Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kong Quan has some issues with certain members of the Japanese media:
Press passes! Get your Beijing Olympics press passes here! Unless you're from a Japanese media organization, of course! Members of the Japanese media must undergo a proctological exam and are limited to one press pass per news conglomerate! Press passes! Get your press passes here!Japanese media urged to play role in enhancing mutual understanding
Xinhuanet
BEIJING, Jan. 10 -- Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kong Quan said here Tuesday that he hoped the Japanese media would play a positive role in enhancing mutual understanding between the general public of the two countries.
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He said the media are playing a very important role in increasing mutual understanding and trust between the people in China and Japan.
But he pointed out that some Japanese media are keen on playing up the friction and problems emerging from the currently troubled bilateral relations.
The media should think more of the overall prospect of China-Japan relationship and not play up events that undermine the bilateral ties between the two countries, he said.
The Asahi Shimbun (page 4) huffs, "This is bizarre."
Good to see you're back at... your labor of love.
ReplyDeleteI think what we're seeing here is not an attempt by the Chinese authorities to talk the Japanse media into helping them calm the waters, but an expression of their intent to do so themselves. Blame the media: how covenient.
Many things, including the agreement on student exchange, seem to point in the same direction. I think we're seeing an equilibrium of sorts developing here. A virtual Yasukuni quarantine, if you will.