Media stokes nationalism over Diaoyu Islands for ratings

Source:Globaltimes.cn Published: 2012-9-11 17:20:00

Yang Rui

Yang Rui, CCTV host

Today almost every front page in Chinese media is carrying a story about the Diaoyu Islands. I am surprised. We certainly can not give in on this sovereignty issue, but the rising nationalistic sentiment in China is a double-edged sword - incidents of violence might occur. Media outlets compete for readerships and sales with shocking news stories. But this misleads the public into thinking that we are likely going to war. This is ridiculous! These words might draw a lot of criticism, but I still want to say "I oppose such commercialized nationalism".

@六六: I oppose it, too. Before making any important decisions, we should make it clear who will benefit and who will lose. We cannot do something that is not only bad to others but also not good for ourselves.

@花生壳小妞: Actually the public does not hope for war. They just hope China could declare sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands with real actions instead of stopping with verbal protests.

@一个月减20斤: There are many ways to solve disputes, and armed conflict is just one of these ways. Japan crossed the line when its Self-Defense Forces entered into the waters off the Diaoyu Islands. This is testing the courage of both Chinese and Japanese leadership.

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