broadcasting of Chinese protests seems unbiased in this Japanese English Newspaper, indicating the professionalism and maturity.
Let's voice our feelings to the Japanese people and to the world, but let's not promote hatred. We should stand firm to protect our national interests, but promoting hatred is not in the best interests of China and the Chinese people. We will lose support and sympathy of the world if we continue to take a combative stance. Let's use "constructive" means to handle diplomatic relations with Japan.
The following is the news piece.
Heading: Tokyo has only itself to blame for anti-Japan riots: China
Compiled from AP, Kyodo, staff reports
BEIJING-- A top Chinese official blamed Japan on Monday for the violent anti-Japan protests sweeping his country and demanded an apology from Tokyo.
Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura arrives at a hotel in Beijing for a meeting with representatives of Japanese companies operating in China amid escalating anti-Japan rallies in many Chinese cities.
"The responsibility for the current situation falls on the Japanese side," Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei said at a news conference, one day after tens of thousands demonstrated against Japan in at least six Chinese cities.
He said Japan has failed to handle "historical issues correctly," an apparent reference to new textbooks approved by Tokyo that critics say gloss over wartime atrocities by Japanese troops. Many Chinese believe Japan has never truly shown remorse for offenses it committed during its invasion of China.
"It shouldn't be us who should apologize," Wu said. "It is Japan who should apologize first."
On Saturday, police in Shanghai stood by as 20,000 protesters broke windows at the Japanese Consulate General and damaged cars. On Sunday, thousands of other demonstrators took to the streets in Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the south, and Shenyang in the northeast. Last week, rioters smashed windows at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing.
"There are serious difficulties in the China-Japan relationship and these difficulties are the most serious ones since 1972, when China and Japan normalized relations," Wu said.
On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing turned down a demand from his Japanese counterpart Nobutaka Machimura for an apology and compensation by Beijing for the damage, charging that China had not wronged the Japanese and that Tokyo had hurt the feelings of Chinese.
On Monday, Machimura repeated his demand for an apology when he met Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan.
While Machimura told Tang that one word of apology would have the power to turn the Japanese people's feelings in a good direction, Tang only replied that the issue had already been dealt with during Machimura's talks with Li.
Japan has proposed that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao meet on the sidelines of the two-day Asia-Africa summit in Indonesia that starts Friday.
In Tokyo, Koizumi indicated Tokyo might take a less confrontational stance if he is to meet Hu in Indonesia.
"A talk, if held, should not be turned into (a place for) a war of words blaming each other," Koizumi told reporters. He made the statement when asked if Tokyo will repeat its demand for an apology and compensation for the violent anti-Japan protests in China.
Koizumi did not directly answer that question, but indicated Tokyo may not repeat that demand at a summit, stressing that his talks with Hu can be "different" from a meeting held Sunday by the two countries' foreign ministers.
The Japan Times: April 19, 2005
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20050419a2.htm
Let's voice our feelings to the Japanese people and to the world, but let's not promote hatred. We should stand firm to protect our national interests, but promoting hatred is not in the best interests of China and the Chinese people. We will lose support and sympathy of the world if we continue to take a combative stance. Let's use "constructive" means to handle diplomatic relations with Japan.
The following is the news piece.
Heading: Tokyo has only itself to blame for anti-Japan riots: China
Compiled from AP, Kyodo, staff reports
BEIJING-- A top Chinese official blamed Japan on Monday for the violent anti-Japan protests sweeping his country and demanded an apology from Tokyo.
Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura arrives at a hotel in Beijing for a meeting with representatives of Japanese companies operating in China amid escalating anti-Japan rallies in many Chinese cities.
"The responsibility for the current situation falls on the Japanese side," Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei said at a news conference, one day after tens of thousands demonstrated against Japan in at least six Chinese cities.
He said Japan has failed to handle "historical issues correctly," an apparent reference to new textbooks approved by Tokyo that critics say gloss over wartime atrocities by Japanese troops. Many Chinese believe Japan has never truly shown remorse for offenses it committed during its invasion of China.
"It shouldn't be us who should apologize," Wu said. "It is Japan who should apologize first."
On Saturday, police in Shanghai stood by as 20,000 protesters broke windows at the Japanese Consulate General and damaged cars. On Sunday, thousands of other demonstrators took to the streets in Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the south, and Shenyang in the northeast. Last week, rioters smashed windows at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing.
"There are serious difficulties in the China-Japan relationship and these difficulties are the most serious ones since 1972, when China and Japan normalized relations," Wu said.
On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing turned down a demand from his Japanese counterpart Nobutaka Machimura for an apology and compensation by Beijing for the damage, charging that China had not wronged the Japanese and that Tokyo had hurt the feelings of Chinese.
On Monday, Machimura repeated his demand for an apology when he met Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan.
While Machimura told Tang that one word of apology would have the power to turn the Japanese people's feelings in a good direction, Tang only replied that the issue had already been dealt with during Machimura's talks with Li.
Japan has proposed that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao meet on the sidelines of the two-day Asia-Africa summit in Indonesia that starts Friday.
In Tokyo, Koizumi indicated Tokyo might take a less confrontational stance if he is to meet Hu in Indonesia.
"A talk, if held, should not be turned into (a place for) a war of words blaming each other," Koizumi told reporters. He made the statement when asked if Tokyo will repeat its demand for an apology and compensation for the violent anti-Japan protests in China.
Koizumi did not directly answer that question, but indicated Tokyo may not repeat that demand at a summit, stressing that his talks with Hu can be "different" from a meeting held Sunday by the two countries' foreign ministers.
The Japan Times: April 19, 2005
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20050419a2.htm
