After finishing the book, The Rape of Nanjing written by Iris Chang,
The initial shock is mixed by so many different other feelings: anger, thinking and yearn to know more about the future.
Generally speaking , as a common citizen of mainland , the fundamental recognition for the Nanjing Massacre should be more profound than the people who live at other areas. Since the elementary school` s education ,it could provide the chance for us to know the atrocious massacre from our history books whose content are very objective , cause it is the responsibility of nation, to make the new generation to know what happen to China before and remember the history` s lesson. Only we know more them, objectively , the better attitude toward future we could have.
Economy Angle
The words from a Japanese: Even if our prime minister will not visit
Yasukuni Shrine , Koreans still will not purchase Japanese goods; Even if our prime minister visit this Shrine ,Chinese still will purchase Japanese goods.
For myself, say from my heart, I decided to be a Chinese who refuse to purchase any Japanese goods many years ago, just like more and more new Chinese generation who decide to do so. One of the key powers which drives me to sustain the habit is the sentence mentioned above. Those words push me to ponder the situation itself again and again, why it happens? Is it a character of our nation? Whatever the result is, the sentence is always my best reminder to make me reconsider the future of Sino-Japanese. Where will it choose to go?
Why I would like to discuss this question? Why I bring my anger toward Japanese` s flightiness happened 70 years ago to the future of Sino-Japanese? Following is my thinking process.
When I finish the book, The Rape of Nanjing, my heart raises such a question “What the ultimate target the book want to get? What is the final expectation of Iris Chang? ” Is it aim to provide the irrefutable evidences for western countries? Or make more and more people to know and believe in the unforgettable history?
Finally , Iris Chang` s demise makes me think it much boarder than ever before, because I believe the value of a person is not and will not be focused on a small area so that we have already missed the problem itself.
Scan the development of Sino—Japanese ,we could sum up with several words to describe: Trade between Sino—Japanese is hot, Political exchange is cold.
It is as the same as my initial feeling toward Japan. Whatever how I dislike the country which has done the evildoing for China ,even for the world, more and more countries have built or are building the business relation with it .Like the point presented by the noted economic book ,named The World Is Flat :“ With the globalization bringing us ever closer together , each part of it can not help to be involved in the big system that we never meet in the history of human being.” Japan is the second biggest economic unit in today` s world and also the second biggest trade country for China. In 2006,the number of trade between China and Japan exceeds 200 billion dollars, which is 211.29551 billon dollars. According to the prediction ,China might be the biggest trade country for Japan in 2007. What is more, we can not see the business trend between two countries will be weakened ,even if the governmental exchange has been stagnated for many years ,as the previous prime minister of Japan visit the shrine again and again. Japan` s downturn economy benefits from the grow of China and is stepping into a healthy way ,on the other hand ,China also get the help from Japan in many areas ,such as environment protection ,energy and antipollution. These business exchanges are growing bigger and bigger ,even if I , or many the new generation of China refuse to purchase Japanese goods.
Why we would like to make business with Japan , the country which ever bring nightmare to China ? Have all of us forgotten the unforgettable history 70 years ago? Undoubtedly , The World Is Flat shows the answer.
It is the trend of our age, the character of 21st century.
Political Angle
Recently, a large newsreel ,named “ the process the great powers grow up” draws the hot discussion among Chinese citizens. What is the right role of China which is becoming A Great Power? Which is the best way for us to choose when we have entered the gate of 21st century?
In a word ,we will not copy the old way of those countries have done before ,like German and Japan. A peaceful surrounded environment is a must for today` s China and also a precondition for the sustainable growth of China. This is a revival of entire Chinese people ,where it will bring the honor and pride to China again after so many years, also after the Nanjing Massacre ,the unforgettable history.
Presenting the current situation from economic angle , I believe that the political views toward Japan should another way to help us to find the truth.
Maybe ,it is a coincidence that Chinese prime minister Wen Jia Bao is visiting Japan after 7 years passed when I am preparing the essay. It is a visit called by Chinese Medias as “Melting The Ice”, because the new prime minister of Japan has visited China early this year and that trip is called as “Breaking The Ice”. So the visit gives me a new point to consider about the relationship between China and Japan from the governmental level.
