TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi plans to visit China and South Korea in the coming days in an effort to allay fears that his nation is becoming more militaristic as it gears up to support a U.S.-led strike against terrorism.
Koizumi also hopes to repair the damage caused by a controversial textbook's treatment of World War II and his own visit to a war memorial, which together put Japanese relations with the two neighbors on their worst footing in years.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said Koizumi expects to meet with Chinese President Jiang Zemin on Monday and with South Korean President Kim Dae Jung on Oct. 15.
Beijing and Seoul rebuffed a similar summit offer from Koizumi a few months ago. The cold shoulder raised fears that the prime minister might be snubbed at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shanghai later this month.
"They wanted to clear the air before APEC," said Hirokazu Matsumoto, an independent foreign relations expert.
Koizumi has pledged to pass legislation allowing the Japanese armed forces to provide medical, transportation and logistical support overseas and to assist refugees in Central Asia--far from the nation's shores. His government also announced Thursday that it will provide up to $120 million to help Afghan refugees.
Although neither Seoul nor Beijing has publicly criticized Japan's proposed legal changes, analysts say China in particular is wary that the anti-terrorism issue could be a pretext for Japan to extend its military reach.
China and South Korea were already miffed by Koizumi's Aug. 13 visit to Yasukuni Shrine, where 14 Class A war criminals are enshrined, as well as by a textbook that they believe soft-pedals Japan's wartime aggression and its treatment of Asian women forced into prostitution by the military.
Analysts said they expect Koizumi to tell both governments that Japan has no expansionist ambitions and is only acting in support of a global anti-terrorism battle.
He also is expected to discuss the textbook issue and shrine visit, attempting to show personal understanding for the concerns raised, analysts said. He has not yet announced whether he will revisit the shrine, which honors Japan's war dead, next August during annual commemorations.
On the textbook issue, Koizumi also may argue that little damage was done since most Japanese schools chose not to use the controversial book.
