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| moreAboutEastAsia |
| The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 5 EDITORIAL: China soccer hooliganism What are we to make of the hostility by Chinese fans? Japan and China for the first time face off Saturday in the Asian Cup soccer final in Beijing. We hope it will be an exciting match, but we worry about the behavior of Chinese fans. This is because the Japanese team, as well as fans, were subjected to harassment by Chinese spectators during matches played in Chongqing and Jinan. When the Japanese team took possession of the ball, the Chinese spectators booed loudly. When its adversary scored a point, they broke out in wild applause. The spectators also booed when the ``Kimigayo'' national anthem was played. Japanese supporters were also yelled at, pelted with garbage and even roughed up. In sports events where teams representing their countries fight against each other, it is inevitable that nationalistic sentiment will rise up. We still recall that a soccer match between two countries in Central America triggered armed conflict between them in the 1960s. Unforeseen incidents have also occurred in Europe. In the fall of 2001, a match between France and Algeria, a former French colony, in the suburbs of Paris had to be canceled when Algerian supporters invaded the pitch after booing France's national anthem. At any rate, the scenes at stands in Chinese stadiums, which left the impression that Japan bashing was the spectators' purpose, are incomprehensible. Next year marks the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II and more than 30 years have passed since the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Japan and China have developed a deep mutual economic dependence. So we were surprised to see Chinese spectators waving a banner reading, ``Look into history, apologize to Asian people and return the Diaoyu Islands.'' There is no question that this was a churlish act, unbefitting a sports event. It is not surprising that a newspaper for young people that is affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party wrote, ``Nobody applauds such `patriotism,''' and ``Don't confuse sports with politics.'' Of course, beneath this anti-Japanese sentiment lies the undeniable fact that Japan invaded and occupied China before and during the last war. In Chongqing, in particular, a huge number of Chinese citizens lost their lives in indiscriminate bombing by Japanese military aircraft. Japanese youths who know about this aspect of history will look at behavior of the Chinese soccer fans quite differently from those who don't have much idea about the past. For the Chinese, many things in Japan raise their hackles, for example, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. There are also Japan's claims to the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands in Chinese) and Japanese tourists buying Chinese women. Nascent big-brotherly sentiment among young men and women and ``patriotic education'' dating from the days when Jiang Zemin was president also played a part in causing antagonistic feelings toward Japan. The problems are not confined to those matters alone. People in the interior of China are much poorer than their compatriots in flourishing coastal regions. Many young people are jobless. Furthermore, the central government is not very responsive to the discontent. In no small measure, the Chinese fans may have tried to vent their frustration by expressing it in anti-Japanese gestures. If that is the case, it would be unwise to attach unduly great importance to their behavior. It would be better to ponder the reasons for Japan being a target of their anger. We realize there is no magic wand that can be used in the reconciliation of ill-feeling stemming from acts committed in days gone by. Nevertheless, it is a duty for politicians to take the sting out of history. China is no longer a country where the Communist Party can browbeat unruly youths. We should welcome the changes that have taken place over the years. Also, here is something for the Chinese fans to think about. Saturday's soccer final will be an occasion when the caliber of the Chinese people, who will host the Olympic Games four years from now, will be put to the test. |
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