China warned the public against staging fresh protests when Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura visits this weekend in an attempt to head off a repeat of last week's violent anti-Japanese demonstrations.
Thousands took part in protests in at least four Chinese cities last Saturday and Sunday, and Internet chatrooms, e-mails and mobile phone messages have been urging people to join a new round of protests in cities across China this weekend.
Foreign missions, wary of possible violence after demonstrators threw rocks and eggs at Japanese diplomatic missions and attacked Japanese businesses last week cautioned their citizens about new protests.
PHOTO: AFP
The demonstrations, triggered by what many see as Japan's failure to own up to World War II atrocities, come at a time that Japan is seeking a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, a move that China firmly opposes.
While last weekend's protests appeared to have had tacit state approval, the government appealed to demonstrators to avoid "extreme activities" and yesterday Beijing police warned against "unapproved or harmful" activities.
"Any assemblies, protests and demonstrations should be approved by the public security organ," the China News Service quoted a Beijing police spokesman as saying.
Unapproved and harmful activities were "illegal" and would be punished, it said.
For its part, Japan pledged not to let a series of disputes with China hinder their broader relationship.
"We must deepen mutual understanding and trust through dialogue and not allow individual issues to become an obstacle to the development of the overall Japan-China relationship," the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in an annual diplomatic report.
Machimura flies to Beijing tomorrow to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (
Tokyo, through the Japanese chamber of commerce in China, warned Japanese firms to be on guard against possible protests. Japanese diplomatic missions in China have also cautioned Japanese in China about the protests, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said.
"It seems the Chinese side is making various efforts. I would like to monitor the situation," Hosoda told reporters.
The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo, meanwhile, issued an annual report that accused China of threatening Japanese security in a series of incidents including illegal prospecting for oil in Japan's exclusive economic zone and an incursion into Japan's territorial waters.
The report cited China's undersea resource explorations in disputed waters in the East China Sea and an incursion by a Chinese nuclear submarine in those waters last year, calling them "serious problems that threatened Japan's national security, sovereignty and other rights."
However, despite such problems, it is important to build trust and understanding through dialogue, the report said.
"Stability in Japan-China relations is crucial for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region," the report said. "And we agreed on the need for dialogue despite difference in opinions in specific areas."
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist