China South Korea Prepares Boycott Japanese Products
Posted 4-13-2005 at 02:40 AM
BEIJING (AP) - About 1,000 protesters threw rocks and broke windows at the Japanese Embassy on Saturday after a noisy march by demanding a boycott of Japanese goods to oppose new textbooks that critics say gloss over Tokyo's wartime atrocities.
Protesters shouted "Boycott Japan!'' as hundreds of police, some with riot helmets and shields, formed a human wall to keep the crowd away from the embassy. Protesters smashed the windows of a guardhouse outside the fenced compound.
In Tokyo, Japan filed a formal protest to the Chinese Embassy over the protest saying that windows in the Japanese diplomatic compound were broken by demonstrators hurling rocks and bottles.
Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi complained to Chinese envoy Cheng Yonghua about the damage and asked that security be bolstered to prevent a recurrence, Foreign Ministry official Keiji Kamei said.
The protesters in Beijing marched to the embassy after a rally by more than 6,000 people in the Chinese capital's northwest university district, where some burned a Japanese flag.
Waving Chinese flags and singing the national anthem, marchers carried signs saying "Protest new Japanese textbooks,'' a reference to schoolbooks that critics say whitewash wartime aggression against China.
"Boycott Japanese goods!'' the protesters chanted. ``Long live China!''
``I think China should be more firm,'' said protester James Liu, 25, an engineer who works for a French company. ``This is a good way to pass our voice to the government and to the Japanese people.''
Others called for the rejection of Tokyo's campaign for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council - a status held now by only China, the United States, Russia, Britain and France. Referring to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, some protesters chanted, "Koizumi is a dog!''
After the rally, some protesters spent hours marching across the Chinese capital to the diplomatic neighborhood on its east side. Some tore down a half dozen advertisements for Japanese-made Canon cameras along the road as they passed.
Police maintained order among the marchers and kept passers-by from joining in but didn't try to stop the protesters.
The government's Xinhua News Agency took the rare step of reporting on the protest. It put the number of demonstrators at more than 10,000 and quoted some of their chants.
Several hundred protesters also gathered at the Japanese ambassador's official residence on the northeastern side of Beijing, but police with riot shields pushed them away. It wasn't clear whether the ambassador was home at the time.
China hasn't said whether it will oppose a Security Council seat for Japan. But Beijing regards Tokyo as its rival and could be unwilling to give up its status as the only Asian nation with a permanent council seat, which carries veto power over U.N. actions.
Public anger has mounted in China and South Korea over new Japanese history textbooks that critics say gloss over offenses including mass sex slavery of Asian women by Japan's military.
A trade association for Chinese chain stores called last week for a boycott of beer, coffee and other products made by Japanese companies that it claims supported the textbook revision. Protesters reportedly smashed windows of a Japanese-owned department store last weekend in the southwestern city of Chengdu.
Despite the criticism, Japan approved the history books on Tuesday for use in schools beginning in April 2006. In response, the Foreign Ministry issued a stinging statement calling the new textbooks ``poison for Japan's younger generations.''
Most protests in the Chinese capital are banned, but the government occasionally allows brief protests by a few dozen people at a time outside the Japanese Embassy on key war anniversaries.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4925078,00.html
Beijing, China, Apr. 12 (UPI) -- Anti-Japan protests in China and South Korea appear headed toward a boycott of Japanese goods likely to harm electronics, car and beer producers.
Protests have escalated in both countries in recent weeks over Japan's approval of a revised history textbook that allegedly distorts Japanese actions in World War II, as well as recent Japanese moves to assert its claim over disputed islands.
In China, two supermarket chains with more than 1,200 outlets between them have stopped selling Asahi beer and Ajinomoto food products, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Tuesday.
According to Asahi Breweries, shipments to China have fallen slightly. Some Japanese travel agencies report cancellations of trips to China.
In South Korea, a home shopping channel dropped Sony and Canon digital cameras, and
Toyota reported a 30 percent drop year on year in sales of its Lexus luxury sedans in March.
South Korean food company C.J. Corp. on March 29 canceled a deal with Japanese Kirin Brewery Co. to bid for Korean brewery Jinro Co.
The protests are also linked to Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, which China actively opposes and South Korea increasingly stands against. A decision on the matter is expected in September.
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050412-042702-7750r.htm
Tokyo stocks slumped Monday as issues in marine transport and machinery sectors fell amid investor concerns over anti-Japan protests in China. The U.S. dollar was lower against the yen and the euro.
Japanese Stocks Down
The Nikkei Stock Average of 225 selected issues shed 129.11 points, or 1.09 percent, to close at 11,745.64. The index rose 63.76 points, or 0.54 percent, Friday.
The dollar was trading at 108.10 yen at 5 p.m. (0800 GMT) Monday, down 0.55 yen from late Friday and below the 108.30 yen it bought in New York later that day. The dollar traded between 108.05 yen and 108.52 yen in Tokyo.
