Japanese Government pushes industrial Heritage site bid / Aims to counter Chinese, ROK objections

[Aepsilons]

Government pushes industrial Heritage site bid / Aims to counter Chinese, ROK objections

The government has embarked on a diplomatic drive to get Meiji-era industrial revolution sites onto UNESCO’s World Heritage list by dispatching high-ranking officials to UNESCO committee member countries.
With South Korea and China objecting to the registration bid, sources said the government has been making an all-out effort to gain understanding about Japan’s position from member countries.

The World Heritage Committee will decide on the listing of the sites at a session scheduled to start in Germany on June 28. If the committee is split, a vote is held as a rule with a two-thirds majority needed for registration.

The committee comprises 21 countries including Japan and South Korea. The government has sent six senior officials to 10 countries since May 8.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Minoru Kiuchi visited Poland and Germany, the chair country. State Minister of Cabinet Office Masaaki Taira went to Serbia and Croatia, which is the vice chair country. State Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Motoyuki Fujii visited Finland and Kazakhstan.

Three parliamentary vice ministers for foreign affairs have also been sent to four countries.

The government plans to send State Minister for Foreign Affairs Yasuhide Nakayama and Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affiars Kentaro Sonoura to five other countries to request support, including Jamaica, another vice chair country.

A UNESCO advisory panel recommended that the Meiji era sites be registered on the World Heritage list because Japan’s industrial revolution illustrates the first time Western industrialization had successfully spread in a non-Western country.

South Korea claims the sites include facilities where Koreans were forced to work during the war, and started a campaign objecting to the registration by sending letters to member countries asking them to oppose the move.

China also expressed opposition Thursday on similar claims of forced labor in the past.

The government responded that the sites in question cover a period from the 1850s to 1910, arguing that China and South Korea’s problems with forced labor are irrelevant to the period and historical background.

“They’re trying to block registration by unnecessarily bringing up issues related to historical perception so this will become a political problem. Such behavior lacks dignity,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said.

The government is working to hold a director general-level meeting among foreign affairs officials with South Korea in Tokyo on Friday.

Sources said Japan has already explained its position to China through diplomatic channels.

“The government aims to keep striving so the UNESCO committee will be able to follow the recommendation and make a decision,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters Friday.



Government pushes industrial Heritage site bid / Aims to counter Chinese, ROK objections - The Japan News

 

[xunzi]

I suppose the world has 190 countries, of these a conservative number of 150 countries should register for UNESCO Industrial Heritage site. LOL

Japan, you need to stop causing trouble. If there is anyone whom to have their industrial heritage site registered, it's Great Britain. Followers don't need to register, otherwise everyone will just register their own. LOL

 

[Aepsilons]

“They’re trying to block registration by unnecessarily bringing up issues related to historical perception so this will become a political problem. Such behavior lacks dignity,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said.

Spot on.

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

Spot on.

Japanese have no perspective on this one, don't they?

I have never seen Germany trying to claim any factory of the Nazi era, which used forced labor of Poles, or the Jews.

 

[Place Of Space]

Japanese start to make trouble again.

 

[cnleio]

The result just make both Sino-Korea walk closer ... China has many choices but S.Korea will reply on China more (especially mainland market). We should thanks Japan government, China add a new Comrade in North-East Asia.

 

[70U63]

A UNESCO advisory panel recommended that the Meiji era sites be registered on the World Heritage list because Japan’s industrial revolution illustrates the first time Western industrialization had successfully spread in a non-Western country.

Japan's attempt to beautify its past... (again)
If they want recommend World Heritage List for Meiji era, do it to Japan main islands that has been western industrialised, but not on other colonized states. Already told you previously, you can't ask Korea to thank you for invaded and liberated their country while on the same time killed lots of them.

Bloody hell~

 

[Aepsilons]

We must go ahead despite neighborly opposition. We cannot expect to bend over backwards all the time the moment our Chinese and Korean friends start protesting.

Japan's attempt to beautify its past... (again)
If they want recommend World Heritage List for Meiji era, do it to Japan main islands that has been western industrialised, but not on other colonized states. Already told you previously, you can't ask Korea to thank you for invaded and liberated their country while on the same time killed lots of them.

