Latest  News

	Japan flag snatched from envoy's car ●The flag on a car carrying the Japanese ambassador was ripped off by an unidentified man in Beijing on August 27. ●The ambassador, Uichiro Niwa, was not hurt.
China investigating reported incident involving Japanese ambassador's car: FM Relevant authorities are seriously investigating the report that the flag of the Japanese ambassador's vehicle was ripped off in Beijing, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's office told Xinhua.

Official reactions
	●Chinese Foreign Ministry called the incident "extremely regrettable". ●Relevant authorities are seriously investigating the report that the flag of the Japanese ambassador's vehicle was ripped off in Beijing. ●The Chinese government always conscientiously fulfill the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to protect the safety of foreign embassies and personnel
	●The Japanese embassy lodged a protest to the Chinese foreign ministry and demanded such an incident is never repeated. ●Japanese PM Yoshihiko Noda wrote to Chinese President Hu Jintao to call on a calm dialogue on Diaoyu Islands dispute. ●In an effort to calm down current tensions, the Japanese government on Monday rejected the Tokyo metropolitan government's application to land on the Diaoyu Islands.
	●US State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on August 27, "We are concerned and if in fact these reports about attack on the vehicle of the Japanese ambassador are accurate, that would be extremely concerning, particularly given his diplomatic status." ●"We have regularly, including last week I think every single day of the week, urged these two countries to work this out peacefully. And as you know, we don’t take a position on the sovereignty there." said Nuland.

Background
●Niwa, a business executive-turned-diplomat, appeared to oppose a string of moves by the Japanese government concerning the Diaoyu Islands, prompted by the right-wing Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara. ●The Japanese foreign ministry was reported to be replacing Niwa with deputy foreign minister Shinichi Nishimiya in October.

View  Points

Comment:

●Assaulting vehicles is no help to diplomacy- Global Times editorial

Chinese people should remain calm and civilized when expressing their patriotism. Any actions and protests must remain within the law. Diplomats have the right to fly national flags on their vehicles. Trying to stop this only invites criticism.

Weibo voices:

@胡锡进:I condemn such uncivil behavior. No matter who stopped Niwa's car and who snatched that Japanese flag, we condemn them all. If he is a Chinese person, I want to say to him, “This is not patriotic behavior and what you did only embarrasses China.”

@搜狐网友22049924: Although it was stupid, there should be a way for Chinese people to vent their discontent.

@微博新人3438316: We should be reasonable. We can't do things against international rules in the name of patriotism.

@伍家的:It's kind of stupid to pass judgment before the investigation is over. Isn't it possible that the Japanese staged the whole thing?

Online polls:

Source:ifeng.com. Till 3:30 pm, August 28, 172,583 people joined the poll.
What is your attitude to Japanese flag snatched from envoy’s car?
What do you think of the recent anti-Japanese demonstrations in China?

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