The news reports on the Japan leg of the Bejing Olympic torch (which some are calling the “flame of shame”) relay in Nagano made me wish I had been there with a camera.
Large numbers of Chinese “students” were on hand as were groups of free Tibeters, all of whom seemed to be carrying flags and placards. The Japanese right wing also showed up, ready to mix it up with just about anyone, especially the Chinese.
The whole thing reminded me of why I dislike nation-vs-nation sports of any kind so much.
I also had to wonder whether the Olympics might turn out to be a public relations disaster for China.
Any other thoughts on this?
I lived in Nagano from the end of 1994 until the end of 2002, before moving to Kobe City. The majority of Nagano City people will have felt upset by the Olympic Torch protesters and also the huge number of Chinese students who arrived to support the torch.
On an international level China is getting a negative reaction over the Olympic torch due to the situation in Tibet but overall its not much more negative media than China usually gets from the western press.
China is going to be the winner of all the negative press because its doing something even the Communist Government has not been able to do in recent years. Its uniting the people in mainland China to support their government, and mainland bloggers who may otherwise speak against their government are uniting to attack the west and their press.
On another level, Chinese who live in other countries, who normally may not feel so close to the Chinese government, now find themselves supporting it.
This is all great news for the Communist Government, getting support from the people who actually matter, its own people.
Meanwhile, the government continues to point the finger at the Dalai Lama who they hold responsible for the present troubles in Tibet. The recent protests over Tibet are hardening the Chinese peoples attitude over Tibet and won’t be giving in any day soon.
I believe the media has reported that since the incidents in Paris and London, the Chinese embassies have been busing in local Chinese students and giving them tshirts, banners, etc. That’s why there have been so many pro-China demonstrators and they all have banners and signs. The Chinese (gov’t run) media carefully edits the video to only show these demonstrators recently.
The Chinese government can’t claim communism as its primary reason for ruling since it really isn’t socialist or communist anymore. They’ve turned to stoking up nationalism, mostly of the ethnic variety, but as they’ve found out over the last decade, they also can’t control it. The nationalist hordes, which they’ve indoctrinated into believing that the whole world is out to get/humiliate China, have been unleashed. Now you see the gov’t letting them run wild until it begins to scare them (gov’t) then cracking down on it. For example, even if the gov’t wanted to compromise over the Dali Lama and Tibet (and I don’t believe they do yet), I don’t think the nation would let them. They know that nationalism can easily turn against the state if the nation doesn’t believe the gov’t is representing them properly. The media in the last year or so has finally started to realize this and cover it.
Looks like the Chinese para-military “security guards” were allowed to enter the country after all.