Chinese take to streets in Japan protests

Koizumi brought his visit forward to deflect protests from Asian neighbours

By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
CNN Senior China Analyst

(CNN) -- Anti-Japanese protests have taken place in several coastal and inland Chinese cities, the largest outbreak of anti-Tokyo sentiment in recent memory.

Chinese of different backgrounds, including a group of 2000 high school students, held rallies Tuesday in Shenzhen, Beijing, Nanjing, Shenyang, Yiwu city and Zhejiang Province to protest Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine.

Anti-Japanese feelings are expected to spread to other sectors of Chinese society.

Official Chinese papers reported Wednesday that deputies to the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference had also held special sessions to condemn alleged efforts by Tokyo to embellish history and skirt war-time responsibilities.

Elaborate commemorative activities, including anti-Koizumi protests, are scheduled for Wednesday in Nanjing and Shenyang to mark the day of Japanese surrender.

Compared with anti-Japanese actions in South Korea, however, China's reaction has been restrained.

'Japanese chauvinism'

A Japan expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said Beijing was reluctant to let the Yasukuni shrine episode hamper regular bilateral relations.

"Beijing mainly wants to make a strong point against the rise of nationalism in Japan, particularly that among the younger generation," said the expert, who wants to remain anonymous.

"People's Liberation Army generals have also expressed disquiet over the fast-modernizing Japanese army."

In a strongly worded commentary, the Liberation Army Daily decried the relentless growth of "right-wing ideological currents" in Japanese society as well as the expansion of "Japan chauvinism."

Asian diplomatic analysts in Beijing said, however, that the Chinese government did not want the Yasukuni episode to derail on-going exchanges of visits as well as economic cooperation with Japan.

They said the Chinese leadership was anxious to pry Tokyo loose from an Asia-wide anti-China containment policy allegedly spearheaded by Washington.