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| China and
Japan : Prisoners of the Past |
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| Hate is
a very powerful emotion, but in the last few weeks here in China, it
has manifested itself in a disturbingly vitriolic manner. The target of
this outpouring of negative feelings was predictably Japan, for reasons
that lie in the past, present and, safe to say, in the future. |
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| This enduring
feud recently bubbled to the surface again as the Japanese approved new
history textbooks that completely ignore the war crimes carried out by
the Imperial Japanese Army in China from 1937-1945. Even though history
shows a whole list of incidents that are bound to upset the Chinese, such
as the use of biological weapons or keeping women as sex slaves, it is
specifically the Nanjing massacre of civilians in 1937 that is often cited
by China to keep its population united and focused against the common enemy.
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While the Chinese government is keen to control the
Internet and all its trappings of freedom and creativity, it encourages
websites that spread hatred, propaganda and graphic images highlighting
past Japanese cruelty. The words ‘massive’ and ‘hypocrisy’ spring to mind. |
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| It
is understandable that the Chinese feel outraged at the Japanese insensitivity,
but a closer look at the facts reveals that the offending textbooks actually
only account for less than 1% of all the books used in Japanese schools,
and many teachers in that country agree that the new texts are wrong. |
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| But China
remains stubborn, once again pointing to the lack of apologies from Japan
for its past activities—completely ignoring that Japan has apologized several
times for its wartime misconduct (albeit sometimes in a less than sincere
manner) and that it also has heavily invested in China to provide the
funds for its rapid economic development. Beijing accepted money as a form
of apology, but conveniently forgot to tell its people about it. Many Chinese
are still unaware that much of their infrastructure has been built with
Japanese money, which begs the question: Where do they think it all
comes from? |
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| China wants
Japan to face up to its past, but is astonishingly unable to do the same
regarding its own history, which has seen an invasion and annexation of
Tibet in 1951; the disastrous Cultural Revolution 1966-1976 that lost a
million lives as the revered leader Mao Ze Dong attempted anarchic totalitarianism;
and of course the Tiananmen Square massacre of protesting students in 1989. |
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| Some older
and more radical-minded Chinese have decided to forego purchasing Japanese
products altogether, which means that most electronic goods, computer games,
and cosmetics are off limits to them. China’s youth would find it difficult
to follow suit, as it seems that most boys are surgically attached to the
latest computer game, and most girls are devout in their application of
make-up and other beauty products… all made in Japan. Aside from the passive
business boycott, there have been much more active displays, involving
“spontaneous”
demonstrations as people took to the streets to voice their disapproval
of Japan’s latest behavior. Here in Tianjin, many college students were
rudely woken up in the morning, taken by bus to a designated site, given
banners and “encouraged” to participate in protest marches. If the
rest of the country were as organized as these orchestrations of hate are,
then it would run considerably smoother. |
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| Across China,
some Japanese have been beaten up by enraged mobs, there have been riots,
the Japanese embassy in Beijing was attacked, and many other unpleasant
incidents, all goaded on by the government, which has done nothing to control
the situation but in the contrary has inspired and stoked the fires of
antagonism. It reminds me of “Hate Week” in George Orwell’s 1984, where
citizens deprived of basic liberties are coerced by the Party to vent their
fury against elusive enemy Emmanuel Goldstein. Amazing how life imitates
art. |
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| While Japan’s
past actions undoubtedly represent the dark side of its national character,
the present actions of China reveal its own shadow and show just how dangerous
this country can become. On a daily basis, life is chaotic but reasonable
and certainly not violent, but it’s apparent (and worrying) how
easily a mob can form in this part of the world. |
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| A road accident
brings a crowd of sightseers to gawk at a dead or injured body lying in
the street. |
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| The police
(corrupt
to the core, it should be added) arrive, hands in pockets with a disdainful
and arrogant manner. They make no effort at crowd control as the mob swells,
thus creating more traffic problems on the road, and a sense of macabre
madness. |
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| An argument
in the street or a vehicle collision transforms itself into theatre as
the audience takes sides and listens to the combatants’ verbal sparring.
Here in China, the mob rules, and with a population of 1.2 billion, they
feel that safety in numbers counts. |
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| The implications
of all this hostility won’t simply lie down and die. Japan seeks a
permanent place on the UN Security Council which, unsurprisingly, China
opposes. China’s military expenditure is increasing dramatically, which
worries Japan and pushes it closer to the U.S. in an alliance. Japan’s
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi hasn’t visited China since October 2001,
even after repeated requests, and without constructive dialogue it will
be difficult to make progress. |
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| The list of
outstanding issues goes on and on, but ultimately China can’t seem to forgive
and forget, which leaves Japan scratching its head and wondering what can
it do to appease its mighty and irascible neighbor. |
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| The recent
situation appeared to be getting further out of hand as both sides engaged
in a crude pantomime of recrimination, but then Koizumi issued another
apology on April 22, in an attempt to defuse the crisis. In the future,
China will find it increasingly difficult to maintain its air of perpetual
grievance when it gets what it wants, but as it grows stronger and more
confident, it may try to push further and raise the stakes in this deadly
duel.. |
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