After the defeat of Japan in 1945, the relationship between China and Japan reached a freezing point, and the two countries broke off diplomatic relations . Japan's pro-US and anti-Chinese relations and close contacts with the Taiwan authorities have even worsened the relations between China and Japan. However, with the changes in the international political situation, the Japanese authorities have realized that the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Japan is the general trend and the aspirations of the people. After a series of secret consultations, in September 1972, the then Prime Minister of Japan Kakuei Tanaka personally visited China , and the Prime Minister was responsible for the reception, thus opening a new chapter in the post-war relationship between the two countries.
However, on the first day of the visit, Z4z Kakuei Tanaka said a word, and the Prime Minister repeatedly rejected . What did Prime Minister Tanaka say? What are the stories behind this visit?
Japan's pro-US anti-Chinese anti-Chinese anti-betrayal by its allies
mentioned at the beginning that after Japan was defeated, it implemented a "pro-US anti-Chinese" foreign policy, and domestic right-wing forces were rampant. Sato Eisaku became the Prime Minister of Japan in 1964, and he reigned for eight years. In the past eight years, he has visited the Yasukuni Shrine dozens of times without repentance. After a series of suffocating operations by
, Sino-Japanese relations have completely entered a dead end, and China's hostility towards Japan has only increased. And Sato's cabinet hates China in order to show loyalty to the Americans and show closeness. But he never expected that his allies would "rebel" first.
On February 21, 1972, Nixon, the then President of the United States, visited China , and Sino-US relations were normalized. However, the Japanese government did not receive any news from the United States in advance. They knew only a few minutes before Nixon boarded the plane that China and the United States were about to resume diplomatic relations.
Affected by Nixon’s visit to China, Japan’s closeness to China has greatly increased , and public opinion demanded that the Sato cabinet resume contacts with China. The Sato cabinet expressed to the Chinese government that he hoped to visit China, but Sato Eisaku himself has lost the trust of the Chinese side. The prime minister made it clear that "we do not talk with Sato" .
At this time, the domestic approval rate of the Sato cabinet is already in jeopardy, and the doppelganger is lacking, and there is no way to recover. The Sato cabinet officially resigned in July 1972, and the Sato era ended.
Tanaka's new prime minister. Sino-Japanese relations icebreaker
The incoming Japanese prime minister is Kakuei Tanaka . He learned from his predecessor’s experience and realized that Sino-Japanese relations had a major impact on his political career. Tanaka made the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations one of his important diplomatic goals, and appointed Masahiro Ohira as Japan's foreign minister to be in charge of foreign affairs.
After the Chinese government expressed its willingness to welcome Prime Minister Tanaka's visit to China in due course, Kakuei Tanaka attached great importance to this opportunity to improve relations between the two countries. He has sent special envoys to China many times for consultations. The Prime Minister also made an exception to meet with Japanese diplomats many times to inform them of China's bottom line and the draft China-Japan joint statement.
It stands to reason that the senior leaders of both China and Japan have expressed strong wishes. Tanaka's visit to China should have been smooth, , but this is not the case.
At that time, Japanese right-wing forces threatened the Tanaka cabinet many times. They were extremely hostile to China and did not want the two countries to resume diplomatic relations. Tanaka has to take into account the wishes of the pro-China faction, and he is also worried about the right-wing forces to make trouble. Therefore, he is also in a dilemma.
But what he knows better is that if China-Japan diplomatic relations are not restored, might not be able to hold his position as prime minister. So under heavy pressure, Tanaka decided to visit China in September of that year, accompanied by Ohira.
Tanaka Kakuei's visit to China is scheduled for September 25, which is only two months after he took office. Such an eagerness to put a visit to China on the agenda shows how much Prime Minister Tanaka attaches importance to this matter. It is false to say that he is not worried, but the sincere and sincere attitude of the Chinese side has given him some peace of mind.
Tanaka Kakuei has a daughter named Makiko, who has been trained as a successor for a long time. No matter where he visits, he is willing to take Makiko with him, hoping his daughter will be able to see her. But on this trip to China, Z4z Makiko offered to follow, but Tanaka refused.
He thought over it and told his daughter:
"This visit to China is fraught with danger, and I don't know if I can come back smoothly. Negotiations may fail, and I may not be able to return to Japan. I can't let you take risks with me."
is not only busy with Tian Zhong, but Daping is also worried. Before he boarded the plane, he told his assistant: "I may not be able to come back. I have to ask you to take care of things here."
and his party, with anticipation and nervousness, took the plane. Fly to China. Prime Minister
personally visited China, but his request was rejected?
At 11:30 on the 25th, Prime Minister Tanaka’s special plane successfully arrived at Beijing Airport. Prime Minister was already waiting here. The hatch opened and Tanaka got off the plane and walked towards the prime minister. He held the Prime Minister’s hand and immediately said:
"My name is Kakuei Tanaka, and I am the Prime Minister of Japan. I am 54 years old this year, so please take care of me." Prime Minister
also held his hand and introduced himself to:
. My name is Zhou Enlai, and I welcome your arrival."
