Shii has talks with visiting Li Peng

Japanese Communist Party Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo held talks with Li Peng, Chinese National People's Congress Standing Committee Chair on April 5 in Tokyo. Li, who is also a Communist Party of China Political Bureau Standing Committee member, was in Japan at the invitation of Japan's parliament.

Noting that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the normalizing of Japan-China relations and the 4th anniversary of restoring relations between the Japanese Communist Party and the Communist Party of China, Shii expressed sincere wishes for the further development of Japan-China relations and JCP-CPC relations.

Referring to the five principles for Japan-China relations, which JCP Central Committee Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo proposed during his 1998 talks in China with CPC General Secretary Jiang Zemin (state president), Shii stressed in particular the significance of the two principles, that Japan severely examines its past war of aggression and that Japan strictly maintains the one-China policy in Japan's relations as what Japan should abide by.

Peaceful settlement of Taiwan question

On the Taiwan question, Shii said that he is giving attention to China's recent statement that both the continent and Taiwan make up China as a manifestation of China's considerations for the feelings of Taiwan residents. Shii stated that the peoples of China's surrounding areas, including Japan, are calling for China to settle the problem through peaceful dialogue.

Li replied that he wanted to settle the Taiwan question peacefully based on the "one country, two systems" principle. He said that the current development of economic relations between the continent and Taiwan will greatly contribute to achieving this goal, and that China is preparing conditions toward the aim.

Independent quest for socialism

Li said that there was a period in which the socialist movement was at a low ebb after the demise of the Soviet Union, and questions were raised ablout the validity of Marxism but that capitalism has yet to resolve its major intrinsic contradictions, despite its survival owing to scientific and technological progress and the development of productive capacity. Li asked Shii to give the JCP view on socialism.

Shii said that the important thing is for a country, its people and its parties to independently seek paths to social development which are appropriate to their own circumstances. He said that the 21st century in a historic perspective will be a century in which conditions mature to prepare socialism, a new system for humanity to overcome capitalism. Shii said that this is the only way for people to fundamentally resolve the serious contradictions which today's capitalism poses, such as the gap between the rich and poor, the global North-South problem, and environmental collapse.

Saying that China is on its way to building a socialist society with Chinese characteristics by using self-reliance to apply Marxist and other theories to Chinese circumstances, Li explained how China is practicing the "socialist market economy." Li also stressed that it will take a long time for China to achieve the goal, given the reality of the Chinese economy which is far behind Japan, citing examples of the big gap between the rich and poor and low productive capacity.

Referring to the JCP position of giving importance to combining a planned economy with the market economy as a perspective for Japan's socialism in the future, Shii said that the JCP is paying attention to this viewpoint from the developments of the Chinese economy, and that the JCP wishes China success in this endeavor.

Then the subject of discussion turned to the world situation. Shii pointed out that the most important task in the 21st century is to establish an order of peace based on the United Nations Charter. In this context, Shii posed the following three questions which the JCP views with serious apprehension and criticism:

On 'axis of evil,' Israel and Palestine, and nuclear weapons

First, Shii said that an arbitrary use of military power and sanctions against an "axis of evil" country branded by the Bush Administration will "bring lawlessness into the world." "It is necessary for the international community to jointly block such a lawless act," argued Shii.

Second, Shii criticized the Israeli government for defining the Palestinian Authority as a "supporter of terrorists" and Chairman Yasser Arafat as an "enemy," and placing him under unjustifiable confinement. Such Israeli actions counteract persistent international efforts to bring peace to the Middle East and it cannot be allowed," Shii added. Stressing the urgent need to achieve a cease-fire and immediate withdrawal of the Israeli soldiers from Palestinian towns based on U.N. Security Council Resolution 1402 adopted on March 30, Shii emphasized that the international community must jointly urge Israel to follow the U.N. resolution.

Third, regarding the "Nuclear Posture Review" the U.S. submitted to Congress, Shii criticized the U.S. government's report for instructing the U.S. forces to draw up a plan to use nuclear weapons in seven countries, including China. This indicates a U.S. policy of the preemptive use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states and other nations, Shii said. The JCP, as a political party of the only A-bombed country, will never allow such a backward flow against the world current towards peace, he sated.

Shii expressed his hope that "China take initiatives at an appropriate time to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons, which is people's dearest wish."

On Shii's proposals, China NPC Chairman Li said that his views are roughly the same as Shii's. Peace and development are the mainstream of the world current, but the situation continues to waver between worse and better, Li said. He emphasized that "the biggest threat to the world is U.S. hegemony and power politics." He also referred to the problem in Palestine. While acknowledging U.S. efforts as a mediator for Israel and Palestine, Li pointed out that if the U.S. did not support the Israeli government's action, the present desperate situation would not have taken place.

Hegemony has no future

Stressing the importance of the struggle against U.S. hegemony, Shii pointed out that in the 21st century, U.S. hegemony has no future and that it will be inevitable for those who assert hegemony to be isolated, failing to get support from the world. Shii expressed his determination that he will work even harder to build a hopeful 21st century, although history is zig-zagged.

The following JCP members also attended the talks: Acting Secretariat Head Fudesaka Hideyo, Executive Committee Members Kokuta Keiji, Ogata Yasuo, Yamaguchi Tomio, and Nishiguchi Hikaru. From China, Vice-Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Wang Guangying, Ambassador to Japan Wu Dawei, and Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended. (end)