Japan shall be blamed for damage of China protests

BEIJING - Some Japanese firms have suspended operation in China amid widespread anti-Japan protests, which is not good news for bilateral ties, nor for the country whose "purchase" of Diaoyu Islands is seen as an extremely provocative move towards China.

However, the government of Japan has only itself to blame for the collateral damage arising from the protests, after Japanese electronics firm Canon Inc. announced it would suspend production at three of its four plants in China on Monday and Tuesday. Media reports said Panasonic Corp has taken similar steps.

In fact, the Chinese government has been treating foreign investment nicely since it launched the reform and opening-up drive more than three decades ago. It goes against the will of the Chinese government that the interests of foreign companies are compromised over political disputes.

Although China has developed into the world's second largest economy, it still endeavors to build a favorable environment for foreign investment.

What causes the anti-Japan protests is Japan's move to "purchase" Diaoyu Islands, not the products of Canon and Panasonic.

The Japanese government, an elected body of its people, has failed Japanese firms by ignoring the easily anticipated consequences of imprudent policies regarding the Diaoyu Islands.

Given the weighty history of Japanese invasions of China in the early 20th century, Japan should have foreseen that any abrupt move from its side threatening China's sovereignty would kindle flames of anger among Chinese people.

As an ancient Chinese saying goes, the Japanese government's act is a typical one of "drawing fire against itself."

Worse still, the suspension of production at Japanese plants in China may not be the end of a strained China-Japan relationship. As the anti-Japan sentiment rises high, some Chinese people have called for a boycott of Japanese products.

Anti-Japan protests may continue on Tuesday, which marks the 81th anniversary of a notorious military aggression by Japanese forces in northeast China, followed by Japan's later overall invasion into the country.

Chinese local authorities have urged protesters to be peaceful and rational in the expression of patriotism.

To do its own people good, the Japanese government should rethink its strategy on the Diaoyu Islands issue. At any time, dialogue is better than confrontation.