Posted on 02/20/2005 11:12:09 AM PST by snowsislander
BEIJING, China | Gao Hong, a Chinese scholar on Japan, said he was floored recently when confronted with a veritable outpouring of questions in an online forum about China's relations with its neighbor.
"Over 4,000 questions were posted for me in just two hours," he said.
Many of the questions in the December discussion were tendentious.
"One Internet user asked me why ... we don't just declare war on Japan," he said.
Open hostility among the Chinese, especially the young, toward Japan is apparent in barbed newspaper and TV coverage and conversations with citizens.
Some experts suggest that China's leaders permit the venting of nationalist anger at Japan to divert attention from problems at home, including a widening gap between rich and poor, environmental degradation and the repression of views critical of the Communist Party's 56-year monopoly on power.
Gao, however, said authorities are worried by outbursts against Japan. He blamed jingoistic coverage in the news media - in China and Japan - for drumming up nationalist sentiments.
"The strong anti-Japanese feelings among young people are a headache for the government," said Gao, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. China's leaders "are trying their best to let people scale down their anger."
More than a dozen small-scale protests have taken place outside the Japanese Embassy in Beijing in the past two years. Anti-Japan activists report little resistance.
Could you please explain why you hate Germans. Can´t be history, since Germany made up with its past, while many Japanese still believe the conquer of Asia was a great idea.
I thought the German culture was subdued and overly regimented. It felt grey and dark - pessimistic. I should have said I hate "the german culture" as opposed to Germans.
The Japanese seemed more alive and excited about life. While they have a large degree of regimentation in some areas they seemed optimistic and energized.
personal preference. I would not pay to go back to Germany.
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.