Japanese firms in China attacked by mob, stop operations

[illusion8]

BEIJING: The anti-Japan demonstrations in China over disputed islands today took an ugly turn with protesters attacking some of the top Japanese firms, including Panasonic and Canon, hitting flourishing bilateral trade.

China is Japan's biggest trading partner and their two-way trade last year stood at USD 345 billion.

Panasonic has suspended some of its operations in China after anti-Japan protesters attacked two of its factories. Canon has also suspended operations at three of its Chinese factories, according to reports.

Also Japanese car manufacturer Toyota which has huge manufacturing facilities in China was affected as its cars came under attack at several places, including in Beijing.

Though one of its showrooms here was damaged in the attacks, Toyota said operations in its factories are normal.

What started as stray protests in front of Japanese diplomatic missions all over China have turned out to be massive demonstrations, something the country has not witnessed for long as public demonstrations are highly regulated in the communist nation.

The protests started after Japan bought the Senkaku islands called Diaoyu islands by China from a private party for USD 26 million ignoring strong opposition from China.

Though China yesterday appealed to the protesters to be calm, the demonstrations turned violent in several places today.

Asked about the violence, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said today that while protesters should be peaceful they were "provoked by gravely destructive consequences of Japan's illegal purchase of the Diaoyu Islands, and the responsibility for this should be born by Japan".

"The course of developments will depend on whether or not Japan faces up to China's solemn stance and whether or not it faces up to the calls for justice from the Chinese people and adopts a correct attitude and approach," Hong said.

Japanese firms in China attacked by mob, stop operations - The Economic Times

 

[shuttler]

The protests have to go on until the Japanese submits!

But violence has to stop!

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

Any Japanese citizens attacked so far?

 

[illusion8]

 

[illusion8]

Protests in China hit Japanese companies - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Protesters near the Japanese embassy in Beijing call for war with Japan.

 

[xuxu1457]

I saw west call them freedom fighters before, what a Double standard

 

[Srinivas]

Any Japanese Firm which is feeling threatened by these actions instigated by CCP can relocate to Vietnam or India.

 

[OrionHunter]

All countries that China is having a scrap with in the South China Sea should close shop in China and open their industries in India instead. The Han Dynasty it seems is on its last legs! Instead of democracy, it seems China is soon turning into a mobocracy.

 

[Icecreamcart]

All countries that China is having a scrap with in the South China Sea should close shop in China and and open their industries in India instead. The Han Dynasty it seems is on its last legs! Instead of democracy, it seems China is soon turning into a mobocracy.

"Mobocracy" is the most pure form of democracy.

Mob rule like in Revolutionary France!

But really, after the first day of protests, everyone is stuck in a mob mentality, and that is disastrous for China.

 

[Plexyre]

 

[illusion8]

Anti-Japanese demonstrations in major cities in China have descended into violence with protesters smashing cars and setting fire to Japanese restaurants and businesses in Guangzhou, where there have also been reported incidents of robbery and attacks on individuals. Beijing has called for a display of "rational patriotism" and dispatched police and armed officers in an attempt to cool down tensions.

The rallies were triggered by the Japanese government's move to nationalize three of the disputed Diaorutai (Diaoyu or Senkaku) islands in the East China Sea last week.

During demonstrations over the weekend, protesters also attacked and destroyed properties with no connection to Japan. Some demonstrators in Shenzhen attacked the office of the city party committee while rioters in Guangzhou stormed into the five-star Garden Hotel and vehicles of the Italian consulate in the city were also damaged by protesters, according to Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao.

Several internet users in Guangzhou said some of the protesters were from the south-central province of Hunan. These protesters were paid and given train tickets to "demonstrate" in the city, they claimed, without saying who paid the rioters to do so.

Police in Shenzhen have increased patrols on major streets, summoned back all officers on leave and have armed officers on standby in case of emergency, noted Ming Pao.

