Editor's note: The following article was translated and edited from a piece that appeared in the World Journal, a popular Chinese-language newspaper serving overseas Chinese in North America. The article discusses the wave of anti-Japanese demonstrations across China—some peaceful, others violent—on September 15 in response to the mounting dispute over ownership of the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands.
The article emphasizes that this is the largest single day of anti-Japanese in the 40-year history of official diplomatic relations between the two countries.
(photo: Toogua)
According to Japanese media, the huge wave of anti-Japanese demonstrations that broke out in cities across China on September 15th is the largest in 40 years. Demonstrations in Xi'an and Changsha turned violent—over 10,000 protesters in Xi'an smashed in windows of several restaurants and hotels, and even started fires outside the main entrance of one hotel, prompting the local authorities to mobilize three armed police units.
Worse yet, authorities fear the upcoming anniversary of the Mukden Incident—a bridge detonation by the Japanese army in 1931 used as pretext for invading Northern China—on September 18 may cause the situation to escalate even further in coming days.
Protests turn Violent
In Xi'an, official media estimates that at least 10,000 people assembled on the streets—larger than any other gathering in that area in recent memory. Around 11:00, as traffic around the Bell Tower slowed to a halt, the demonstration turned violent as a number of protestors attacked a Sony store, damaging and setting fire to several Japanese-made cars as well. Japanese restaurants, such as Ajisen Ramen, also fell victim to the destructive behavior. Most affected by the demonstration was the Bell Tower Hotel, whose floor-level glass paneling was completely shattered by protestors.
The same day, people were also seen breaking into Changsha's Heiwado department store, turning what started as a student demonstration into something more akin to a criminal free-for-all. Several members of the crowd appeared to be organized, wearing masks and carrying metal poles, breaking display cases and stealing gold and silver jewelry. As online commenter "XiaoLanzi1121" reports, "I have no words. This is worse than anything you'll find in the animal world". In hopes of preventing further incidents, Changsha police are encouraging those owning Japanese-made vehicles not to drive them on crowded streets to the time being.
"Remember our National Humiliation"
Demonstrations seemed to be largest in cities that suffered most during the war against the Japanese. In Chongqing for instance, hundreds of protestors took to the streets waving banners reading "Long live the Chinese people!", "The Diaoyu Islands belong to China!", "Protect our heritage!", "Keep China sacred" and other slogans (Japan is blamed for indiscriminately bombing the area from 1938-1944.
In Nanjing, what started as several hundred demonstrators marching from Maigaoqiao Square; increased in number to more than 1,000 by the time they reached the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, with the crowd repeatedly chanting "Give us back our Diaoyu Islands! Love China! Remember our National Humiliation" on the way there and outside the memorial.
A large group of anti-Japanese demonstrators also formed outside the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai, though that situation was mostly contained by the local authorities. However, members of the crowd were photographed drawing "X"s and other obscene graffiti on a bust of a Japanese emperor outside the complex.
A nationwide phenomenon
According to the Japanese broadcaster, NHK, demonstrations on September 15th took place in approximately 57 cities across China, including an estimated 1,000 protestors at the Japanese consulate in Chengdu, 3,000 in Changsha, and upwards 10,000 in Xi'an.
According to the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, Panasonic factories in both Qingdao and Suzhou were damaged, and at least four different cities in Hunan province reported looting and vandalism of local Japanese restaurants and supermarkets.
In summation, September 15 saw the largest single day of anti-Japanese demonstrations in China since the two countries formerly established diplomatic relations in 1972. In response to Chinese netizens' calls for further action on September 18 for the 81st anniversary of the Mukden Incident, the Japanese government has implored the Chinese government to take proper measures to ensure the safety of Japanese individuals and businesses in China.
Source:KDNET
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New Survey of Sino-Japanese Relations Shows a Lack of Love
Opinion: Chinese Media Should not Mislead Public on Foreign Affairs
War or Peace? Chinese Survey on Territorial Islands Dispute
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Keywords: Anti-Japanese demonstrations in China China Japan Mukden Incident China Japan Diaoyu Island dispute
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Don't also point out that he says you say one thing but actually didn't. That would be unfair towards poor Chinese.
