Everyone calm down, nothing to see here
22 April 2005

Looks like the economic argument (plus that whole thing about demonstrations turning to domestic considerations) may be winning the day:

Now, after three weekends of angry anti-Japanese street protests, authorities in Beijing appear to have decided that the largely student-led campaign to target Japanese businesses and diplomatic buildings may be harming China’s image abroad and creating tensions in the region – and could pose a domestic challenge if sentiments among Chinese ever became unmanageable.

Chinese diplomats have refused to apologize to Tokyo for protests that have caused many Japanese to cancel vacations in China and have upset business leaders in Tokyo. But Beijing has put the word out strongly through party circles to urge quiet and enforce calm. Reportedly, no protests have taken place since a handful of students raised placards in downtown Xiamen on Monday.

In recent days, prominent authorities such as Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing have appeared on state TV, urging the People’s Liberation Army and rank-and-file Communist Party cadres to trust the government’s handling of the dispute, and to cease activities leading to protest. Earlier in the week, an editorial in People’s Daily, the party mouthpiece, took what some analysts described as a “worried tone” – saying the time for criticism of Japan had ended, and that the time for “economic construction” and the building of a “harmonious society” was at hand.

The thing that’s been most disheartening is the unwillingness of so many Chinese I’ve met to think about the issue, to try and gain an understanding beyond what they’ve been told. They just spout talking (shouting) points and ignore the many ironies and inconsistencies in their own argument.

3 Comments

  1. It is not quite over yet.

    "Japanese firms banned from Hong Kong IT expo"

    Comment by Terry — 23 April 2005 @ 1:29 am

  2. Oh, and the US just told China that North Korea is going to test a nuclear weapon in the near future. Which is greater risk, Japan or North Korea, to China's security now? (I guess it depends on which way the wind is blowing then the nuke goes off)

    Comment by Terry — 23 April 2005 @ 6:52 am

  3. Oh well that's just dandy…a nuclear holocaust AND they will block the Japanese porn channel again!!!

    Comment by TuTu — 25 April 2005 @ 2:02 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.