Before the visit ,the famous compere of CCTV (China Centre Television) ,Bai Yan Song have gone to Japan to make a program ,so called Yan Song`s view toward Japan. He interviews a lot of Japanese Stars in different areas , such as the popular star Ayumi Hamasaki ,the wife of the prime minister of Japan and so on, to try to provide the total new angle for Chinese people to know today` s Japan ,what the Japanese are thinking and what are their views toward the history problem. After I finish this series programs, the very obvious Japanese attitude` s toward history is one word: various. That the previous prime minister of Japan visited the shrine shows the world one face of Japan, which is made of lie, absolutely. Like the comments of Bai Yan Song, “ If two different countries have disputed about a topic ,that is a normal situation. However, once it is becoming a problem to confirm a truth whether it is right or wrong ,that is totally different thing.”
However, if we believe that those mentioned have been the mainstream attitude toward the Second World War, it sounds not a good idea. As some reporter expresses his personal doubt that so many common Japanese are playing around the shrine ,it is as the same as the temple fair in China. People seem to travel here to relax themselves, not for other political aim. One message left by a Japanese on the message book of the shrine is the one:“ I hope that there is no war again ,cause many people will die in the war.”
Some Japanese Medias comment about the new generation of Japan ,who live with the high speed development of Japan in the peace age like this: “Most of them do not have any personal value judgment for the history. They can not understand why their neighbor countries hate Japan so much.” It is very nature ,because they do not have any knowledge about the before ,about what Japan have done for other Asia countries ,also include the Nanjing Massacre. This is one of the key reasons that why today` s Japan refuse to confirm the truth ,or to apologize for disaster they bring to the China, to the people who died in Nanjing Massacre.
As a result of the situation of today` s Japan , we can think the question again , why we write essay to reconsider the Massacre ? To memory Iris Chang, the hero to fight for the human rights?
Because we , every one of ethic Chinese people has the responsibility
to show the truth to the world ,to help more and more people to know the unforgettable history of human being, especially to help the new generation of Japan to know the history which has been wiped off by their government in some way. Of course, the final goal that we are doing ,is to create a prosperous future for the relationship between China and Japan ,also to bring the sustainable peace for the world. This determination, only this one , can be the most valuable aim for every of us to strive for. I believe that it is also the final expectation of Iris, who sacrifices her valuable life to seek.
Philosophic Angle
Japan will surrender.
— Ruth Benedict
At the end of the Second World War, America faces a country which is quite different from German. Their attitude toward the war and their behavior are not the ways that belong to western society. So the American government needs one who could present a guideline about Japan so that U.S.A can carry out the right policy to mange the Japan after the war. The sentence written by Ruth Benedict is one of the accurate prediction about the Japan` s action.
The Chrysanthemum and The Sword written by Ruth is one of the most important books for international society to know the original Japan. The book discloses the basic psychology of Japanese and is very helpful for us to know why they behave like this or that .One of the key points mentioned in the book is the culture to learn from great country and each is in his proper place.
Since 8th September 1868, the new government of Japan renames its capital as Tokyo. It opens the age of reform of Japan, also the age of Japan learns from western developed country. Its capability to learn from the stronger country is also one of the most factors that Japan could achieve the big success after war. This habit, “Always learn from the country which is stronger than Japan”, could be found in the every part of Japan` s history. As a result, if China could not become a country that is much stronger than Japan , the original thinking of Japan will not dominate itself to the direction to apologize for what they have done in the war. What is more, if China is still the old and puny one, I believe that no one can fully avoid The Nanjing Massacre happen again! It has been already proved in the hundreds of years of the history between China and Japan.
The second point stated by Ruth is that each is in his proper place. Japanese believe that every one in the society has its own appropriate
place to live. This is why the old Japan divides the society into 4 levels :
soldier ,farmer, worker and merchant. The level of soldier is the highest one and the merchant level is the lowest one. Each one should live in its circle and is not allowed to move from one level to another. It has also become the subsequent guideline that directs Japan to conquer the world. Because they believe their emperor is the god of the world and Japanese is the best race in the world. In the agreement of league between Japan and German, we could see the words like these:“ To divide the world with German and each state is in his proper place meets the benefit of Japan。” Therefore, once the fundamental thinking of Japanese could be grasped ,we could easily understand the behavior that Japan brings to the world in second world war.
Whatever the problem is , once we catch the source of issue. Every one of us already has a clear picture to unscramble the actions of today` s Japan and know how to cope with it.
Expect Sustainable Peace
From what has been discussed above, we may safely draw the conclusion
that to make more and more people to know the truth is must ,what is more,
to change the people` s recognition toward to massacre into the power to
drive Japan to deploy the right way in the near future and to build the
sustainable peace for Sino—Japanese. That should be the final goal for every ethic Chinese to seek.
Because the way not only can contribute to the peace of the world , but also can make better place , for you and me……
JERRY.C Refer to History Looking Forward Future