Municipal governments across China have arrested protesters and forbidden public gatherings in an attempt to prevent nationalistic demonstrations spiraling out of control. Guangzhou police detained eleven people for destroying vehicles of Japanese brands and smashing shop windows and billboards. The police called for more "rational" protests and vowed to punish people who used the opportunities to riot.

Police in Xi'an in the country's northwest also made several arrests, banned people from organizing illegal gatherings and demonstrations via the internet and set up a restricted area in the city center, according to Hong Kong newspapers.

People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, said municipal governments have made announcements through their new offices and official microblogs to issue warnings to rioters and call for more rational actions.

In Hong Kong, activists planning to set sail for the disputed islands threatened to put to sea without permission or even ram official vessels after the authorities delayed their departure on the grounds of having insufficient equipment and lifejackets. The authorities delayed their plans again after they prepared further equipment due to a dent on their new railing, according to Ming Pao.

Tsang Kin-shing, the protest's organizer, said the Hong Kong government has deliberately slowed them down as it will take another two days for them to prepare the food, water and fuel needed for a second trip after the Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu Islands traveled to the islands last month and landed on one of the islets, where they were arrested by the Japanese authorities and later deported. They have already spent HK$80,000 (over US$10,000) on buying equipment and making repairs.

They have not ruled out the option of making a break with media on board to set out for the disputed islands, one activist said, adding he will prepare coffins on the boat to express their determination to defend the islands.

Tsang and Lo Hom-chau, the owner of the boat, attended a Beijing district court on Tuesday morning to press charges against the Japanese authorities who arrested and detained them in August.

The latest demonstrations coincide with the 81st anniversary of the Mukden Incident of Sept. 18, 1931, which led to the full occupation of northeastern China by Imperial Japanese forces. The Chinese government has expressed concerns that the connection between the two incidents will intensify tensions, reported Ming Pao.

Internet users in Henan province in central China have organized a parade in memory of the incident while Hong Kong's political parties and labor unions will also hold a parade and carry out a signature campaign to protest in front of the Japanese embassy in Hong Kong.

Hong Lei, spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said the demonstrations highlight the anger of the Chinese people and the Japanese government should recognize and face the complaints squarely.

Calls for calm after anti-Japanese protests turn violent

 

[Mujraparty]

Behind China’s Anti-Japan Protests, the Hand of Officials


An anti-Japanese protester throws a gas cannister as they demonstrate over the disputed Diaoyu Islands on Sept. 16, in Shenzhen, China. Some analysts suspect a regime faction may be behind the mischief. (Lam Yik Fei/Getty Images)

An ordinary Chinese patriot leads an anti-Japanese protest equipped with a bulletproof vest and a policeman-type earpiece. A Chinese Communist Party (CCP) police official leads anti-Japan protests, egging on crowds with his loudspeaker, saying, “Strike down the wicked Japanese.”

Chinese netizens are very interested in who is behind this, as information has emerged online over the last few days revealing that at least some of the anti-Japan protests that have rocked China over the last week may have been deliberately organized.

Since last week, and especially over the weekend, protests against the Japanese in China have been escalating.

The proximate trigger of the outburst was the announcement by Japan that it would nationalize the Senkaku Islands, an uninhabited, rocky set of isles in the East China Sea whose ownership China disputes.

The Japanese proclaimed in a press conference by Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura that they would buy the islands from a private Japanese owner on Sept. 10 “to ensure the peaceful and stable maintenance and management.”

Despite many Chinese disagreeing with the Japanese government’s territorial claims to the Senkaku Islands, and especially with its bold move to formally acquire them, many online have expressed dismay at the violent response by the Chinese.

Japanese cars have been sabotaged, smashed, set aflame, and overturned; Japanese restaurants have been looted; Japanese supermarkets have been ransacked; in one instance, a Japanese man had a bowl of hot noodles thrown in his face; and recently, mass protests have filled the streets.

But Internet sleuths are raising questions.

