‘Excluding China from regional affairs, not good approach for fostering peace'

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Criticizing China for what he called its "hegemonic behavior," a senior Japanese lawmaker has cautioned against isolating Beijing from Asia-Pacific regional affairs.

“We have a very critical view on the hegemonic behavior of China,” said Kazuo Shii, chairman of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) since 2000, “but excluding China is a not good approach to create peaceful conditions in this region.”

Shii was talking to Anadolu Agency in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul discussing the US-led Quad – a loose security alliance that includes Japan, Australia, and India as well.

He was in Istanbul to attend a three-day International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP).

Member of parliament since 1996, Shii said his party favors the inclusion of China in regional affairs "to create a peaceful framework in the region.”

Lauding the recent East Asian summit hosted by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Shii said it was "a good framework for promoting peace in this region."

Washington is leading the Quad in the wider region to contain China's expanding military and economic influence. Beijing has pushed back the efforts, criticizing any effort to isolate the world’s largest populated country which is also the second-biggest economy.

“I have a very critical view on the Quad,” the Japanese lawmaker said, adding that “if you create a kind of bloc politics, you have been trapped in an exclusive framework of diplomatic conditions.”

He believed that the Japanese government's "inclusive framework" for peace is "important."

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On bilateral relations with Türkiye, Shii said he had a “great opportunity to discuss things with the leadership” of the Justice and Development (AK) Party on the sidelines of the ICAPP.

“We are paying very close attention to the Turkish government’s attitude and proposal for how to solve the issues in Ukraine,” he said, condemning Russia’s war on Kyiv.

The ICAPP, Asia’s oldest and largest organization of political parties, was launched in 2000 in the Philippines and held its biannual conference last week in Istanbul.

Lauding Ankara’s role in brokering a landmark grain deal signed in Istanbul in July by Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine, the Japanese lawmaker said the Turkish government is “emphasizing the peaceful and diplomatic solution… that’s inspiring.”

"However, the important part is creating the conditions for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to this issue," he added.

Days before its scheduled expiration, the grain deal was extended for another 120 days, beginning Nov. 19.

Condemning the assassination of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the JCP lawmaker said he had cordial relations with the former Liberal Democratic Party leader.

"Of course, our political views differed," Shii continued.

Abe, Japan’s longest-serving premier, was shot dead at a political rally early this year, sending shockwaves around the world.

On the struggling Japanese economy, he said wages are the most important factor in the "demise of the Japanese economy."

“Wages are declining. People have lost income,” he said, suggesting that the government should use its “internal reserves to support workers’ lives.”

Japan is witnessing the inflation rate rising to 3.7% in October, the highest level since Jan. 1991.

The figure accelerated from 3% in September, mainly due to rising prices of food and raw materials, according to data from the Statistics Bureau of Japan.