反日デモ拡大 中国指導部は沈静化を急げ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 19, 2010)
Chinese leaders must calm anti-Japan rallies
反日デモ拡大　中国指導部は沈静化を急げ（10月19日付・読売社説）

Even as official Japan-China relations have been improving, a string of large anti-Japan demonstrations have been taking place in inland Chinese cities such as Chengdu, Xian and Wuhan.
　日中関係が改善に向かう中で、中国の成都、西安、武漢など内陸部の都市で大規模な反日デモが相次いで発生した。

Involving thousands to tens of thousands of people, the demonstrations began at the end of last week over the September incident involving the collision of a Chinese fishing boat and Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels off the Senkaku Islands.
　数千から数万人規模の反日デモは、尖閣諸島沖の漁船衝突事件に抗議して、先週末から発生した。

University students joined the demonstrations, responding to cell-phone text messages urging them to protest, and some ordinary citizens followed them.
携帯電話のショートメールの呼びかけに応じて大学生を中心に一般住民も加わった。

Some demonstrators became violent and attacked Japanese supermarkets and restaurants, breaking their windows. Rioters also burned Japanese national flags, turned over Japanese automobiles and left streets in shambles.
　暴徒化した一部は、日系のスーパーや飲食店を襲撃し、ガラスを割るなどした。日本国旗を焼き払い、日本製自動車を横転させるなどの乱暴狼藉(ろうぜき)ぶりだった。

Similar demonstrations seem to be spreading to other cities in China. They are a serious concern for Japan-China relations.
　デモは、さらに他の都市にも拡大する様相を見せている。日中関係にとって憂慮すべき事態だ。

Chinese authorities must use every means at their disposal to stop demonstrations from turning into riots, protect the safety of Japanese residents and avoid any disruption to the operations of Japanese companies in the country.
　中国当局は、デモの暴徒化を防ぎ、邦人の安全確保や、日系企業の事業に支障が出ないよう、万全の措置を講じるべきだ。

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Chinese youth frustrated

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said, "It is understandable that some people expressed their outrage against the recent erroneous words and deeds on the Japanese side." This stance sounds as if Beijing is encouraging illegal acts.
　中国外務省の報道局長が「一部の群衆が日本の誤った言動に対して憤りを表明することは理解できる」と発言した。不法行為を助長するような政府の姿勢である。

University students living in inland regions of China have been suffering from a serious hiring slump. Economic disparities are also spreading between urban and rural regions of the country.
　内陸部に住む大学生の就職難は深刻だ。都市と地方との経済格差も広がっている。

In addition to these factors of social instability, young people born from 1980 on have been taught anti-Japanese propaganda to stir their patriotic and nationalistic sentiment, education that was strengthened under the government of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
Any little catalyst can prompt them to anti-Japan action.
　こうした社会不安に加えて、１９８０年以降に生まれた若者たちは、江沢民・前政権時代に強化された反日＝愛国・民族主義教育を受けており、わずかなきっかけで「反日」に走りやすい。

The international community is paying even more attention to the democratization of China, especially since imprisoned activist Liu Xiaobo was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. Leaders of the Chinese Communist Party are apparently most afraid that young people's frustrations, which are now taking the form of anti-Japan protests, could transform into antigovernment movements demanding democracy.
　民主活動家、劉暁波氏にノーベル平和賞の授与が決まり、世界も中国の民主化の動きを注視している。こうした中で、若者たちの不満が、反日から民主化を求める反政府デモに転化する事態を、共産党指導部は最も恐れている。

That is why some observers suspect Chinese security authorities are maneuvering anti-Japan demonstrations to alleviate young people's discontent.
　治安当局が若者たちの不満を和らげるため反日デモを誘導しているのではないか、との見方すら出ているのもこのためだ。

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Chinese leaders tested

The latest demonstrations happened during the plenary meeting of the party's Central Committee. Some observers have even said that it is difficult to rule out the possibility that the military and the conservative wing of the party, which are profoundly wary of Japan, have staged the demonstrations to pressure party leaders so they will not readily make concessions to Tokyo over the Senkaku incident.
　今回のデモは、党中央委員会総会の期間と重なって起きた。対日警戒感が根強い軍・党内保守派から党指導部に対して、安易に日本に妥協しないよう、圧力を加えるために仕組まれた可能性も排除できないだろう。

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping was elected vice chairman of the party's Central Military Commission at the committee's plenary meeting. This makes Xi certain to succeed party General Secretary Hu Jintao at the party's congress in autumn of 2012. We believe Xi needs to realize the significance of China's relations with Japan.
　党中央委総会では、習近平国家副主席が、中央軍事委員会副主席に選出された。習氏が２０１２年秋の次期党大会で、胡錦濤総書記の後継者となることが確実になった。習氏は対日関係の重要性を理解する必要があるだろう。

Early this month, Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao confirmed in Brussels that they would promote a strategic, mutually beneficial relationship between their countries. However, if anti-Japan demonstrations continue to happen frequently in China, efforts to mend bilateral relations might fail. Chinese leaders' stance on the matter is being tested.
　日中両首脳は今月上旬のブリュッセルでの会談で、戦略的互恵関係の推進を確認したばかりだ。だが、反日デモが頻発するようでは関係修復は頓挫しかねない。中国指導部の姿勢が問われている。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 19, 2010)
（2010年10月19日01時30分 読売新聞）