Tens of thousands of anti-Japan demonstrators rallied across China over disputed islands on Tuesday, September 18, a key historical anniversary, as Tokyo said 11 Chinese government vessels had entered the area.
Giggling together, arm-in-arm as they clutched designerhandbags and iPhones, the teenage girls' faces contorted with anger as theyscreamed in unison "Japan leave Diaoyu, China fight, fight, fight!" Thetransformation of the foursome as they joined an anti-Japanese protest outsideTokyo's embassy in Beijing was a stark illustration of the animosity someChinese harbour towards their neighbours.
The sentiment has been heightened by fury over uninhabitedbut disputed islands in the East China Sea, known as Diaoyu in China andSenkaku in Japan, which Tokyo controls but Beijing proclaims as its"inalienable territory". Protesters carried signs reading "KillJapanese" and held aloft mocked-up placards showing the Japanese primeminister's face imposed on the body of a dog and a picture of a Chinese soldierstabbing a Japanese enemy. Dozens of protesters also carried portraits of MaoZedong.
Mao, the 'Great Helmsman', who critics blame for millions ofdeaths, remains a divisive figure in Chinese society, but one who is veneratedby some for unifying the country and standing up to the invading Japanese army."Mao is my spiritual leader, that is why I carry his portrait," saidone protester, who reeled off a list of historical crimes he said Japan hadfailed to apologise for.
Among them was the September 18, 1931, "MukdenIncident" in which Japanese soldiers blew up a railway in Manchuria as apretext to taking control of the entire northeastern region, which iscommemorated every year in China. The anniversary of the historical humiliationadded further bitterness to the protest. Another demonstrator said Mao was theonly leader in Chinese history who was not afraid to fight for his country. "Thegovernment will only protest and talk these days, but there has been littleaction since Mao," he said.
Despite the threatening words and placards, many of theprotesters were in a carnival mood, but police were taking no chances. Six rowsof armed officers lined up outside the main gates to the embassy compound readyto protect the buildings in case sentiment boiled over. "Diaoyu Island isChinese and we should protect it from Japan. I believe this strongly, and thatis why I have come to this demonstration," Jiu Longtou, a 31-year-oldfactory worker stated. "China is not a weak country any more. We arestrong and we should no longer be bullied by Japan."
