Re: China and Japan : rivalry for a millennium ?

Isn't' it bizarre to see that demonstrators can strike
wherever they want in such country as China? Is the old
CCP guard still angry at Hu and Wen and infuriated at
Japan UNSC attempt. Are these strikes "political
activities" pre-organized. Police closed to the crowds.
Anyone arrested ? Are Universities there under
lecturing by Party promising activists? Japanese media
coverage was quite a surprise, too poor.

This piece from the CSM is quite interesting on the
contrary:

Quotes :

"Take a big knife and chop off head of Japanese devil."

Not since 1985, when the then Japanese prime minister
visited the Yasukuni Shrine, has Beijing allowed such a
demonstration.

While described as a spontaneous rally, the organized
nature of the Saturday protest seemed apparent to some
observers. Areas for press, protesters, and riot police
were taped off. Movement was carefully organized:
crowds were sent past the Japanese Embassy, then to
buses to usher them out. One policeman told an
approaching reporter that a detour was necessary, since
"political activity" had been scheduled.

A seat for Japan on the Security Council would alter
China's current status as the only Asian member of the
council. While Beijing has supported multilateralism in
much of the world, it has been reluctant to do so in
Asia, its closest sphere of influence.

Here, most of the relationships between neighboring
states and Beijing are bilateral.

Some Western diplomats say that while China has shown
its unpredictability, Tokyo continues to give its
neighbors a target. "Japan has a problem with its
neighbors and its neighbors all say so," notes a senior
Western diplomat. "Yet they are solid allies of
Washington. We still don't know which way China is
going."

One protester said he was embarrassed that his friends
were throwing bottles at the Embassy.

"I was at the American embassy in 1999 [when it was
attacked after the accidental bombing of the Chinese
embassy in Belgrade] and I asked my friends not to throw
things at that time, too."

end of quotes