Foreign Correspondents in the East Asian Cold War: The Sino-Japanese journalist exchange of 1964

Casper Wits

doi:10.1017/s0026749x19000404

Abstract

AbstractThis article examines the importance of the exchange of foreign correspondents between Japan and China from 1964, during a period of the Cold War when the two countries did not have official ties. Favourable political circumstances in the first half of the 1960s led to a brief window of opportunity for an improved relationship between China and Japan, during which this unique exchange took place. The article attempts to shed light on the significance of the exchange within the broader context of Chinese foreign policy and Sino-Japanese relations during the Cold War. Thereby it will clarify the importance of the 1960–1964 period for the longer rapprochement process that would come to fruition in 1972 with the establishment of diplomatic relations. The exchanges of 1964 were seen by participants as an important first step on the way towards official ties. For the Chinese the importance of a relationship with Japan in this period, and, by extension, the importance of the journalist exchange, is shown by the involvement of an unusually high number of journalists from both countries. This article argues that the Chinese leadership's desire for the journalist exchange was rooted in a craving for accurate knowledge about Japan, especially concerning specific political trends and economic developments. This enthusiasm was matched by pro-China politicians in Japan, who also felt that the journalists’ presence would enable the Chinese to base their Japan policy on a broader variety of sources, extending beyond information merely gathered through contacts in the Japanese left.

Highlights

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in, only a limited number of non-communist countries recognized the new government, whereas the United States and Japan officially recognized Chiang Kai-shek’s Republic of China (ROC) regime in Taiwan
The relative openness in China’s outlook during the first half of the s made a high level of interaction possible for the Japanese correspondents when they first arrived in China. While this era was already coming to an end by the time the journalist exchange started, the ripples of goodwill would continue for a while and make the breakfast meetings possible
The Sino-Japanese journalist exchange was made possible by rapidly improving ties during a brief moment between and when the era of the relatively pro-China Ikeda Hayato government in Japan coincided with the Chinese government’s efforts to engage with Japan and the capitalist world

Summary

Introduction

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in , only a limited number of non-communist countries recognized the new government, whereas the United States and Japan officially recognized Chiang Kai-shek’s Republic of China (ROC) regime in Taiwan. The Chinese saw the trade and other negotiations, such as those on the repatriation of Japanese who had remained in China after , as an opportunity to create a transnational network involving actors from both sides, aimed at the improvement of ties and establishment of official relations in the long term This was encouraged and managed in detail by Liao Chengzhi.[18] From the start, the work of those Chinese journalists reporting on Japan was integrated with these efforts. Takasaki was the person best placed to aid them in improving trade relations with Japan.[32]

The role of Matsumura Kenzō and Tagawa Seiichi

The Chinese correspondents in Japan

The Japanese correspondents in China

Conclusion