Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

China's fury doesn't wash, but why the froth?(evidence of staged protests)
Asia Times ^ | 04/14/05 | Marc Erikson

Posted on 04/14/2005 5:47:50 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster

Greater China


Apr 14, 2005

 

China's fury doesn't wash, but why the froth?


By Marc Erikson

SHENZHEN - Here in Shenzhen from Hong Kong last Sunday with a couple of friends for some weekend shopping, I had the misfortune of bumping into a several-thousand strong anti-Japanese demonstration at a shopping center - a day trip wasted. Demonstrations had also been held the previous Sunday in this special-economic-zone city across the mainland border with Hong Kong.

At that time, some Japanese (and for good measure, other) department store display windows were smashed, some items looted. This has been going on for the better part of the past two weeks, not just in Shenzhen, but in Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu and other places. Guangzhou seems to have joined in this past Sunday. Shanghai to date has been largely unaffected.

The never-ending controversy over Japanese textbooks once again allegedly touched off the anti-Japanese protests; other issues apparently include Japan's effort to gain a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, the true ownership of the Diaoyutai/Senkaku islands, and claims to oil-and-gas rich undersea territory in the East China Sea.

What struck me was the well-organized nature of the demonstration. A guy in a dark brown suit (no tie, though) diligently burned a Japanese flag; once aflame, it was quickly doused by another protester prudently equipped with a fire extinguisher. Then there was the designated hitter/screamer - a fellow wielding a broom stick (which, unbeknownst to me, may have some marshal arts significance) who - carried aloft by two stout men - delivered vicious blows with both ends of the stick to the head and body of a puppet of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi carried by a guy wearing a protective motor cycle helmet. And then there were the "riot police", accompanying the protest march more like parade marshals at New York's St Patrick's Day parade up Fifth Avenue.

We thought we'd ask some of the protesters - more like revelers, actually - what this was all about. "Whitewash," said one of them (in English) and repeated the word several times over, presumably referring to the alleged whitewash of Japanese war crimes against China in present-day textbooks. "They [the Japanese] are too arrogant; we can't take it any longer," said another. How did they know about the "whitewash"? They were told about it in their work unit. Where did the Japanese flags come from that were ceremoniously burnt? A guy handed them out when they boarded the bus that took them to the demonstration.

I can't vouch for it that the Beijing demonstrations were as contrived and carefully staged. But people picking up rocks on cue as TV cameras focused on them and making quite a show of hurling them at the windows of the Japanese Embassy while "riot police" looked the other way strongly suggest it - and suggest the same organizers of the spontaneous anti-Japanese outpouring.

Sunday noon, Asia Times Online's Chinese-language sister publication (along with most or all Chinese media outlets) received an instruction from the Communist Party's central publicity department (via provincial propaganda units) to black out completely any and all reports of the protest rallies. Publications staff were, however, permitted to join the demonstrations if they saw fit.

The obvious question is, why was all this cooked up, for what purpose, and why now? There are no convincing answers, and it's in the nature of such contrivances that the originators won't talk. One thing, though, is quite certain: the Chinese claim (at vice foreign minister's level) that Japan is to blame for the unrest is absurd. Sure, Koizumi has insisted on visiting Yasukuni Shrine (war memorial were the remains of several convicted and executed Japanese war criminals are interred) every year. Sure, the textbooks are an issue. And, yes, the Japanese are not the most repentant of souls when it comes to their actions in World War II.

But after seeing what I saw in Shenzhen, I know that the Chinese government and/or Communist Party got this thing going and kept it going. Students might do this sort of thing on their own. They certainly did at Tiananmen in 1989. From the looks of it (the TV pictures), students were involved in the Beijing demonstrations. But in Shenzhen there are no students. It's a special economic zone chock full of contract workers from all over China, working in factories or - per chance - in brothels. And don't tell me this is an arrogant "elitist" view and that factory workers are as capable of being indignant about the historical wrongs done to the nation as university students!

The questions remain: why and why now?

To be systematic about it, there seem to be three possibilities: 1) the government wants to divert attention from pressing domestic problems; 2) Communist Party factional issues are fought out in a strange arena; 3) Beijing wants leverage to stoke up nationalist fervor for international gain. Neither 1) nor 2) can be entirely ruled out.