Bloody hell~

And why should we not be proud of our industrial revolution ? As Asia's first industrial power? We have every right. The Americans do it, the Germans, the British. So Japan has every right.

 

[70U63]

And why should we not be proud of our industrial revolution ? As Asia's first industrial power? We have every right. The Americans do it, the Germans, the British. So Japan has every right.

You simply don't get it.
Yes, you can proud of your industrial revolution.
However, the industrial revolution in Korea have mixed with mistreatment/abuse of Korean people by the Japanese coloniser. Like i said previously, don't include the site in Korea or other colonized states. Only mention the site in Japan main islands.
Korean can decide themselves if they want to put the site on the World Heritage List in the future.
Considered what you previous countrymen did to their country, don't want to admit certain crimes and still try to beautify the past, this is equal to rub salt into their wound.

 

[Kyle Sun]

polite and shameless Japanese.

 

[Brutas]

Reading at the posts, just curious(could be off topic !), does nations in Asia celebrate victory over Japan in ww2 ?

 

[Aepsilons]

You simply don't get it.
Yes, you can proud of your industrial revolution.
However, the industrial revolution in Korea have mixed with mistreatment/abuse of Korean people by the Japanese coloniser. Like i said previously, don't include the site in Korea or other colonized states. Only mention the site in Japan main islands.
Korean can decide themselves if they want to put the site on the World Heritage List in the future.
Considered what you previous countrymen did to their country, don't want to admit certain crimes and still try to beautify the past, this is equal to rub salt into their wound.

First of all, who ever said that we would include sites that outside of Japan? Instead of being quick to blame, you should research on the areas we are endorsing. The endorsement covers 23 facilities in eight prefectures, mainly in the Kyushu region, which were offered up by the government as sites representing the country’s industrialization in the late 19th to early 20th centuries.

This is exactly what the Foreign Ministry spokesperson meant about improper association with historical perception.




UNESCO endorses Meiji industrial sites for World Heritage status - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

“They’re trying to block registration by unnecessarily bringing up issues related to historical perception so this will become a political problem. Such behavior lacks dignity,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said.

 

[70U63]

She said China “opposes” Japan’s application to have the sites, which are related to the Meiji Era (1868-1912) industrial revolution, designated with World Heritage status and wants to urge Japan to “properly deal with relevant concerns.”

China had not voiced explicit opposition to the move until a UNESCO advisory panel recommended the listing of the sites on May 4. By contrast, South Korea, which claims about 58,000 of Koreans were sent to work at seven of the facilities during the war, had previously voiced its opposition.

Asked about China’s stance on the listing, she said Japan’s forced recruitment of labor was a “grave crime” committed during its militarist past, and that it was worth rethinking why the industrial sites should be part of the heritage list.

Japanese government officials argue that South Korea has been politicizing the UNESCO listing, arguing that the period and historical background under which these sites fall are from the “1850s to 1910″ and unrelated to the issue of forced labor during the war. Japan ruled the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945.
China joins South Korea in opposing Japan's bid to add industrial sites to UNESCO list | The Japan Times

 

[LacViet]

Japanese start to make trouble again.

china do it, troubles in Senkaku and in East Sea of Vietnam recently.

 

[Aepsilons]

She said China “opposes” Japan’s application to have the sites, which are related to the Meiji Era (1868-1912) industrial revolution, designated with World Heritage status and wants to urge Japan to “properly deal with relevant concerns.”

China had not voiced explicit opposition to the move until a UNESCO advisory panel recommended the listing of the sites on May 4. By contrast, South Korea, which claims about 58,000 of Koreans were sent to work at seven of the facilities during the war, had previously voiced its opposition.

Asked about China’s stance on the listing, she said Japan’s forced recruitment of labor was a “grave crime” committed during its militarist past, and that it was worth rethinking why the industrial sites should be part of the heritage list.

Japanese government officials argue that South Korea has been politicizing the UNESCO listing, arguing that the period and historical background under which these sites fall are from the “1850s to 1910″ and unrelated to the issue of forced labor during the war. Japan ruled the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945.
China joins South Korea in opposing Japan's bid to add industrial sites to UNESCO list | The Japan Times

No need to discuss this further. We are going through with our plans.

Again, this is not an issue that should concern both the Koreans and Chinese.

It is a Japanese Matter.