さる８月２日付けの「編集部からご報告」と題する本欄への投稿で、７月２８～３０日付けの本欄に３回にわたって連載された平林博元大使（当フォーラム副理事長・副緊急提言委員長）の投稿「丹羽中国大使の早期引退を勧める」が、８月２日付けの『毎日新聞』に記事として取り上げられたことをお伝えしましたが、その後平林元大使の発言は、広く内外のメディアの注目を集め、引き続き各方面によって報道されています。政策掲示板「百花斉放」「議論百出」「百家争鳴」は、現在年間あわせて１０００万人近い読者からアクセスを受けて、外交国際問題を中心とした諸問題について国民的な議論の場となっていますが、今回の内外各紙の報道ぶりは、そのことを証明しております。ついては、編集部においてとりまとめた本日現在の内外各紙の本件報道ぶりを次の通り、皆様のご参考までに、ご報告します。

　上記『毎日新聞』の記事の他にも、同日付けの『共同通信』が内外に同様趣旨の記事を配信したほか、同日付けの『日刊スポーツ』、３日付けの『日本経済新聞』、『産経新聞』などが「丹羽大使に辞任勧告　平林博元駐仏大使」などの見出しで、一斉に平林発言を報じております。また、４日付けの『Japan Times』が「Envoy Urged to quit for Senkaku flap」との見出しで、全文次の通りの記事を掲載しました。

A former envoy to France has taken the rare step of urging Ambassador to China Uichiro Niwa to resign due to his vocal opposition to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s plan to buy some of the Senkaku Islands. “Niwa is not the right person for the job in the current climate of strained relations between Japan and China,” Hiroshi Hirabayashi, vice president of the Japan Forum on International Relations, said in an editorial posted on the think tank’s website in late July. Pressure has been growing for Niwa to step down after his comments in early June about the Japan-controlled islets in the East China Sea were slammed by both ruling and opposition camp lawmakers for allegedly harming Japan’s national interests.

China and Taiwan claim the uninhabited islets. Hirabayashi criticized Niwa, Japan’s first ambassador to China from the private sector, over his lack of prudence, noting he had expressed his views about the Senkaku Islands publicly and without the knowledge of the Foreign Ministry.Amid calls for Niwa’s resignation, China “will no longer trust him as an ambassador who speaks for the Japanese government,” Hirabayashi said, urging the former Itochu Corp. chairman to take ”early retirement.“ The row erupted after Niwa voiced his opposition to Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara’s plan to purchase some of the islets from a Saitama businessman who holds title to them, saying in an interview with the Financial Times that the idea ”will result in an extremely grave crisis in relations between Japan and China” if realized.

The central government later announced it is also seeking to purchase some of the isles, which are technically under the jurisdiction of Ishigaki, Okinawa, and currently leased from the private owners.　Niwa was briefly recalled to Tokyo in mid-July to discuss repeated intrusions by Chinese vessels into waters near the Senkakus with Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba. Following their talks, Genba told reporters he had instructed Niwa to explain Tokyo’s official stance to Beijing over the islets — that they are an integral part of Japanese territory and are not in dispute — and denied the government was planning to replace him. Niwa was appointed ambassador to China in June 2010 by then Prime Minister Naoto Kan.（つづく）