Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it was acceptable for the Bank of Japan to miss its self-imposed deadline for to meet its inflation target, suggesting that the government was in no mood now to pressure the central bank to expand monetary stimulus.
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Earlier on Monday national broadcaster NHK said Abe would skip the ceremony in China to focus on collective self defence bills now being debated in parliament.
China says the parade is being held to mark the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender and to demonstrate a commitment to peace.
Several world leaders including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Mongolia’s Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Egypt’s Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi and Milos Zeman of the Czech Republic have accepted China’s invitation to attend the ceremony.
Aggression by Japan during the early years of the 20 century still overshadows its relations with China, the latter being the former’s largest trading partner.
Suga said the government has already informed China that Abe has no plans to visit the country around the time of the event.
There is no reason to politicize the commemorative events in Beijing, because that would send out the wrong signal that the West does not welcome the rise of China and does not want Japan to express remorse for its past and learn the lessons of history. President Park Geun-hye has confirmed that she will attend the celebrations on September 3rd.
The guard of honor of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Three Services takes part in a rehearsal for a military parade in Beijing, capital of China, August 23, 2015.
“The issues between Japan and China are too deep to be resolved by a short summit meeting”, said Robert Dujarric, Director of the Institute of Contemporary Asian Studies at Temple University’s Japan campus. China has attracted criticism for demanding land in disputed South China Sea. China and Japan also dispute islets in the East China Sea.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won’t travel to China next month, dashing hopes of a meeting there with President Xi Jinping that could have bolstered a recent thaw in ties.
