'Asking for trouble': Why Japanese academics are shunning China

‘Asking for trouble’: Why Japanese academics are shunning China

NEW DELHI: Japanese academics are increasingly hesitant to attend events in China following the unexplained disappearance of Fan Yuntao, a 61-year-old expert in international law and politics based at Tokyo’s Asia University. Fan, who was last in contact with his family in April last year, reportedly told them he was being taken for questioning by Chinese government officials, according to Kyodo News.

The unsettling incident is part of a troubling pattern involving several Chinese academics based in Japan, including Hu Shiyun and Zhu Jianrong, who have also vanished under mysterious circumstances. These cases have prompted fears among the academic community, leading to a decline in participation in academic events in China, a South China Morning Post report said.

Fan’s university has confirmed that he is on leave but has refrained from providing further details to protect personal data. His disappearance has sparked significant criticism of the Japanese government’s passive approach, with social media users and academics alike decrying the lack of action.

Yoichi Shimada, a professor of international relations at Fukui Prefectural University, expressed his reluctance to travel to China, citing the absence of assurances for his safe return. “There seems to be no clear reason for these arrests. It is impossible for me and other academics to go there now,” Shimada said.

The issue also affects Japanese businesspeople and members of the Chinese diaspora who been arrested after returning to China. Jeff Kingston, an American director of Asian Studies at the Tokyo campus of Temple University, acknowledged the risks but noted his lower profile might spare him from such threats.

Critics argue that Japan’s response to these incidents is insufficient, particularly in light of Beijing’s new anti-espionage laws that have intensified fears of wrongful detention. Shimada further criticized the Japanese government’s ineffectiveness, stating, “I have no faith that the Japanese government would do much to get me home if I was accused of something; they are weak-kneed when it comes to China.”

This situation highlights a growing concern over academic freedom and safety among Japanese scholars regarding engagement with Chinese institutions amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

(With inputs from agencies)

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