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JIANG ZEMIN. THE IMPERIAL COUPLE WERE ACCOMPANIED THROUGH THEIR TOUR BY STATE COUNCILLOR AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SONG JIAN. (NOTE: STATE COUNCILLOR IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST
DESIGNATIONS IN THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND A MORE IMPORTANT TITLE THAN MINISTER). THERE WAS ALSO A SUBSTANTIAL ELEMENT OF SIGHTSEEING, A MEETING WITH SCIENTISTS OF THE CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND WITH LOCAL DIGNITARIES IN XI'AN AND SHANGHAI.
5. THE MOST SENSITIVE ASPECT OF THE VISIT WAS THE ISSUE OF JAPAN'S AGGRESSION AGAINST CHINA EARLIER THIS CENTURY. AS EXPECTED, THE EMPEROR STOPPED SHORT OF A FORMAL APOLOGY, BUT MUST HAVE GONE FAR ENOUGH TO ANGER JAPANESE RIGHT-WINGERS WHEN HE SAID HE DEEPLY DEPLORED... THE UNFORTUNATE PERIOD IN WHICH (HIS) PEOPLE INFLICTED GREAT SUFFERINGS ON THE PEOPLE OF CHINA.'' BOTH YANG SHANGKUN AND JIANG ZEMIN WERE REPORTED TO HAVE REFERRED CAREFULLY TO CHINA'S
PAST SUFFERINGS BUT PLACED MOST EMPHASIS ON STRENGTHENING AND EXPANDING RELATIONS IN THE FUTURE. YANG SAID 'THE PAST EXPERIENCE COULD SERVE AS A GOOD GUIDE FOR THE FUTURE'' JIANG SAID SINO-JAPANESE RELATIONS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED ''BY LOOKING TO HISTORY AS AN OBJECT LESSON, LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE AND CEMENTING FRIENDSHIP FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.'' THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES
TOOK NO RISKS. IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY EMBARRASSING MANIFESTATIONS
OF ANTI-JAPANESE SENTIMENT BY LOCAL PEOPLE THEY CLOSED OFF WHOLE
ROADS ALONG WHICH THE DELEGATION NEEDED TO TRAVEL ALONG AND POSTED
LARGE NUMBERS OF POLICE AT EVERY STAGE OF THE EMPEROR'S ROUTE.
COMMENT
6.
a
THIS WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE A WORKING VISIT BUT RATHER A CEREMONIAL ONE. BUT IT WAS OF CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE TO CHINA. NOT ONLY WAS THE EMPEROR THE HIGHEST RANKING DIGNITARY TO VISIT THE
PRC SINCE THE TIANANMEN MASSACRE BUT HIS VISIT ALSO CROSSED AN IMPORTANT PSYCHOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL THRESHOLD GIVEN THAT MANY CHINESE STILL HARBOUR FEELINGS OF INTENSE BITTERNESS TOWARDS JAPAN. THE EMPEROR SAW EVERYBODY WE WOULD EXPECT HIM TO: THE LACK OF A CALL ON DENG WAS PROBABLY A REFLECTION OF DENG'S FRAILTY AND ILL
HEALTH RATHER THAN A POLITICAL DECISION. ALTHOUGH NO FORMAL
AGREEMENTS CAME OUT OF THIS VISIT IT CAN BE EXPECTED TO CEMENT THE POLITICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
MCLAREN
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