While the anti-Japan protests were going on in Beijing and other cities, villagers in Zhejiang province did battle with police (and won!), protesting operation of a chemical plant on land appropriated from them by local authorities. Similar such protests over land, taxes and so on have been erupting regularly over the past several years. Still, they do not appear to pose a serious or immediate threat to governmental authority. It has also been noted that Shanghai did not participate in the protests. But it would seem quite a stretch to construe an ongoing factional quarrel between former party chief and state president Jiang Zemin and his successor Hu Jintao out of that.

That leaves international leverage - and that certainly appeared to be the message when Premier Wen Jiabao told Tokyo on Tuesday that it must squarely face up to history. "The strong reactions from the Asian [sic] people should evoke deep reflections by the Japanese government," Wen said, adding, "Only by doing so [facing up to history] can it exert greater responsibility in the international community."

Japan is lobbying to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Wen is telling Japan, shape up if you want "Asia's" support. Note, he didn't say China's. Beijing is challenging Japan for economic leadership in Asia. And Beijing wants to be the acknowledged leading and unchallenged regional power. That appears to be the message. As for the vehicle for conveying it, the issue of distortion of history doesn't seem the best choice. The distortions that litter Chinese history from 1949 till now are too many to count.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/GD14Ad06.html



TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: antijapaneseprotest; china; domesticproblem; japan; politicalleverage; powerstruggle; shenzhen; stagedprotest
So Chinese regime staged some protests initially. They may have condoned or even encouraged unstaged ones. Passion whipped up by these protest could emboden people to lose fear of authorities, and take on the regime on domestic issues. I suspect that is what worries Chinese regime now more than the deteriorating relationship with Japan. The whole thing may die down without a disaster. Still, it would make them nervous. After all, this is nationwide protest, which the regime does not have a good rational to crack down. On the contrary, any crackdown will create the perception that the regime is siding with Japan, leading to the massive outrage against the regime.
1 posted on 04/14/2005 5:47:50 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster; maui_hawaii; tallhappy; Dr. Marten; Jeff Head; Khurkris; hedgetrimmer; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 04/14/2005 5:48:22 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster
Smells like BS, looks like BS, spews like BS, must be BS.

As for the vehicle for conveying it, the issue of distortion of history doesn't seem the best choice. The distortions that litter Chinese history from 1949 till now are too many to count.

They live off the lies and distortions.

3 posted on 04/14/2005 6:30:12 AM PDT by demlosers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

Sounds like the Chinese government is playing with fire here.

Would you add me to your ping list, please?


4 posted on 04/14/2005 6:34:44 AM PDT by prion (Yes, as a matter of fact, I AM the spelling police)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

I doubt whether a serious protest could get off the ground in China unless it were staged.

Do you really think there's much chance of anti-Japanese riots getting out of control? I wouldn't think so. It's not really an issue that pits the people against their bosses.


5 posted on 04/14/2005 6:45:50 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cicero
Re #5

There are people who are mad at their bosses, but have not get around to express themselves in such a dramatic way. To them, this may be a trigger, which worries Chinese regime.

It is not anti-Japanese protests per se, but what they can touch off in the current unsettling social climate. A lot of angry workers and peasants everywhere.

6 posted on 04/14/2005 7:08:13 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: demlosers; TigerLikesRooster; Dr. Marten; Enemy Of The State

<< Smells like BS, looks like BS, spews like BS, must be BS.

As for the vehicle for conveying it, the issue of distortion of history doesn't seem the best choice. The distortions that litter Chinese history from 1949 till now are too many to count.

They live off the lies and distortions. >>

Their lies and distortions don't stop at 1949, though.

"Chinese" "history" has been an absolute fiction since Peking's mass-murdering lying looters began delusionally fantasizing they could make it rationalize, justify and legitimize themselves.


7 posted on 04/14/2005 11:49:21 AM PDT by Brian Allen (I fly and can therefore be envious of no man -- Per Ardua ad Astra!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: TigerLikesRooster

PRC whipping up nationalistic fervor to divert attention from ongoing environmental/economic problems?

An old tactic, which does work in the short term.


8 posted on 04/14/2005 3:57:24 PM PDT by Khurkris (This tagline is available on CD ROM)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson