Governor of Metropolitan Tokyo Ishihara Shintaro recently went on a so-called "visit of condolence" to Taiwan, a visit ever made by a governor of Tokyo since after normalization of Sino-Japanese relations in 1972.

Ishihara has by his "condolence" visit proven his true worth as a man in setting a very bad precedent for contacts between Japan and Taiwan to which we cannot but pay the closest attention. As is true with his anti-China nature, Ishihara has for his part defended himself by saying that his visit was just a trip of "humanitarianism" after the earthquake having rocked Taiwan. But when with Lee Teng-hui he immediately revealed his ugly feature as a man hanging on a loose tongue with a series of wanton anti-China remarks made. He talked foolishly that Taiwan is a peripheral "state" of Japan. From all Ishihara's "condolences" and his gibberish words it is not easy to see through what this Tokyo man is up to by all antics he staged in Taiwan. This Tokyo governor is a man that has always tried all his worth to stop the onward march of China to be reunified.

What is Ishihara Shintaro? He is a Japanese politician typical of the right wing and a maniac embracing Japanese national extremism. He has been made known for his fanatic book "Japan Entitled to Say No" centering on publicizing "centralism of grand Japan". Ishihara is a man that always holds to his anti-China stand. Of all dirty epithets favored by Japanese militarists against China, "China-man" is the very one frequent on the lips of this man. "To whitewash the bad fame of the Japanese nation" he even does not hesitate to lie in his teeth that the Nanjing massacre is a "lie made up by Chinese" and a "fictitious story". He does not conceal his idea for a split of China, saying that he is in favor of "one China, one Taiwan". He has preached for a split of China into six states. By his wanton anti-China remarks Ishihara has not only aroused strong indignation of the Chinese people, he has also with his gibberish anti-China words even been subjected to severe criticism by people in various walks of life in Japan.

Beginning with April this year, Ishihara assumed the office of governor of Metropolitan Tokyo. But this has not made him look well after his loose tongue. On the contrary, he still carries on as he has done with his loose tongue. This year, Beijing and Tokyo are going to mark the 20th anniversary of their friendly ties formed. When speaking about friendly exchanges between the two metropolitan cities he even publicly declares that he would refuse to go on a visit to Beijing. "When it should be necessary for me", he said, he "would like to go on a visit to Taiwan". Contrarily, it has made no exception for all his Tokyo predecessors to have gone on a visit to Beijing to mark the event. This points to the incorrigibility of Ishihara in his obstinate anti-China stand, not to say his recent "visit of condolence" to Taiwan, a totally premeditated scheme to split China. Ishihara says he "does things in the service of Tokyo is only for the state". There is also a warning as has been served by some newsmen in Japan: Ishihara has made Tokyo his base with which he may be enabled to negate the "one China principle" and further "exercise his influence on the central authorities". It goes without saying things must be true with this servicing Ishihara as what has been revealed by his life and utterances in Taiwan and Tokyo as well.

What is more, it should be pointed out the Ishihara phenomenon is by no means accidental. A thing to be noted is that in today's Japan there is no lack of Ishihara-like people making trouble on the Taiwan issue to China. This is a segment of people under an indeterminable type of feeling from past military colonialism. They regard Taiwan as a link to their lifeline out on the sea, refusing to see the rising of today's China going to be wholly reunified. Things are especially so following a growth of Japanese economy: There has been given rise to a type of "grand Japanese" nationalist feeling innate to yesterday's militarists. Since the railroading of New Japan-US Defense Cooperation Guidelines and other related laws in the Diet there have been found a few in Japan trying their utmost to orbit Taiwan into the US-Japan TMD. Since after the Cold War, as things stand today, people all over the world universally entertain a great hope for peace and development. Where and whither do Ishihara Shinto and his ilk want to lead Japan?

Last year President Jiang Zemin went on a visit to Japan to have further promoted the development of Sino-Japanese relations. In this situation, Ishihara Shintaro, as governor of Metropolitan Tokyo, with his actions and wanton remarks contravening the norms of Sino-Japanese relationship and various ill effects brought about, can by no means be neglected. The Japanese government should abide by its solemn commitment to the Chinese side concerning the Taiwan issue in the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship and last year's Sino-Japanese Joint Declaration. It should put a stop to all antics by Ishihara and his ilk and take immediate effective measures to diffuse the damage done to Sino-Japanese relations resulting from Ishihara's remarks and prevent the recurrence of further gibberish talks and anti-China actions like those of Ishihara. (By Zhang Zuji)