Letters | Why China should do more to curb ultranationalism

Readers discuss the stabbing of a Japanese school pupil in China, and the treatment of indigenous people in Canada and Australia

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A woman lays a bouquet of flowers outside Shenzhen Japanese School on September 19, following the death of a 10-year-old child who was stabbed on the way to the school. Photo: Reuters

Published: 11:30am, 27 Sep 2024

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On September 18, a 10-year-old boy was fatally stabbed while on his way to a Japanese school in Shenzhen. This follows an incident in June: a Chinese woman, Hu Youping, died after being stabbed several times while trying to stop a man from attacking a Japanese woman and her child at a school bus stop in Suzhou. The attacker was trying to get onto the bus carrying pupils of a Japanese school. The police said Hu’s courageous intervention “prevented more people from being hurt”.

While Beijing has vowed to protect foreign nationals, these incidents have raised concerns about the growing wave of ultranationalism in China.

These concerns are amplified by the troubling responses of some Chinese internet users, who used the tragedy in June to spread anti-Japanese sentiment online. References to Japan’s wartime history were employed to justify violence, showing an alarming rise in online extremism.

This behaviour stands in stark contrast to the message of Chiang Kai-shek, head of China’s Nationalist government, in 1945 after World War II, when he said that Chinese people would “remember no evil against others” and “do good to all men”. Nearly 80 years later, this wisdom appears to have been overlooked, with the government often seemingly reluctant to address harmful nationalist rhetoric unless it escalates. This creates an environment where hostility towards foreigners has been growing.

Fostering harmonious relations with foreign nationals, particularly in today’s complex geopolitical climate, is crucial for China. Diplomatic disputes, such as those with Japan over historical issues and territorial claims, must be handled with respect and civility. Foreign nationals, including Japanese residents, in China should not be subject to hostility or violence.