Yamazaki: Japan and China relationship "so bad"

Senior Advisor to Koizumi and former vice president of Japan's ruling LDP, Taku Yamazaki is visiting Washington DC today.

At a speech at Heritage foundation, Mr. Yamazaki said, Sino-Japan relationship is so bad that even in facing such serious crisis of North Korea's missiles launch, it is impossible for top leaders of China and Japan to talk to each other.

Regarding to Yasukuni issue, Mr. Yamazaki argued that the issue is very complicated; even Japan's emperors (Showa and Heisei) have been visit there for nearly three decades. (since 1978 when Class A war criminals were added to be worshiped at the shrine.)

To resolve the Yasukuni issue, one possibility is for the Shrine management to volunteer to split the enshrinement of the War criminals. Another one is to set up another memorial service facility.

Mr. Yamazaki also criticizes the statement that Japan's using North Korea issue to rearm its self-defense troops. He cited that Japan's defense expense has been cut for the past several years in a row.

You can take a look at event materials here.