Again I won't look for it as I don't want to.
If you debate, you should never say someone said something when they didn't.
OK. you can now thumb this down.
Sep 27, 2012 03:59 Report Abuse
Debating with you is a pointless exercise. You twist and change the smallest detail to something that isn't relevant and no matter what is said, you say someone said something else anyway.
You are a very disrespectful and rude conversationalist.
Never say I said something when I didn't! I have my own opinions and will never tolerate it when others said or believe in something when I don't.
I believe in two things and they are freedom of thought and speech. Both of which grate against the government as those ideas are actually outlawed.... (You like it when i just chuck in an assumption?)
Sep 27, 2012 23:06 Report Abuse
ditto x4
Apparently we are all racists that want to destroy China anyway.
Concern and thought = racist.
Next time I feel it won't just be words.
I don't like that jixiang. Put your pants back on. Keep it for that dead dog.
Sep 30, 2012 06:10 Report Abuse
And we can keep exploring this angle:
- I used to have coffee almost daily with a former WW2 Merchant Marine (Canadian).
Like many WW2 guys he did not like to talk about the war. Over years he would share little bits.
He never personally engaged the Japanese (outside of dropping some antisub grenades to be safe once).
But one day... he told me something... and its the only time I saw him have a genuine 'terror flashback'. 50 years later and he would react 'physically shaken' by something:
One day, by some strange circumstance, he was involved with a 'medical ship'. You know what it was.. it was a 'floating insane asylum'.
Shell shock. Guys who lost their minds,
and,
at that time a bunch of victims of Japanese concentration camps. POWs being returned.
He would shudder and describe the traumatized victims of Japanese camps. Really bad.
So bad he wouldn't even go into details. Can you imagine? He was psychologically traumatized BY SIMPLY RECEIVING the actual Japanese victims.
btw.. he said some of them were so destroyed they were 'beyond help' and he meant they had gone insane.
He said, after that, they pledged... never never never be captured by the Japanese. They were so cruel, so sadistic, you were better to kill yourself than be captured.
Nobody in Canada today is running around giving stink-eyes to the Japanese tourists,
or,
refusing to buy Japanese products,
or,
believes that the Japanese government today is a 'lineage' of that former defeated regime,
or,
believes Japanese today are anything but some of our best allies, friends and partners - whom we rely on for superb motorcycles and flat screen TVs.
It's 2012. All the 'Evil Japanese' were nuked, killed, punished, jailed, their leaders killed or deposed, their regime destroyed and made illegal.
Sep 25, 2012 22:08 Report Abuse
What the Aussie did, maybe to the oldest culture alive today, which is 50,000 years old is an awful thing but not applicable to this argument at all. As you keep arguing, the past is the past but then you bring it up to help you again and again. This is why your arguments are that of a 10 year child.... ummmm.... probably at this point, the stick being rammed up the dead dog has come out of its mouth.
QUOTE
114jixiang:
By the way, if the Japanese had invaded Australia....
/QUOTE
You do know that Darwin was bombed by the Japs and that Aussies fought them in the Pacific? You know that most of the pacific was attacked by Japan? Oh but it is about numbers. Silly old me. give me that stick to poke the dead dog.
Sep 30, 2012 07:40 Report Abuse
Dear Chinese.
I live in your Country. I'm sure I will never spread bad things about what I see and hear here. I would never inform those and help your future enemies about your psychology.
Nah you are right. Americans and Europeans hate conflict. The fact they are known as warring nations and are built around that is just a play on the fact that they liked the Waugh brothers, from the Australian cricket team.... It will be fine, they will let you take over. Keep spouting how it is all about you now and watch the west roll over.
Germany is hating the fact that it may have to join forces with its old allies Japan and finally get to fight a war with the forces of the US to defeat communism; finally. Nah that would never happen as only a few years ago they were at war. They wouldn't be allies now with all of Europe, most of Asia, all the pacific. Feel surrounded much? Think Russia, South America and Africa will join you and North Korea? or maybe sit it out.
