Nasty outbursts against a Japanese sports team in China have raised worrisome questions about Beijing's fitness to host the 2008 Olympic Games, which China's rulers intend to be a showcase for the progress of their nation, much as did Japan in 1964 and South Korea in 1988.
The Japanese team, in China for the Asia Cup tournament, was treated to hooliganism beyond that which seems to erupt in many places during matches in what the Americans call soccer, but almost everyone else calls football.
From southwestern Chongqing to eastern Jinan to Beijing, Chinese fans drowned out the Japanese national anthem with jeers, shouting "kill, kill, kill" at the visiting team, and harassing Japanese fans. Japanese flags were burned outside the stadiums and a Japanese diplomat's car was damaged.
The demonstrations reached a crescendo in Beijing, where the Japanese team defeated the Chinese, 3-1, to win the cup, while 10,000 policemen were alerted in an effort to control the riots. Japanese fans were held inside the stadium for two hours after the match, forced to wait until they could be herded to safety.
A sign referring to the Japanese invasion of China from 1937 to 1945 summed up the Chinese animosity: "This time, Chinese get to be the bullies." There is little evidence that the Chinese government instigated the acrimony directly but it has long conducted an anti-Japanese campaign through the government-controlled press that evidently has had a lasting effect.
Japan's ambassador to China, Koreshige Anami, protested to the Chinese government, which downplayed the hostility and accused the Japanese press of exaggerating. Ironically, the ambassador is the son of the late General Korechika Anami, who commanded a division during the assault on China and was later minister of war.
The general secretary of the Asian Football Confederations, Peter Velappan of Malaysia, raised the issue of the 2008 Olympics in a searing criticism of Chinese manners. "This is not sportsmanship," he said. "Chinese people have great culture, education and history, but the behavior here today ... well, I'm not so sure that Beijing can host a good Olympics."
Velappan also criticized the coach of the Chinese team, Arie Haan of the Netherlands, for refusing to attend the ceremony in which the second place medals were awarded.
"He should demonstrate a more sporting spirit and be a sporting loser," he said. "Not to receive this medal is an act of disrespect towards the Chinese and Japanese teams and the fans at the stadium," Velappan said.
Editorials in Japanese newspapers echoed Velappan as did several in Taiwan. Even a few voices in China expressed concern although the Chinese press largely ignored the incidents. Xinhua, the national news agency said: "Come on. It was just a game of soccer."
The concern is that the Chinese will hassle the Japanese again, and possibly the Americans, Vietnamese, Indians, Russians and others with whom they have political differences. A key question: Will China permit Taiwan to send a team?
China and Taiwan have clashed in Athens at the Olympics, which opened last Friday. The Taiwanese bought advertising space on airport carts and roads leading to athletic sites. China protested to the Greek government, which ordered the signs taken down. Taiwan accused the Greeks of appeasement.
On the athletic field, Chinese and Japanese football teams may meet again if each survives the elimination rounds. Women's softball and field hockey teams from China and Japan are scheduled to meet early in the games.
Despite the pleas of athletes, politics have long plagued the Olympics. Adolf Hitler, used the 1936 games to flaunt his Nazi supremacism. An African-American sprinter, Jesse Owens, the grandson of slaves, stole Hitler's thunder by winning four gold medals.
China boycotted the 1956 games in Melbourne after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized Taiwan and stayed out until the winter Olympics of 1980. The Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland sat out to condemn the Soviet Union's oppression in Hungary, while Lebanon, Iraq, and Egypt withdrew to protest Israel's incursion into the Sinai Peninsula.
In 1972, Muslim terrorists killed 11 Israeli athletes in Munich. To demonstrate against South Africa's racial apartheid, 26 nations boycotted the 1976 Montreal games. The US boycotted the 1980 games in Moscow after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
The Soviets retaliated in 1984 by staying away from Los Angeles.
Given the conduct of the Chinese during the Asia Cup, it seems fair to ask whether they will organize an apolitical Olympics four years hence.
Richard Halloran is a freelance writer based in Honolulu.
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
RSS