,
et ont donc quelques dividendes a esperer, depuis que
les dossiers des plans et des equipements militaires
et electroniques des celebres fregates de Taiwan de
l'Operation Bravo (Les Lafayette) se sont retrouves
sur les bureaux des hauts dirigeants Pekinois,
epaissis de quelques liasses destinees a faire oublier
les mauvaises pensees. Interessant au passage de
suivre l' itinineraire des enfants, petits enfants etc
des dirigeants "indemnises" alors de Pekin a Shanghai
et Taipeh... Et des liens familiaux des
intermediaires Kwang et Li Liu avec ces memes
dirigeants.

Mais au-dela de ce rappel historique, quel interet
offre cette visite royale hormis la couverture
(partielle he ho!) de quelques faits d'actualite
chinoise tels l'excellent reportage de France 2 sur
les migrants a 2.000 yuans par mois, sujet tourne
debut decembre.* Que cachait donc ce manteau blanc de
Sego qui lui en revanche serait une gaffe
ethnologique, le blanc en Asie est la couleur du
deuil. A moins que ? Elle etait pourtant entouree d'
Orientalistes distingues pourvoyeurs des petites
phrases (d'un nul) qui n'etaient pas, mais alors loin
de la, ignorants des pensees de Confucius ou de
Mencius dont "les quatre principes ("si duan" en
langue chinoise) : les sentiments de la misericorde,
de la honte, de la courtoisie, et du bien et du mal
sont, rapportait Mencius, innes chez l'homme", mais
pas chez la candidate a la presidentielle.

Donc, reussir a instrumentaliser 1,3 milliards de
chinois courtois pour une election d'un territoire a
peine plus grand qu'une province chinoise, la encore
chapeau bas. La prise de Pekin par la Royal vaut son
pesant de cacahuetes. Fortiche mais indigeste surtout
le mauvais chapitre sur les droits humains pour qui
sait ce que signifie une arrestation en Chine pour un
motif ridicule, arrestation qui peut se transformer en
un enfer des annees durant. Mais de cela, les flics
chinois n'ont pas eu a s'en inquieter, car nos
collegues de passage se sont tres bien conduits.

Monday, January 08, 2007

And if the US were to close the umbrella in Asia ?



How long time for Japan to break ties with the US as
seen in recurrent disagreements about realignment, or
the hostility of the Japanese population towards US
troops occupation on Okinawa, or diplomatic
manipulation from Washington when Tokyo stated it is
time to think about acquiring the nuclear bomb if the
US do not fulfill their role because of other regional
conflicts such as Middle East Oiland, and "close the
umbrella in Asia"? How long time until an Asia
alliance with China and India, independently and with
reciprocity, comes to reality?

But to achieve this target, Japan needs to work harder
or to review processes. Japan's intention towards the
outside world is viewed as improper, mysterious,
unintelligible at best, or immoral in the worst case.
Why is it so? Why do the polls in Asia show a great
discomfort about Japanese policy?

Is it because Japan did not follow recently the keen
advises of two major opinion leaders, the ex prime
minister Nakasone Yasuhiro and the Yomiuri Newspaper
Watanabe Tsuneo and the latest in the rank LDP policy
maker Nakagawa Shoichi?



Is it because Japan diplomacy ends where trade and
industry starts? Is it because of a lack of freedom
in analyzing Japan's status in Asia and in the
concert of other nations? Is it because of its
natural trend to look inward sea rather that outside,
and last but not last, is it because of an
intellectual stubbornness and systemic corruption of
the society as one can see in the Shinzo Abe's
government stained by recent political case of
corruption? Is it a system permanently frozen about
reform and progress albeit all "tatemae" statements
that prevents the Japanese opposition and the Japanese
intellectuals to weight all their power into the
political and "societal" debate?

All of these reasons are most probably acceptable but
one option is also to consider : Is it because of
complacency and easy reliance on his ally, the US
maintaining a strong military force especially on the
Okinawa islands? Then, what are the real reasons
behind Mr. Abe's journey to Europe 9th to 13th January
prior to a "normal" visit to Washington? A new Nato
with a Pan Asia Pacific alliance? A move opposed by
France and most probably by China and Russia.

More realist is a quest for information transfer and
future international cooperation at an age when the
world is viewing new alliances in Asia. Among the
Asian nations China is the first one courted by so
many already, Indians, Japanese, Europeans, Africans,
Arabs, Latin Americans. Today's China still appears
as a gigantic laboratory with an enigma and the
questions remains to know what is Beijing
INTENTIONALITY's policy? *



At this juncture of historical events and the
resurgence of the dangerous alliance policy, everyone
indeed remembers the "Alliance system" created the
horror of World War I with its millions of deaths for
a few lost acres of lands, at a moment when the spine
in the US feet troops in Middle East transforms into a
major catastrophe for the US Bush administration, some
believe it is time to re analyze the current trend of
the relations that Japan has with his so called ally.
Until when?

We introduce here extracts of the article of Douglas
Bandow, vice president for Policy of Citizen Outreach.
He is the author of "Leviathan Unchained :
Washington's Bipartisan Big Government Consensus". He
is a former senior fellow at Cato Institute, a
libertarian think tank. He resigned in 2005 due to a
payoff scandal involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff. He
worked in the Reagan administration as special
assistant to the president and also edited the
political magazine Inquiry. He is also a conservative
Presbyterian. His views here reveal a lot of the
American concerns towards Japan's policy.