It is like stupid little kids in school spouting crap and then finding that after school, NO one is there to stop you from getting your face smashed in.
So go on. Pick up the gun, pick up the gun.
Sep 22, 2012 08:27 Report Abuse
Just bored, just bored.
Should have I said, "Go ahead, make my day" instead?
Sep 26, 2012 04:52 Report Abuse
I wish all this opinion woul dbe written in chinese and available to all chinese people so they could realize what other people thinkl abt their particular behaviour.
Sep 22, 2012 04:23 Report Abuse
Can I appeal to the people of China?
Can I tell you this is hurting China and it is even 'losing face' for China. It becomes it own humiliation.
Why would I say this?
I wish Mainland Chinese can understand that this gives the appearance of a backward country.
The comparisons will be made to the fate of Jews at the hands of Germans in WW2. Jews understood that the German government that hurt them was destroyed.
This is also true for Japan. The Emperor and his regime were defeated, destroyed, even killed.
The governments of Germany and Japan are not in 'lineage' nor would they be held responsible as they actually replaced the 'bad regimes' long ago.
So for our example there is much more. Much of the rest of the world has long since moved on.
Today, Jews in the USA will WANT to buy a German car. They wish for it!
Hitlers Germany invaded my Grandfathers nation and caused damage and I am well aware that almost none of those Germans are alive.
In fact, todays German youth are allies and nobody could think of anything else.
But China? China is acting as others did..... 40 years ago!
40 years ago we might understand a Pole who is still angry with Germans (tho the regime was destroyed).
Not in 2012. They are great allies and of course no Polish person says "Oh.. Germany is evil!".
China simply must show they are advanced and developed too. Not behaving in a way we see as the 1950s.
And some stories must be ended too. Imaginary stores. Rumours.
Japan does NOT use money from car sales to buy weapons to 'attack China'.
Japan only has a 'defensive military' and please try and understand that some company like 'Toshiba' is a 'global company'. In fact, the profits are likely to land in some stock holders from.. Australia or Turkey or some Toshiba stock holders in Shanghai or Mexico!
And finally what can I do to convince Chinese this is counter-productive?
I wish to explain the dangers and problems of creating unity and nationalism through a 'common enemy'.
What if that enemy disappears? So you have no unity or national pride anymore?
I see far too many Chinese (and its common elsewhere) but too many creating a kind of 'national pride' which is based on being 'victims' or having a 'common oppressor' to bind us.
No, it is unhealthy and is really a kind of 'false nationalism'.
But this really isn't good China. You must resist this. Quite honestly almost anyone alive in Japan want to do what?
Chat on QQ. Discuss common music. Make business deals. This is 2012 now.
Sep 22, 2012 02:05 Report Abuse
Steady on. What are you doing? Logic? tat maks 2 muc cents.
Sep 22, 2012 04:35 Report Abuse
Come to think of it...............and after pondering and musing over "tens of thousands or millions of years (they boast)" of chinese history and trying to piece-up the puzzle, I came to this conclusion................it is bereft of one thing and still lacking and they are blood thirsty for it!
China has richly preserved its cultural heritage but very conspicuous in the history books as LOSERS!!!!!! They were never CONQUERORS OR VICTORS OR CHAMPIONS OR POWERFUL or DIGNIFIED.
Rather they stood DEFEATED, BATTERED AND ASHAMED and always needing a SAVIOR to their rescue. And they stand ready to correct this in some of their international policies and emerging power.
Its not surprising most chinese nationals are talking WAR and REVENGE!!!
Sep 20, 2012 18:59 Report Abuse
I was also studying China's 700,000 year history and I do see this as a real problem in the culture at large - victim status. Must be victimized and then justify whatever comes next. Or shoot first and then emphasize victim status later.
I don't know that this has always been true in Chinese culture but somewhere in the last century 'victim status' does seem to get perfected and has no bounds.
Of course, 'insecurity complex' does have to play in here somewhere. Those are two very bad mentalities that can really work a lot of damage despite China's 870 thousand year history!
Right now, the saving grace and helpful side in all this? Japan doesn't have a pathological victim status or insecurity complex. So they can stay 'one bigger' for now.
