Monday 17 September 2012

CHINESE PROTESTS AND JAPANESE COMPANIES

Manila Bulletin

CHINA TENSIONS FORCE JAPANESE COMPANIES TO RETREAT

Kazunori Takada

Manila Bulletin, September 17, 2012

SHANGHAI, (Reuters) --- Some Japanese firms have temporarily shut factories and shops in China after angry protests over a territorial dispute, with Chinese state media warning on Monday that Japan could suffer another ''lost decade'' if trade ties sour.

The volley of warnings from Chinese officials and papers came after a weekend of protests across dozens of cities, some violent. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda urged Beijing to ensure Japan's people and property were protected.

The Japanese government is warning its citizens about large-scale protests in China on Tuesday, when China marks its official memorial day for Japan's war-time occupation of parts of China.

''I'm not going out today and I've asked my Chinese boyfriend to be with me all day tomorrow,'' said Sayo Morimoto, a 29-year-old Japanese graduate student at a university in Shenzhen.

The ruling Chinese Communist Party, which rarely allows street protests, opened the door to the display of public anger after Japan's decision last week to buy disputed East China Sea islands, which Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing calls the Diaoyu, from a private Japanese owner.

Beijing called that a severe violation of its sovereignty and the dispute has triggered a wave of nationalist ire that the Chinese government has sought to both channel and contain.

(...) [artículo aquí]

No comments: