In Rare Legal Protest, Chinese Seek Boycott of Japan Goods(regime-approved anti-Japanese protest)

NYT ^ | 04/09/05 | JOSEPH KAHN

[TigerLikesRooster]

In Rare Legal Protest, Chinese Seek Boycott of Japan Goods

By JOSEPH KAHN

BEIJING, Saturday, April 9 - Several thousand young Chinese marched through Beijing's high-tech district on Saturday morning calling for a boycott of Japanese-made goods, a rare legal protest that underscored the sharp deterioration in relations between Asia's two most powerful countries.

The mostly college-age Chinese, singing China's national anthem and shouting, "Support the Chinese motherland, boycott Japanese goods," appeared to number in the thousands, but there were no official estimates on Saturday morning. The police formed a cordon around the marchers and lined every street along the parade route, but the protest had been authorized in advance and the atmosphere remained relaxed.

China's government almost never allows public demonstrations, but officials made an exception to allow people to express their anger at Japan after a series of political and territorial disputes between the two countries generated widespread popular outrage.

"Every Chinese feels anger at the way Japan ignores its own history and tries to occupy China's sovereign territory," said Li Hongbo, 19, student at Tsinghua University who participated in the demonstration. "The Japanese government must understand that China is not a weak country now. We will stand up and defend ourselves." Mr. Li wore a gray sweatshirt on which he wrote, "Little Japan, get off our land."

Political ties between China and Japan have become strained over rival claims to a string of tiny islands in the East China Sea, where both countries have taken steps to exploit reserves of natural gas. China has also accused Japan of approving new history textbooks that gloss over the slaughter of millions of innocent people during Japan's World War II-era occupation of China.

Beijing objected to recent moves by Japan and the United States to expand military cooperation and sharply criticized the two nations for pledging jointly to defend Taiwan if China were to attack it.

Last week, Beijing made clear that it was not prepared to support an overhaul of the governing structure of the United Nations, effectively delaying consideration of plans to promote Japan and several other major countries to permanent membership on the Security Council.

Japan has often criticized China for fanning the flames of nationalism by ignoring the changes Japan has made since the war and encouraging hatred of Japan in the state-controlled media.

The Chinese Communist Party emphasizes its nationalist credentials and often allows civilian groups to organize activities directed against foreign nations viewed as encroaching on China's interests. This has led to charges that China fans xenophobia to shore up support for the Communist Party.

Police occasionally allow small anti-Japan protests in front of Japan's embassy in Beijing. But Saturday's demonstration was by some estimates the largest to be held in the capital since a massive outpouring an anti-American sentiment in 1999, after the United States bombed China's embassy in Belgrade during the war against Serbia. Washington said the bombing was a mistake.

The main purpose of the latest protest was to appeal for Chinese to stop buying Japanese goods. It is unclear how much impact such appeals will have on a society awash in Japanese goods. The Zhongguancun area where the protests took place is filled with stores selling Sony televisions and camcorders, Canon printers and Toshiba computers.

Some protesters said they had the responsibility to raise awareness of Japan's past crimes and compared their current campaign to the May 4, 1919, movement, which also protested the actions of Japan and other foreign powers seen as encroaching on Chinese territory. "This is our May 4 movement," said Wei Bing, a graduate student in computer sciences. "We demand that Japan recognize its crimes."

The legacy of that May 4 event has been a double-edged sword for the authorities. Intense nationalist passion has often been turned against China's domestic government if it is viewed as too weak or corrupt to defend Chinese interests.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Demonstrators vent their anger outside a Japanese restaurent as they march in Beijing to protest Japan's handling of its wartime past and Tokyo's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council 09 April 2005. Organizers spread the word of the rally on Internet bulletin boards calling for up to 20,000 people to gather at the Hailong shopping center in northern Beijing's university district where they then marched around the university district. AFP PHOTO/Peter PARKS(AFP/PETER PARKS)

A Chinese protester shouts anti-Japanese slogans during a demonstration in China's capital Beijing April 9, 2005 as thousands turned out to demand a boycott of Japanese goods over Tokyo's refusal to admit to World War Two atrocities. The demonstration in the Beijing neighbourhood of Zhongguancun, known for its electronics shops and home to a large student population, comes less than a week after anti-Japanese protests in other Chinese cities turned violent. The slogan reads 'againsts Japaneses goods'. NO ARCHIVES NO SALES REUTERS/Andrew Keller

Chinese protestors carry a Chinese flag as they chant anti-Japanese slogans during a protest in Beijing's Haidian district Saturday April 9, 2005. More than 6,000 Chinese protesters held a rally Saturday demanding a boycott of Japanese goods to oppose new textbooks that critics say gloss over Tokyo's wartime atrocities. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)