Boycott Japan until they admit their wrong doings!
BEIJING (AP) - About 1,000 protesters threw rocks and broke windows at the Japanese Embassy on Saturday after a noisy march by demanding a boycott of Japanese goods to oppose new textbooks that critics say gloss over Tokyo's wartime atrocities.
Protesters shouted "Boycott Japan!'' as hundreds of police, some with riot helmets and shields, formed a human wall to keep the crowd away from the embassy. Protesters smashed the windows of a guardhouse outside the fenced compound.
In Tokyo, Japan filed a formal protest to the Chinese Embassy over the protest saying that windows in the Japanese diplomatic compound were broken by demonstrators hurling rocks and bottles.
Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi complained to Chinese envoy Cheng Yonghua about the damage and asked that security be bolstered to prevent a recurrence, Foreign Ministry official Keiji Kamei said.
The protesters in Beijing marched to the embassy after a rally by more than 6,000 people in the Chinese capital's northwest university district, where some burned a Japanese flag.
Waving Chinese flags and singing the national anthem, marchers carried signs saying "Protest new Japanese textbooks,'' a reference to schoolbooks that critics say whitewash wartime aggression against China.
"Boycott Japanese goods!'' the protesters chanted. ``Long live China!''
``I think China should be more firm,'' said protester James Liu, 25, an engineer who works for a French company. ``This is a good way to pass our voice to the government and to the Japanese people.''
Others called for the rejection of Tokyo's campaign for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council - a status held now by only China, the United States, Russia, Britain and France. Referring to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, some protesters chanted, "Koizumi is a dog!''
After the rally, some protesters spent hours marching across the Chinese capital to the diplomatic neighborhood on its east side. Some tore down a half dozen advertisements for Japanese-made Canon cameras along the road as they passed.
Police maintained order among the marchers and kept passers-by from joining in but didn't try to stop the protesters.
The government's Xinhua News Agency took the rare step of reporting on the protest. It put the number of demonstrators at more than 10,000 and quoted some of their chants.
Several hundred protesters also gathered at the Japanese ambassador's official residence on the northeastern side of Beijing, but police with riot shields pushed them away. It wasn't clear whether the ambassador was home at the time.
China hasn't said whether it will oppose a Security Council seat for Japan. But Beijing regards Tokyo as its rival and could be unwilling to give up its status as the only Asian nation with a permanent council seat, which carries veto power over U.N. actions.
Public anger has mounted in China and South Korea over new Japanese history textbooks that critics say gloss over offenses including mass sex slavery of Asian women by Japan's military.
A trade association for Chinese chain stores called last week for a boycott of beer, coffee and other products made by Japanese companies that it claims supported the textbook revision. Protesters reportedly smashed windows of a Japanese-owned department store last weekend in the southwestern city of Chengdu.
Despite the criticism, Japan approved the history books on Tuesday for use in schools beginning in April 2006. In response, the Foreign Ministry issued a stinging statement calling the new textbooks ``poison for Japan's younger generations.''
Most protests in the Chinese capital are banned, but the government occasionally allows brief protests by a few dozen people at a time outside the Japanese Embassy on key war anniversaries.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4925078,00.html
Beijing, China, Apr. 12 (UPI) -- Anti-Japan protests in China and South Korea appear headed toward a boycott of Japanese goods likely to harm electronics, car and beer producers.
Protests have escalated in both countries in recent weeks over Japan's approval of a revised history textbook that allegedly distorts Japanese actions in World War II, as well as recent Japanese moves to assert its claim over disputed islands.
In China, two supermarket chains with more than 1,200 outlets between them have stopped selling Asahi beer and Ajinomoto food products, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Tuesday.
According to Asahi Breweries, shipments to China have fallen slightly. Some Japanese travel agencies report cancellations of trips to China.
In South Korea, a home shopping channel dropped Sony and Canon digital cameras, and
Toyota reported a 30 percent drop year on year in sales of its Lexus luxury sedans in March.
South Korean food company C.J. Corp. on March 29 canceled a deal with Japanese Kirin Brewery Co. to bid for Korean brewery Jinro Co.
The protests are also linked to Japan's bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, which China actively opposes and South Korea increasingly stands against. A decision on the matter is expected in September.
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050412-042702-7750r.htm
Tokyo stocks slumped Monday as issues in marine transport and machinery sectors fell amid investor concerns over anti-Japan protests in China. The U.S. dollar was lower against the yen and the euro.
Japanese Stocks Down
The Nikkei Stock Average of 225 selected issues shed 129.11 points, or 1.09 percent, to close at 11,745.64. The index rose 63.76 points, or 0.54 percent, Friday.
The dollar was trading at 108.10 yen at 5 p.m. (0800 GMT) Monday, down 0.55 yen from late Friday and below the 108.30 yen it bought in New York later that day. The dollar traded between 108.05 yen and 108.52 yen in Tokyo.