One of the men that netizens allege was wearing a bulletproof vest and using a police-style earpiece. Anti-Japan protests in China recently were organized with official blessing, and perhaps involvement, say netizens. (Weibo.com

Internet sleuths say that a plot may be afoot, pointing to men who appear to be police and CCP officials leading the protests


Internet sleuths say that a plot may be afoot, pointing to men who appear to be police and CCP officials leading the protests.

Netizens have focused on an instance of a man wearing what they suspect to be a bulletproof vest and what they say is a police earpiece, but aside from this, there are other instances of what netizens say is suspicious government involvement.

One protest leader was identified as Zhu Gu, a CCP member and the director of a police station in Xi’an. When a composite image of the man at the protest and an image of the official that closely resembled him were posted on Sina Weibo, a popular microblog service in China, they were swiftly purged by Internet censors.

A Weibo user who wrote, “Pay attention to this man. He’s the main ringleader that overturned three cars on Huancheng South Road,” pointing out the picture, later had the account blocked.

Huang Yi, a host with TV South (Nanfang Dianshitai), posted his own detailed analysis of the various protest participants. The last column lists “plainclothes police,” which were further divided into those who “try to stop the destruction” and those that “destroy things.” He said, “The chaotic acts made me furious.”

There were protests in over 57 cities in China, according to World Journal, a Chinese newspaper published outside of China.

A number of other Weibo users noted that many of the protesters were not local, did not have rail passes, and did not speak the local language. One Guangzhou resident suspected that they were sent from out of town to make trouble.

In many cities, police in uniform or other security forces kept the protesters in some semblance of order—in contrast to the usual role played by Chinese authorities, who crush any protest perceived as antigovernment.

And in contrast to the helpful treatment extended to anti-Japan protesters, protests organized by democratic groups were dismissed. Zou Wei, a member of a democratic party in Guangzhou, was put under house arrest after he submitted an application to hold an anti-Japan demonstration.

Communist Party officials walk a fine line with the protests, attempting to ensure they are not co-opted by groups who have a message that is at odds with the regime’s, according to Huang Qi, director of the Chinese human rights website 64tianwang.com.

“They are worried that the focus of the protest may shift if dissidents are present, and the protest might even target authorities’ corruption,” Huang told Sound of Hope Radio.

The Hidden Hand

One Weibo user, attuned to the signs of Chinese political struggle, wrote, “Firstly, who can control armed police, plainclothes police, and public security all over the country? Secondly, who can control televisions all over the country to keep silent? Thirdly, who can control Sina Weibo and delete posts as soon as they appear? This someone must be the one that is behind these violent incidents all over the country.”

The most prominent theory of who the “someone” is, is hard-liners in the security and propaganda apparatus who are aligned with former regime leader Jiang Zemin; many owe their political legacy to the implementation of Jiang’s persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual practice.

Though some analysts and insiders indicated that arrangements for the upcoming leadership changeover this fall were settled, the recent absence of Xi Jinping, the presumptive next leader of the regime, and the dispute with Japan may have given this group an opening to exploit and push for greater power, according to analysts.

An article published in Boxun, a Chinese-language dissident website outside China, said that security officials and supporters of ousted official Bo Xilai have been supporting the protests in an effort to postpone the 18th Party Congress and give hard-liners more time in personnel negotiations.

Xia Xiaoqiang, a columnist and analyst of Chinese politics based in Washington, D.C., said, referring to this group, “Their ultimate goal is to preserve the gang’s political position, so that a chance will arise for them to take power.”

Behind China?s Anti-Japan Protests, the Hand of Officials | China
China Anti-Japanese Protests - Business Insider

 

[veekysingh]

bring the nuke's on.

 

[illusion8]

China Baidu shows the Island with a Chinese flag

Map displayed with not only Senkaku.daiyu island but also Japan as China.

 

[Abhishek_]

yay, destroy fellow chinese' property just because it is of a japanese brand. logic fail

i must say, if chinese dramas used similar choreographers they would look way more believable