América Latina: ¿clase media de las naciones?

cate not to lean toward one Ot the other, has now dearly chósen one of them and shifted it.s diplomatic stance accordingly. The rapprochement with China will expand the radius óf Japan's capacity to engage in external political activities, while it will assign more polítical responsibility to Japan for maintaining peace and sta– bility in Asia. There seems to be a new prospect apening up for her to play sorne role in cooperation with China in relaxing tension in the Korean península, one of dangerous spots charged with powder for world war. There 15 also a new picture appearing on the scene that Japan may serve as a mediating agent, in some form or anothér, in Indochina, although one couId find a repercussionof the Japan– China Treaty in the 'tecentIy signed Soviet.Vietnam friendship and cooperation treaty. One more additional remark may be useful for explaining the importance of the choice Japan has recently made in the conclusion of the Japan-China Treaty. The postwar Japanese diplomacy has made several important chokes, ineludíng the San Francisco peace treaty (Sept>ember 1951), the J a.panese-Soviet joint dedaration on the res· toration of diplomatk relations (October 1956), the ]apan.Korea Treaty on the establishment of normal relations (June 1965), the agreement with the U.S. on the reversion of Okinawa (June 1971). ~nd the Japan-China joint declaration (September 1972). Al! had :tri important bearing on Japan's subsequent couse of action and in some cases gave rise to heated debate among the Japanese peopte and be. came the object of domestic polítical sl'rife. Compared with these developments, the condusion of the recent Japan.China T1reaty must be considered to be of a somewhat different eharacter. The earlier 'Choices all had the nature of "tidying up postwar problems". They were chojees that had to be made at certain historical points in the aftermath of World Wa!r II. There was no much room for }apan to make deliberate choice for moving on its own couse. Strong restraints imposed by the coId war setup were at work in tbe internationa:l envíronment, while the· presence of the United Statcs acted as a major factor to Hmit the radius oE Japan's actions. The lteCent choice was not made for the putpose of tidying up the postwar situation, llather signified a new move, more or less of its own will, in Japanese postwar diplomacy toward the direetion of so-callea "Omnidirectíonal diplomacy". The notion of "Omnidirec– tional diplomacy", which was originally used in French diplomacy under Presiaent Charles de Gaulle, is certain:ly vague; but, putting it in the context of the present externa! environment of Japan, ít 15 understooa that she will liquidate the "equídistant diplomacy" vis..á– vis China and the Soviet Union and furthermore will play more positive role in polítical game in Asia. 57