(so that's interesting because Japan was actually made by Chinese and taught everything it has and knows is really from China even 900,000 years ago now).
Sep 22, 2012 02:13 Report Abuse
30,000 or 300,000 or just 3. That is again something that should not really matter. The point is that it happened. Any number is bad and that is why the allies were fighting the Japs, Nazis, Italians etc. Any number, just as long they aren't living in Syria, who cares about the lives of those people anyway.
Just to clarify, this is about half the amount of deaths during the attack on Tibet by the PRC then, is that what you are saying jixiang? Is that why people there are still really pissed off and still fighting against the occupation?
Nah you can't compare a foreign powers atrocities to the new formed terrorist states atrocities can you.
What am I like.
100 bucks that this will be censored up the arse.
Sep 22, 2012 01:58 Report Abuse
Never blamed others for Syria. Just thought i would add the fact that thousands die for what? Numbers in the UN?
You know what jixiang. You are 100% correct. Numbers mean everything. No matter what, you will see it one way and being that I am not Asian, why should I care that another few million zipper heads die. Save the planet and please all go to war. Once the dust settles, us whities and blackies can just take it all over. I think I will call the 5 Islands "The number 2s" and use them as my personal dumping place, after you have all killed each other in a fit of slanty eyed madness that is.
I wonder how people get these figures though? I see you do a lot of internet quoting to prove that you must be right as numbers and not arguments, are the most important thing, as we agreed on, so clearly you can't be wrong! I bet they make them up to be mean to China though. Evil buck toothed Poms with their BBC and those uncouth Yankee dogs trusting Wikipedia, which you seem to like and those other non-Chinese edited sites and whatever propaganda machine they get their news from.
Fuck the West. Long live Mao! and of course my Favourite Quote "Death to America" (I assume that is targeted towards the USA and not both North and South America or as some might say "the good half and the bad half"
(Please note. This is intentionally racist. You honky bleeding heart nigga)
Sep 22, 2012 04:10 Report Abuse
Did you thumb that down too jixiang? Yeah you did. What a waste of time.
Sep 22, 2012 05:13 Report Abuse
Quickly, over here. I see a dead dog we can beat.
What about comparing Mao to Stalin then, is that allowed? Or what about to Edward I?
jixiang, do you think anything bad ever happened because of a Chinese person?
Is it possible that someone could have done something wrong but still like the country you live in?
Let me give you an example.
I should hate England as it treated the Scottish as dogs, Killed and raped them and the King even referred to all that lived there "shit" but then again, Scotland did a great job thwarting the English in the 100 years war by helping the French.
Then again my ancestors raped and pillaged England a lot. Vikings were lovely guys but loved a bit of the in out, in out.
Accept the past. Move on or continue to keep a toxic outlook or to put that another way, Waste your effort and life hating.
Sep 26, 2012 04:49 Report Abuse
And that is why you will never be taken serious when talking about the world as a whole. You are just here for "pro-Chinese" reasons.
I believe in a sensible debate with facts and reasonable arguments. Not patriotic bile and bluster and there has been so much of that, with again, no reason behind it except for dangerous patriotic fervour.
Anyone that trusts their own government so blindly is a very scary person.
Sep 27, 2012 22:39 Report Abuse
look what chinas government did.
grow up you little troglodyte.
Sep 20, 2012 06:15 Report Abuse
something i find very interesting. i have spoken to many people who say they want foreigners and foreign companies out of china. do these morons realize that it is other countries getting the short end of the stick and that china has a huge trade surplus???????????
Sep 19, 2012 03:35 Report Abuse
So very true. All these evil companies are paying for the advancement here. The government debt is huge. The people may be good about saving then buying but the government is working on borrowed money, and hopefully borrowed time. cutting off your nose to spite your face... China loves face don't they.
Sep 20, 2012 06:07 Report Abuse
Someone said "the people of China should thank the Japanese government, for the first time in the history of modern China the people are allowed to gather and protest against something". Makes you wonder why its being allowed this time....
Sep 19, 2012 02:13 Report Abuse
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