Did the Chinese Overreact?

[PLATO]

the fact that they were Japanese turned a cultural misunderstanding into an international incident.

Very telling statement. Obviously the outrage is poltically motivated and not motivated by the deed itself.

its expression has undergone a change recently, with calls for financial compensation.

Here's the reason for the political outrage.

In recent months the fury has grown in the wake of the death of a labourer who was killed by a Japanese chemical weapon uncovered at a construction site.

WTF??

Anti-Japanese feeling has lingered since the second world war, when Japanese troops used Chinese civilians as sex slaves and guinea pigs for biological experiments.

Time to move on China.

[Lonestar]

After reading the article, all I really have to say is this:


The Hell?

[Nubclear]

Japan used to have this habit of invading China.
Some chinese people don't like Japan because of that

[st_swithin]

Yeah, after the rape of Nanjing, the Chinese seem to have a big chip on their collective shoulder. According to you people, they should just say "It's ok, Japan - we forgive you for those 400,000 Chinese civilians you raped and slaughtered."

And of course, empathy shouldn't be expected - they all look alike anyway, naked and tortured and murdered in a pile like that. They have nothing to be sensitive about, right?

[David Floyd]

No, they just need to realize that a few Japanese students playing a prank is not in any way related to the Rape of Nanjing. Frankly, I don't see how it's any different than Jews hating today's Germans for the Holocaust. It's just silly.

[chequita guevara]

And college students today have what to do with the Rape of Najing? Might as well expect us to slug Japanese folks for the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

[Nubclear]

This is pretty simple to understand.

Japan invaded China. Repeated as many times as needed.
(Irrelevant, but...) China has risen to a very powerful position in the world.
Chinese people remember the history. And they get indoctrination from the Chinese government.
Therefore Chinese people dont really like Japanese people.

Stupid? Yes. Understandable? Of course.

[Nubclear]

This is pretty simple to understand.

Japan invaded China. Repeated as many times as needed.
(Irrelevant, but...) China has risen to a very powerful position in the world.
Chinese people remember the history. And they get indoctrination from the Chinese government.
Therefore Chinese people dont really like Japanese people.

Stupid? Yes. Understandable? Of course.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The scale of the counter-action is disproportionate to the act..loud boos and getting hackled off the stage would have been enough a show of disapproval towards the stunt. Death threats are simply absurd.

Totally agree. This is just ridiculous. Yes, you don't like Japanese people because they were *******s. Fine, but what does any of that have to do with a skit by some Japanese students which has nothing to do with history in any way?

It'd be like German students doing a bawdy play in Israel and the Israelis holding massive anti-German protests (which they'd never do).

Might as well expect us to slug Japanese folks for the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Oh, yeah... I forgot... time to get me some of those bastards

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
(which they'd never do).

True.
Instead, they would blame it on Arafat and have anti-Palestine protests.

[Jack_www]

This does not sound very good to me. In the past this is how wars were started. . .

[st_swithin]

Originally posted by Jack_www
This does not sound very good to me. In the past this is how wars were started. . .

Well, it's not like we were doing anything else anyway. I mean, we sort of ran with that Afghanistan thing as far as it could go.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
And college students today have what to do with the Rape of Najing? Might as well expect us to slug Japanese folks for the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

You don't understand the situation comrade.

I am sure some German students making fun of Jews is going to go over well, particularly in Israel.

[DaShi]

The thing was that they weren't targetting China specifically.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by st_swithin
Yeah, after the rape of Nanjing, the Chinese seem to have a big chip on their collective shoulder. According to you people, they should just say "It's ok, Japan - we forgive you for those 400,000 Chinese civilians you raped and slaughtered."

And of course, empathy shouldn't be expected - they all look alike anyway, naked and tortured and murdered in a pile like that. They have nothing to be sensitive about, right?

So rioting and threatening Japanese students who weren't even born at the time is the proper response. Or is China just waiting for the chance to commit its own atrocities on the Japanese. I agree wholeheartedly that Japan needs to apologize and generally be more contrite for its actions during WWII, but bad behavior is still bad behavior. And the reasons for these riots are tenuous.