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Fearing That Anti-Japanese Sentiment May Get Out of Control, Beijing Tightens its Grip on the Media*04/06/05 -- Central News Agency**, Hong Kong: Anti-Japanese protests have sprung up in many cities across China. The disturbance in the street has already become a diplomatic issue between the two countries and will be further complicated by the upcoming anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Incident [on June 4]. The Hong Kong news agency, Mingpao, reported that Beijing was unsettled by the emotional tide of anti-Japanese sentiment that is sweeping China. The authorities fear that if they lose control of this movement, then the protestors could use the mass demonstrations as a platform to oppose the government and address other serious social problems. Persons working in the state controlled Chinese media have leaked a memo from the Chinese government that requires news agencies to reduce or cut their coverage of the mass street demonstrations. One of China’s most popular websites, sina.com.cn originally posted an article entitled, “Please Sign Here If You Oppose Japan’s Intention of Joining the Security Council***.� The article was originally placed in the column entitled, “Headline News,� but by the fourth, the article had been placed in the far right column under the heading, “Current News.� The official Chinese news network, xinhuanet.com, did not mention anything about the petition drive*** or the boycott. Beijing has required all local party leaders to pay special attention to the mood of the anti-Japanese protest and ensure the safety of all people. The party leaders were encouraged to be especially cautious of elements in society that would use these protests as way of stirring up popular sentiment against the Chinese government. According to high levels of the central government, China has issued a request that reporting of the petition drive be toned down, and reporting of other issues, like the boycott of Japanese goods, be stopped indefinitely. [Full Article] *The western media has written a great deal about the unusual street demonstrations in China. For example, the New York Times has published 8 articles relating to the recent developments in China-Japan relations within the last two days. (4/11 and 4/10). The Chinese news agencies have been unusually silent about the demonstrations. After reading the headlines of five major Chinese newspapers, I could only find two articles about the rise of anti-Japanese sentiment in China, neither mentioned the large street protests that took place April 9. It would seem, as this article suggests, that the Chinese government is suppressing the news of the massive demonstrations. **This refers to the Taiwanese “Central News Agency,� not to be confused with the Chinese “Central News Agency.� ***Grass roots organizations in China and Korea have launched a large petition drive that demands Japan be denied its request to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. The Chinese claim that the petition already has 22 million signatures. [The Central News Agency is a Large Chinese Media Group Centered in Taipei with affiliates in New York and Hong Kong] --Translated By Joseph McMullin Go to original article: ( categories: Chinese | Other Chinese )
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