【明報專訊】ON THE MORNING OF the 93rd anniversary of the September 18 Incident, a ten-year-old primary school student of Japanese nationality who attended a Japanese school in Shenzhen was stabbed to death near the school. It was the second attack on Japanese schools on the mainland in three months. The incident is believed to have been motivated by hatred and has stirred up strong emotions among people in both China and Japan.
According to the Shenzhen police, the suspect of the murder, who did not have a regular job, was arrested on the spot. The police have not disclosed the motive for the crime, merely stating that the suspect had been arrested in 2015 and 2019 for suspected vandalism of public facilities and fabrication of facts to disturb public order.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed regret and sadness over the incident, emphasising that this was an isolated case perpetrated by a hardened criminal. The Japanese government has urged China to uncover the truth about the case and ensure the safety of Japanese people in China. After the incident, hundreds of Shenzhen citizens gathered at the scene to offer flowers and grieve the death of the victim. Japanese companies in China have asked their Japanese employees to keep a low profile and exercise caution on public occasions.
China has been subjected to repeated invasions by foreign powers in modern times. True, the mainland authorities attach great importance to patriotic education and history education, but they have never asked the people to avenge these bloody invasions with bloodshed. While there are many anti-Japanese drama series on the mainland, those who are familiar with trending mainland dramas on streaming platforms will know that these anti-Japanese dramas are not up to par at all. They are objects of ridicule for their bizarre plots.
Over the past ten years or so, disputes between China and Japan have erupted repeatedly. Some people think that the mainland authorities are "too tough" on Japan and talk too much about the history of national humiliations, which they say has stoked online hate speech and extreme nationalism. But these are two different matters. It is impossible for China not to adopt a tough stance on the issue of the Diaoyu Islands and other historical matters, nor is it possible for China to remain silent on Japanese right-wing politicians' support for Taiwan independence.
Patriotic education on the mainland definitely has room for improvement. But on the other hand, the Japanese right wing is still downplaying the history of Japan's invasion of China and even denies the Nanjing Massacre. If it can be argued that China is "spreading hate" by mentioning history, does it mean it has to cancel the commemoration of the September 18 Incident, the July 7 Incident or the Nanjing Massacre?
On the mainland, some irresponsible KOLs and bloggers often use conspiracy theories to promote hatred against Japan in order to attract views. They have, for example, implied that Japanese schools have engaged in "nefarious activities" or have even been "cultivating spies". It is suspected that the repeated attacks on Japanese schools this year have been related to this. In any case, the murder of the Japanese child will inevitably affect public sentiments in the two countries and even the normal personnel exchanges between them in the short term.
In June 2022, Yu Hongjun, the then Vice Minister of the International Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said at a public event that the relationship between the country and the outside world was complex, and the country's foreign policy could not be hijacked by radical opinions on the Internet. It was necessary to be vigilant against extreme nationalist fanaticism under the banner of patriotism, he said.
Hate speech poisons people's minds. The mainland authorities should strengthen public education and distance themselves from extreme nationalism. At the same time, they should also take forceful measures to prevent extremist, xenophobic speech from spreading on the Internet.
明報社評2024.09.23：社媒誑語荼毒人心 仇恨暴力不容滋長
九一八事變93周年早上，深圳市日本人學校一名10歲日籍小學生在學校附近中刀死亡。今次是內地3個月內第二度發生針對日本人學校的襲擊，事件疑涉仇恨襲擊，在中日兩地民間激起強烈情緒。
深圳警方表示，疑犯無固定職業，當場被捕，惟未有交代犯案動機，只提及疑犯曾先後於2015年及2019年，涉嫌破壞公用設施及虛構事實擾亂公共秩序被捕。
外交部對事件表示遺憾痛心，強調這是前科者所犯的個別案件，日本政府則要求中方查明真相，確保在華日本人安全。事發後，百計深圳市民到現場送上鮮花哀悼，在華日企則要求日籍員工在公開場合要低調謹慎。
近代中國飽經外國侵略，內地當局重視愛國教育及歷史教育，但沒有叫人報仇雪恨血債血償；內地有很多抗日劇，但如果有留意串流平台熱播陸劇，當可知道這些抗日劇根本不入流，甚至因為劇情誇張而被當成笑柄。
過去10多年中日紛爭迭起，有人認為內地官方對日「太強硬」、談太多「國恥歷史」，為網上仇恨言論及極端民族主義添柴加薪，然而一事還一事，國家在釣島和歷史問題上不能不企硬、對日本右翼政客支持台獨不可能不作聲。
內地愛國教育一定有改進空間，不過話說回來，日本右翼至今仍在淡化侵華歷史，甚至否認南京大屠殺，若說中方提歷史是「宣揚仇恨」，難道取消紀念九一八事變、七七事變或南京大屠殺，才是正確？
內地一些不負責任的網紅及博主，常以陰謀論宣揚仇日博眼球，例如暗示日本人學校有「不見得人勾當」，甚或「培養間諜」，云云，今年一再發生針對日本人學校的襲擊，不禁叫人懷疑是否與此有關。無論如何，日童兇案短期難免影響兩地民間情緒乃至人員正常往來。
前年6月，中共中央對外聯絡部原副部長于洪君在公開活動表示，國家與外部世界關係複雜，國家對外政策不能被網上偏激意見所綁架，必須警惕打着愛國旗號的極端民族主義狂熱。
仇恨言論荼毒人心，內地當局應該加強公眾教育，與極端民族主義劃清界線，同時亦應採取有力措施，阻止極端仇外言論在網上擴散。
■ Glossary 生字 /
hardened : no longer likely to change a bad way of life or feel sorry about it
stoke : to make sth increase or develop more quickly
nefarious : criminal; immoral