By Liu Yang

Anti-Japanese protests erupted in China three weekends in a row in April. The demonstrations started in Guangzhou and Shenzhen and spread out to Beijing and Shanghai. At first the Chinese government tolerated the internal demonstrations and the Chinese media didn't report them in the newspapers or on TV. Afterward, the Chinese government denounced them, and finally cracked down on the demonstrators. This decision weakened the anti-Japanese movement, and it seemed that quiet returned to China.

The Japanese can't understand why their neighbors hold such fierce hostility against them. However, China was internationally criticized for the inconsiderate actions in destroying Japanese owned facilities and for attacks on Japanese students in China. The protests didn't produce profitable results for either China or Japan. I'd like to voice my opinion as a Chinese student.

Above all, this incident was triggered by the dispute over Japanese history textbooks and Yasukuni Shrine visits by prominent politicians. Many Japanese government officials have distorted the historical truth and visited Yasukuni Shrine, while at the same time apologizing for the wartime atrocities. Most Chinese seemed to feel that Japan thinks little of what it did in the war and has insulted China. China normalized diplomatic relations with Japan in 1972 in spite of their many disagreements. Chinese have an ideal to keep a good relationship with Japan by distinguishing between militarists from the past with the present Japanese. The big differences in historical interpretation between China and Japan have caused diplomatic crisis' since the normalization of ties. It is time for both countries to deliberate history and frame the appropriate solution so as not to destroy their close relations.

The Japanese people also need to learn about the problems China faces. In other words, Japan should notice that China's economy has been developing at a rapid pace, causing quite a few social problems. Not all of the challenges its economy brings to Japan are threat. Japan should reconsider the facts and achievements of economic cooperation with China, and should appreciate China as a bilateral partner. China is still a developing country even as it continues to grow, so its economy and citizens' consciousness take after those of the developed countries.

The regional differences of economic development within China reflect the reasons why the riot occurred. In Guangzhou and Shenzhen, poor migrant workers and rich owners account for a large portion of the population. The gap between the rich and the poor is apparent. Actually, we cannot deny that a lot of poor workers took part in the protests in order to reduce their stress. Even if the media reports many extreme incidents, I hope Japanese not to think that these protests are against all Japanese people. This time most Chinese demanded that Japan amend its history textbooks, halt Prime Minister Koizumi from visiting Yasukuni Shrine, and rethink its goal of becoming a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. The protests escalated to include boycotts against Japanese-made goods because the Japanese government ignored the demands. Anti-Japanese sentiment will surely grow in China as long as Japan refuses to take a clear stance on historical issues and continues to have conflict over territory and natural resources. If Koizumi visits Yasukuni again, a more furious movement could arise in China. Though Japanese industries, such as the automobile industry, were not seriously damaged, there are certain underlying hostilities hidden in the Chinese market. If this potential hostility is unleashed in the future, Japanese companies and the brand image of Japanese-made products will be severely damaged.

Although Japan and China might clash with each other, they should keep amicable relations because they can't move to different locations. Both of them need to break through the current situation, taking into account the interests of their citizens. Also, the media in each country should convey the truth, so that citizens can comprehend the problems and take positive steps in order to keep peace.

Fortunately, the Chinese who live in Japan didn't directly suffer from the anti-Japanese protests. My neighbors cheered me up. When the media reported about the demonstrations, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department announced that they would protect Chinese who reside in Japan. I think that quite a few Japanese are friendly and love peace, so I will devote my efforts to inform China of the true nature of Japanese. I sincerely hope that Chinese and Japanese young people will make all possible efforts to understand each other and establish strong relations.