A protest in support of China’s sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands was held outside the Japanese embassy in Beijing on August 15, the anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender. [Photo/Agencies]

 

The hawkish Chinese people said they have abandoned all hope of finding a peaceful solution to the bitter territorial conflict and it even may all come down to a final faceoff, both politically and militarily.

“Who is responsible for protecting the national land? Individual involvement in the Diaoyu Islands is just a form of protest and shows the social attitude. When the military begins to protect the islands, we can see the real effect! ” said another user 剑吟沧桑.

This contraction over the Diaoyu Islands brings up other issues that split China and Japan.

The Chinese people accused the Japanese government of failing to officially apologize for the atrocious sufferings it inflicted on China and its citizens during World War II. Worst of all, some aggressive right-wing Japanese politicians and activists deny all the historical facts and refuse to atone for the crimes, as evidenced by their frequent visits to the Yasukuni Shrine that honors both the Japanese war dead and war criminals.

China, South Korea and some other Asian countries see the Yasukuni Shrine as a symbol of Japan's militarist past and the country's lack of contrition for wartime atrocities. Growing trade issues, Japan’s historical revisionism, and the widespread anti-Japanese sentiment in China add to the fouling of the China-Japan relationship.

As a rule, both the Chinese and Japanese governments would usually play down such incidents as the attempted flag-planting on Wednesday, fearing that such conflicts may cause violent nationwide protests and more significantly, strain the already fragile diplomatic relationship.

With rising domestic pressure, however, the two Asian rivals have to present a tough and competent image. They will routinely lodge complaints to each other and reach accommodations that are comfortable to both sides. But their ostensibly conciliatory gestures on the territorial disputes are often scorned and draw furious criticism from the people.

“Now I don’t want to read any news about the Diaoyu Islands. They only will make me angrier. Solemn representation, close attention to the issue… all the diplomatic rhetoric. Even the kids know what the government will say.” said a cynical Weibo user.

By Xu Xinlei