A Chinese protester wears an anti-Japanese headband during a demonstration in Beijing April 9, 2005. Thousands turned out to demand a boycott of Japanese goods over Tokyo's refusal to admit to World War Two atrocities. The demonstration in the Beijing neighbourhood of Zhongguancun, known for its electronics shops and home to a large student population, comes less than a week after anti-Japanese protests in other Chinese cities turned violent. NO ARCHIVES NO SALES REUTERS/Andrew Keller

A Chinese protester holds up an anti-Japanese banner during a demonstration in China's capital Beijing April 9, 2005. Chinese protesters turned out to demand a boycott of Japanese goods over Tokyo's refusal to admit to World War Two atrocities. The demonstration in the Beijing neighbourhood of Zhongguancun, known for its electronics shops and home to a large student population, comes less than a week after anti-Japanese protests in other Chinese cities turned violent. NO ARCHIVES NO SALES REUTERS/Andrew Keller

[TigerLikesRooster]

Once passions of mass are whipped up, they sometimes stray from original target and find a new one. Chinese regime had better pray that it won't become their new target.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #3

They do have legitimate gripes. However, there are other legitimate gripes which can be directed against Chinese regime.

Chinese gov wants the former but not the latter. That is what I am getting at.

[Dr. Marten]

"It may have the government's backing but the Chinese do have a legitimate gripe with the Japanese refusal to acknowledge and apologize for war crimes"

 

Yeah, you would think that they would be more understanding of the Tibetans, Inner Mongolians and those from the former East Turkistan. /

 

Don't bite the hand that feeds you

[Truthsearcher]

What about all the Chinese people the CCP has murdered, they exceed the number killed by Japan by serveral times, has the CCP acknowledged and apologized for them?

Until these people demand the same accountability from the CCP, I'm not going to take them seriously.

[Khurkris]

woooh peee...no more iPods and Hello Kitty's.

hoo hummm...

[nathanbedford]

You are absolutely right. Communism in China may account for 100 million souls or more - well they have not accounted and no doubt will never account for the greatest mass murder by intent and famine in history. But then the left never is called to account for its crimes against humanity probably because they enjoy most favored ideological status from the institutions like the media and the academe which report news and write history.

As despicable as the rape of Nanking and the rest of China by the Japanese was, it does not have anything to do with Taiwan or the Spratleys. The Japanese have willfully avoided owning up to their war crimes and that is a pity not just out of respect for their victims but it is a pity for the soul of the Japanese. In that regard the Germans have done a much more honest job.

But the left has learned to play the Holocaust card to disguise raw geopolitical power moves.

[sushiman]

" The Japanese have willfully avoided owning up to their war crimes "

I've been to the Nagasaki Bomb Museum ...The basic drift is that the innocent Japanese were just enjoying a sunny , summer morning when out of the nowhere they were savagely attacked by the evil Americans ...This visit spoiled my whole trip ...

[superiorslots]

Quote: "The Japanese government must understand that China is not a weak country now. We will stand up and defend ourselves." Mr. Li wore a gray sweatshirt on which he wrote, "Little Japan, get off our land."


This for all the free traitors who think we have nothing to worry about from china.

[WRhine]

This for all the free traitors who think we have nothing to worry about from china.

Why should this surprise anyone? The Sleeping Giant has awoken and it has an attitude of aggression thanks to our policy of appeasement in all things China. Have to give China and Japan credit for one thing though. They do "stand up and defend" their national interests unlike our government.

BTW, whatever happened to our policy of linking trade liberalization to human rights improvements in China? This linkage to trade was in effect for many years and it provided a powerful incentive for China to address its extensive abuses in this area.

Seems that Clinton threw the linkage policy out the window when he undeservedly gave China MFN trade status and Bush thought that was just great and made it permanent.

Is there any wonder why China is growing by leaps and bounds yet has made little progress towards human rights and democracy? With our "China can have their cake and eat it too" policy, China doesn’t have to. It's a total disgrace.

[Paul_Denton]

True, I agree, but China should also come clean on its own atrocities. Tibet, Tiananmen, and a whole host of atrocities agaist its own people.

[faithpan]

I am Chinese and I do agree that the CCP has covered some truth in the history, some of which being so horrible. But every country has something in the skeleton that could not been made public forever.

“after the United States bombed China's embassy in Belgrade during the war against Serbia. Washington said the bombing was a mistake.”
Till now, Washington still claimed the bombing was an accident. I wonder why the missile is just so accuracy in bombing the China’s embassy.

Japanese are the one who really need to feel shameful to their souls. My own grandpa witnessed the slaughter committed by Japs and his sister was raped by those Japs. His houses was burned down. By the way, I live in Shanghai, which was considered as a more developed city in China. Boycotting the Japanese goods is not the most effective means of showing our hatred. Me myself have a good command of Japanese and Japanese language. It takes time to see.

Taiwan problem seems a more complicated issue. But for one thing , it is hard to imagine that those Taiwanese visited the notorious Yasukuni Shrine, just like the Jewish praying for the Nazism.