Quote :

"Normalize relations with Japan"

" ... Washington needs to look for other, and
quicker, sources of relief. By encouraging Japan to
become a normal nation with normal defense
responsibilities, Washington can shed some of its
outdated Asian military commitments.

America's relationship with Japan remains heavily
freighted by history, including Article 9 of the
so-called peace constitution, which formally bars
creation of a military. But Japanese pacifism soon
lost its appeal to Washington in the midst of the Cold
War and Tokyo creatively reinterpreted the document,
allowing development of a potent "self-defense force."

Increased wealth has generated pressure on Tokyo to
play a greater international role. Even more
important has been a growing sense of vulnerability
from North Korea and China.

Alas, several of Japan?s bilateral relationships have
become more truculent. Some wounds have been
self-inflicted: Japanese officials, including Abe
before his elevation to prime minister, have continued
to visit the Yasukuni war shrine.

But it isn't all Japan's fault. Countries like China
and South Korea themselves are increasingly
nationalistic and have used anti-Japanese sentiment
for political advantage.

Neither can seriously believe that Tokyo will again
invade and occupy them. Beijing's stench of hypocrisy
is particularly strong, given its own historical
public amnesia.

Even as it begins to do more, Japan hopes to hold onto
its American defense subsidy. After taking office,
Prime Minister Sinzo Abe proclaimed: "The Japan-United
States alliance forms the foundation of our foreign
and security policy."

First, every security commitment is expensive, since
the U.S. has to create force structure to make good
on its defense promises. That's an important reason
why Washington now spends as much as the rest of the
world combined on the military.

Second, defense guarantees risk war. Washington's
promise to fight is expected to deter anyone else from
risking war. However, deterrence can fail, in which
case American involvement is inevitable, or almost so.

Moreover, providing superpower backing encourages
allied states to engage in potentially irresponsible
behavior. They certainly have less incentive to
invest in their own militaries.

Finally, acting as everyone's protector puts
Washington in the front lines of virtually every
regional controversy. There is no intrinsic reason
why America should, for instance, care who controls
the Paracel, Spratly, or Dokdo-Takeshima Islands. But
if its defense clients care, the U.S. is inevitably
involved.

In short, military alliances risk becoming
transmission belts of war, in this case with the
People's Republic of China.

In a future world of an assertive, powerful China, is
the U.S. better off with a gaggle of weak allies
dependent upon it, or a coalition of strong,
independent friends able to constrain Beijing on their
own? Obviously the latter.

American foreign policy should be adjusted to fit
changing circumstances. In the aftermath of World War
II, Washington had little choice but to shield
friendly states. Today, South Korea and Japan, in
particular, could defend themselves.

Washington should phase out its current troop presence
in Japan, already scheduled to drop by 8000 in 2012.
At the same time, the two countries should reach an
accord maintaining base access for U.S. air and naval
forces.

There also might be value in propositioning some
equipment in readiness for unpredictable
contingencies. Moreover, Washington should use its
diplomatic offices to help smooth the way for a more
significant Japanese role.

Some wonder whether Tokyo could be trusted with the
bomb. Do they mean compared to unstable Pakistan or
authoritarian China? The Japanese do not possess a
double dose of original sin. Moreover, the U.S.
government now risks Los Angeles to protect Tokyo.
Facing down China in a crisis would not be the same as
confronting Serbia or Iraq. Americanizing and nuclear
disputes between China and its neighbors is a policy
of potential catastrophe.

... the alliance needs to be updated for a new age.
Japan should become a normal nation with normal
defense responsibilities. The transformation won?t be
easy, but it is both necessary and inevitable.
Washington should make the process as smooth as
possible. "

End of quotes from the Examiner.

Is it in the interest of Asia, really...?



* Intentionality ! The magic word to understand
China.

The term " intentionality " is often simplistically
summarized as "aboutness" or the relationship between
mental acts and the external world. Originally
intentionality was a concept from scholastic
philosophy. The concept of intentionality was later
reintroduced in 19th century contemporary philosophy
by the philosopher and psychologist Franz Brentano in
his work Psychologie vom Empirischen Standpunkte. The
concept of intentionality received more widespread
attention in current philosophy, both continental and
analytic. French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, in
Being and Nothingness, identified intentionality with
consciousness, stating that they were
indistinguishable from one another, a position that
was a stark contrast to Brentano's position that
intentionality is but one quality of mental phenomena.
German philosopher Martin Heidegger, in Being and
Time, defined intentionality as "care" (Sorge), a
sentient condition where an individual's
existentiality, facticity, and forfeiture to the world
identifies their ontological significance, in contrast
to that which is the mere ontic (thinghood). In the
field of social cognition and the study of folk
psychology, intentionality has a different meaning.
Human perceivers consider a behavior intentional when
it appears purposeful or done intentionally, that
is, based on reasons (beliefs, desires) and performed
with skill and awareness. N.B. intentionality (tion)
is not to be confused with intensionality (sion), a
concept from semantics. (Online Diction.)