It is the third consecutive weekend

It is the third consecutive weekends that there were anti-Japan protests happen in China. Big cities like Shanghai and Nanjing both had anti-Japan protests.

To my surprise, hundreds of Hong Kong citizens went onto downtown streets to protest against Japan too. For me, Hong Kong people are material, what they care most is money and interest. Seldom do they care about politics, but not this time when the history is distorted.

However, the government began to calm down the anger among its people. Foreign Affair Minister Li Zhaoxing urged people to stop protesting, and “turn the patriotic fever toward working, so as to contribute to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”. Well, he is right. Protest is not the only thing people need to do, and China needs time and a stable situation to develop. China has been on the right track for 26 years by developing its economy, and the country needs more peace time like this to strengthen it power in economy and politics. Chinese people widely think that Li did a good and right thing while meeting with Japan’s Foreign Affair Minister Nobutaka Machimura. Li refused to apologize for recent protests that caused damage to Japan’s embassies and companies, and refused to pay for the repair. The Chinese applause for Li’s toughness, and they think the government should be tough enough when dealing with countries like Japan who distorts and modifies the past history. But local governments are not on the same boat with Li, some governments have begun to pay for those damages. That might be a sign indicates that all these are going to be an end.

Protests are necessary to show people’s anger. But blood is not necessary. It is said that two Japanese were hurt in Shanghai. They were beaten up by angry Chinese. Certainly this is overacted, especially in a day that even revolution doesn’t necessary mean blood and brutality, like “the Orange Revolution” happened in Ukraine couples months ago. For me, protesters that used violence are symbols of lack of self-confidence. Isn’t it a good thing that we can achieve our goal without blood?

During a talk with two of my Japanese friends, they told me that the Japanese have no idea why Chinese all at a sudden rose up and protest against Japan. They said the media didn’t tell them why. And now they knew that the reason is Japan’s new history textbook. What made our talk drama was that one Japanese student apologized to me for what his country did about sixty years ago. “They were so stupid to do that (distort the history),” he said. But we are still good friends.

Well, some Japanese go even further. On one Japanese website, media are doing survey on whether the country should boycott Beijing Olympics 2008. One out of seven says that boycott is a good thing to do. The survey is a response to rumors that Japan may to boycott the Olympics which will be hold in Beijing in 2008.

I think Luf2004 is right. In his article, I have no idea what its gender is, on China Daily’s forum, Luf2004 says that the majority of Chinese are calm and believe that violence does no help to the problem. Also he said that China shouldn’t be the only part in the current issue, “Two suicide bombings (though failed) have happened, Chinese ambassador’s apartment has been attacked and damaged, the embassy has been threatened numerous times.” That Chinese in Japan are under threat and danger, shouldn’t Japan do something to protect them? I agree with he at this point. Things always have two sides, like mirror.

Of course protests are no the only way to get the problem solved. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan hopes that China and Japan can resolve the dispute in a peaceful way by keep on dialogue. That certainly is a good way to work it out.

China should control the situation, calm down the anger, and solve the problem through dialogue. Also, I think Japan should learn from how Germany treats its wartime crimes, but not just focus on wiping out the past. Yes, try to win your neighbors’ respects by acknowledging your wartime past and crimes.

That is my words for both China and Japan.