Japan has a homogeneous culture and a self-generating commitment to hard work. It enables them to organise their society in a manner that will produce the best results. They are setting their house in order. Their first step has been to move out of government-directed compassionate democracy to a more pragmatic approach in resolving problems. Their economic planners now accept that, as opposed to government intervention, the best way forward is to permit the private sector and market forces to drive economic growth. This has given them the necessary flexibility in the international trading arena and encouraged them to reduce government rules and regulations through an adaptive process.

The Japanese have been evolving over the last decade to maximize their chances of success. This has been quiet and consistent. With perhaps the best overall educated society in the world, they are now applying technology to the areas of energy savings and environmental issues. They have done this even more rigorously than the USA and many other advanced nations in Europe.

Japan has been preparing itself consciously for enhanced international political power. Their leaders, for the last few years, have been leveraging their economic and military strength. They have watched from the sidelines and now want to be part of the action.

Japan has over the last sixty years suffered from in-built restraints. It's Constitution limits its use of military force and does not even permit the exercise of the rights of collective self-defence. This equation also limits the country's possibility of using nuclear power and its capacity to respond to military emergencies.

Today in the 21st Century, Japan's quest for security is persuading them to take a frontal role in the international political arena. It is this context that has led them to embrace the issue of UN Security Council reforms. It is now seeking a permanent seat on the Council.

They are supporting their claim by pointing out that Japan pays 19.5 per cent of the United Nations general budget, which is second only to the 22 per cent funded by the USA. In this regard, they are also pointing out that Britain and France provide 6 per cent each and China as a developing nation only 2 per cent. They have also drawn attention to the fact that Russia is contributing only 1 per cent. These statistics are being used to denote that aside from the United States, Japan contributes more to the UN budget than all of the permanent members of the Security Council combined. It is also being pointed out that Japan pays 19.5 per cent also of the budget for peacekeeping operations in keeping with its belief in maintaining international peace and security.

Japan's current involvement in the financial matrix of running the United Nations has assumed a special position, given the fact that the next re-assessment of UN dues will take place in 2006. Japan believes that if it has to continue doing what it does, i.e., financing the UN in such a large manner, it deserves also to have its voice heard. It believes that obtaining a permanent seat will greatly expand Japan's diplomatic options in dealing with future international developments.

Japan has also been reiterating in various meetings this year that, when it comes to military obligations, there is no distinction between permanent members of the Security Council, non-permanent members and UN members that are not on the Council at all.

Japan's Prime Minister Koisumi and Foreign Minister Machimura have also underlined last month during their respective visits to South Asia and the USA that Japan is prepared to confront danger of behalf of the world's common goals. They have also drawn attention to the fact that Japan, over the last few years has taken part in a number of peacekeeping operations since its first such action in Cambodia in 1992.

Similarly, the Japanese leadership has underlined that Japan is equally involved in the peripheral activities outside of purely military roles that are becoming increasingly important in the activities of the Security Council. As an example they have cited the resolution on Iraq passed by the Security Council in June 2003 (which called for multinational forces to provide reconstruction assistance) and Japan's immediate response to this.

Japan's quest has however continued to suffer from a historical image factor. Despite all the afore-mentioned positives, some of its neighbours, specially China, continue to claim that Japan is unqualified to be a Permanent Member of the Security Council because of shortcomings in its interpretation of history and acceptance of responsibility for its wartime acts.

We have already noticed how Chinese public fury was unleashed against Japan in early April (possibly with some official encouragement) because of the publication in Japan of revised junior-high-school textbooks that, the Chinese claimed, had whitewashed Tokyo's World War II record.

The Japanese government reacted with speed. Prime Minister Koizumi issued the 'most public apology in a decade' for the suffering that Japan had caused Asian nations during the Second World War. This statement, delivered during the recently concluded Asia-Africa Summit in Indonesia was followed by a meeting with the Chinese President Hu Jintao where he repeated Japan's regret. This apology was the latest in a series of moves by Japan to patch up relations with Beijing.

It was however clear that the simmering Japan-China dispute was not only about the War but also because of the increasingly vitriolic struggle of the two countries to dominate the economic, diplomatic and military future of Asia. Japan to its consternation, has not only found itself on the back-foot but also nervous with China's new-found diplomatic muscle. It is also realising that its foreign policy, anchored on pacifism is becoming obsolete given the competition introduced by China and India in securing new energy supplies.

Bilateral trade between China and Japan has skyrocketed to over US dollar 200 billion (2004) but it has not calmed their 'sea of conflict' arising out of enhanced nationalism. China's asserting of its strategic interests has also led it to try to sabotage Japan's aim to become a new permanent member of the re-vamped UN Security Council. Japan has also in turn been trying to impede China's bid to become a member of the Inter-American Development Bank.

China-Japan relations have been increasingly acrimonious since last November, following a military encounter on the high seas between Japan's Self Defense Force and a submerged Chinese nuclear-powered submarine, lurking in waters, not far from natural gas fields that both sides are racing to exploit. Around the same time, Japan issued a defense white paper specifically naming China as a military threat. Later, on 19 January this year, Japan and the USA, jointly declared that Taiwan's current de-facto independence was a 'common strategic objective.'

No wonder China felt unhappy. It was like waving a red flag in front of a charging bull. China's anger was reflected first through the demonstrations all over China in April and then in the discussions that took place between the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and South Asian leadership during his visit to the region last month. The Chinese leader particularly went on a charm offensive in India, which he used as a base to last out at Japan's aspirations for the permanent seat in the Security Council.

Japan realised that it needed damage containment. It is this factor that persuaded Koizumi to undertake his visits to both New Delhi and to Islamabad. India, for obvious reasons was glad that he came. In fact, over the last few weeks, India has hosted the leaders of China, Japan, Pakistan and the Secretary General of the United Nations.

New Delhi knows about the close relationship that exists between the US President and the Japanese Prime Minister and consequently preferred to take a neutral stance vis-a-vis Japan and China. It also reiterated the need for Japan, Germany and Brazil alongwith India becoming permanent members of the UN Security Council. It also hoped that Japan would be able to persuade Pakistan to drop its objections with regard to India.

Japan today is aware that it needs to coordinate with others to neutralise China and to move forward. It understands that it has to be more conciliatory if its efforts are to meet with success. This has been reflected in the recent statement of their Foreign Minister Machimura in New York 'Japan is not so egoistic as to ignore the realities' and understands that 'joint effort is better than going it alone.'

It is this realisation that will create support for Japan's new strategic focus on Global Partnership and deepen and widen its areas of cooperation in 'the New Asian Era.' Japan sees this today as a many-layered initiative encompassing diverse areas of inter-action.

I believe that the presence of a non-nuclear Asian civilian power like Japan in the Security Council will mean fuller exploitation of the immense potential of Asia. It will also consolidate economic ties with her Asian neighbours including Bangladesh.

Japan has been a true friend over the decades and needs to be firmly supported as a responsible partner. Our decision in this regard should be clearly conveyed to them during the forthcoming visit of our Prime Minister to Japan.

Muhammad Zamir is a former Secretary and Ambassador any response to [email protected]