Then the Tanaka Diplomatic Mission, accompanied by the Prime Minister, drove to the Diaoyutai State Guest House. Prime Minister
did not comment on Tanaka's age. As a matter of fact, the Chinese side has already grasped the information of Prime Minister Tanaka and his diplomatic mission clearly. The Prime Minister knew that Z4z Tanaka Kakuei was born from a civilian, and he started from scratch. Z5z was only a technical secondary school degree, but he became the Prime Minister of Japan at the age of 54, so he still has some political talent. Prime Minister
expressed his welcome, but he didn't say anything about his age, and he didn't want to deliberately praise him. But after arriving at Building 18, Tanaka once again mentioned that he was only 54 years old this year. Prime Minister
responded with a smile:
"I became the prime minister of China at the age of 51. I am equivalent to the prime minister of Japan. I have been prime minister for 23 years." Prime Minister
described it calmly, leaving Tanaka speechless. In the interview, I never mentioned that I was 54 years old.
After entering Building 18, Prime Minister introduced to Tanaka that this was the place where US President Nixon stayed during his visit to China , implying that China also attached great importance to Japan's visit to China. After listening to Tanaka, he immediately said:
"However, the history of the exchange between China and Japan is longer than that of the exchange between China and the United States." Prime Minister
also smiled slightly and nodded in agreement. Prime Minister
entered the house and prepared to take off his windbreaker jacket, but the Prime Minister’s right arm was injured during the war and he always needs help when taking off his jacket. When Prime Minister Tanaka saw this, he immediately stepped forward four or five steps, walked to the Prime Minister's side, and made a request:
"I will help you take off your coat." Prime Minister
quickly refused: "No! After all, he is the Prime Minister of Japan, and he is from afar. Guest, how can you help take off your coat."
Seeing that Prime Minister refused, Tanaka insisted on helping. He explained:
"Although I am a guest, but you arranged for me to live in Building 18, I am the owner of this room during the visit. You accompany me here. You are a guest. What's wrong with me helping you take off your coat?"
He was sincere and very sincere. The Prime Minister did not refuse any more, and took it off with Tanaka’s help. The windbreaker jacket .
won the favor in one fell swoop and achieved fruitful results
Tanaka Kakuei's sincere attitude won the favor of the Chinese , which laid the friendly tone for this interview. Although helping the prime minister to take off his coat is a simple task, as the prime minister of Japan, Tanaka did not put on official airs at all. It can be seen that his visit to China really hopes to ease Sino-Japanese relations and restore normal Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations.
In fact, before Prime Minister Tanaka's visit to China, China and Japan had reached a basic consensus on the draft joint statement. The visit to China was to discuss key issues. These questions are very acute, because the Chinese people suffered so many injuries during the Japanese war of aggression against China, so China will never give in.
Therefore, Prime Minister Tanaka’s attitude is very important. If he still thinks that Japan is superior, then I am afraid that there will be little progress in this visit to China. Z2z
The easing of Sino-Japanese relations is already a general trend. After all, we and Japan are neighbors separated by a strip of water and separated by the sea. It is not a good thing for both sides to remain hostile. Although Prime Minister Tanaka was sincere, a small episode occurred during the visit, which almost caused a diplomatic disturbance. During the talks on the first day of
's visit, when Tanaka expressed his apologies to the Chinese people, used the expression "to cause trouble" and immediately aroused disgust on the scene.A stark war of aggression has caused great harm to the Chinese people, so how can one lightly say "troublesome"? Prime Minister
was also dissatisfied with this, pointing out that the Japanese side’s expressions were too perfunctory and lacking sincerity, and this attitude might make it difficult to continue negotiations. Only then did the Japanese realize that there was a problem with their expression, and quickly explained:
"In Japan, trouble is meant to apologize, and we don’t mean to avoid the problem."
But just one sentence of explanation is not enough, Tanaka’s own The speech was finally designated as "serious loss" and this incident was considered past.
When the interview was about to end, the great man of met with Prime Minister Tanaka . He deliberately brought up the issue of "causing trouble" and told Tanaka:
"In China, trouble is only said when water is splashed on girls." The great
is like a joke, but it conveys the bottom line of China. The damage of Japan's war of aggression against China must not be skimmed lightly. Although there was a slight disturbance, the visit of Prime Minister Tanaka and his diplomatic mission achieved satisfactory results. On September 29, the Chinese and Japanese governments issued a joint statement, officially announcing the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations.
The establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Japan has become one of the major diplomatic achievements of Kakuei Tanaka during his tenure. The rate of support for the Tanaka government in Japan has also risen sharply. Great power diplomacy itself requires wisdom and courage, and such a sensitive relationship between China and Japan requires a sincere attitude.
Tanaka Kakuei did not put on a high-minded attitude, but offered to help the Prime Minister by helping him take off his coat, thus showing his intimacy. There is nothing trivial in the diplomatic field of . Although Tanaka has done a few things, he fully demonstrated his sincerity in this trip. This paved the way for the entire visit to create a friendly atmosphere and eventually became a biography.
