The Japan Economic News has learned that on July 31, an attack occurred in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, involving a Japanese mother and her child. The mother was injured but is not in life-threatening danger. The details, current situation, and motives of the attacker remain unclear. Such indiscriminate attacks targeting Japanese people are not accidental. As early as June last year, there was an incident in Suzhou where a Chinese man with a knife attacked a Japanese school bus, injuring a Japanese mother and child. During that incident, a Chinese female bus guide who tried to stop the attacker was stabbed and died after being taken to the hospital.
If in reality attacks on Japanese people are relatively rare, then insults, demeaning, and mockery against Japanese people on the internet and in daily life are everywhere. Calling someone a “Japanese!” as an insult; referring to Japanese petty bourgeois as “Little Japan… living quite well Japanese (i.e., little Japan)”; regarding Japanese communists like Ida Sukao who sacrificed for the Chinese revolution, and then dismissing their sacrifice as “a gentleman born in a small country, not the fault of the gentleman.” More “radical” “patriots” even shout about re-nuclear bombing Japan, planning to launch a “Tokyo massacre” to avenge the Nanjing Massacre… Such examples are countless. Even the attack in June last year (where a Chinese school bus guide sacrificed herself to protect Japanese students, and local residents held memorial activities after her death — editor’s note) already proved that Chinese workers and Japanese people are connected heart to heart, yet they still loudly proclaim: hatred for Japanese people is the “factory setting” of every Chinese. But is this really the case?
Patriots who believe that hatred of Japanese is the “factory setting” of every Chinese are actually promoting a kind of idealist theory that “people are born knowing.” Fundamentally, this rhetoric is nothing more than an old-fashioned version of the human nature theory, which has long been criticized. As Chairman Mao pointed out: “Is there such a thing as human nature? Of course there is. But only specific human nature, not abstract human nature. In class society, there is only class-based human nature, and no super-class human nature.”[1] The actions of these people are nothing more than claiming to have bourgeois right-wing human nature, though they do not say so outright, but instead claim it as the only human nature, taking their inner class prejudices as the “factory setting” for all Chinese people. Their so-called human nature is essentially a form of fascist, bourgeois individualism with a smell of fascism.
It is undeniable that today’s Chinese society is indeed permeated with a “anti-Japanese, hatred-Japanese” atmosphere, and even a significant portion of workers are polluted by this nationalist stench, repeating the above-mentioned vile rhetoric. However, we should not only clearly recognize that this atmosphere is not caused by “human nature,” but also more clearly understand that behind this social phenomenon are specific political and economic factors.
Whenever a country faces a major political or economic crisis, the flag of patriotism (nationalism) inevitably emits a foul smell. When did the “anti-Japanese sentiment” in Chinese society arise? It was in the 1980s — an era of full-scale capitalist restoration and the disintegration of socialism. When did this “anti-Japanese sentiment” reach its peak? It was in the 2010s, when China was on the path of “becoming strong” as a social imperialist; and again in the 2020s, when imperialist China faced a severe economic crisis once more. The Chinese revisionist government, like all imperialist governments, must use nationalism to consolidate its rule. As Lenin pointed out: “Any government that relies solely on bayonets to maintain itself, any government that must constantly suppress or curb popular anger, has long understood a truth: popular discontent cannot be eliminated, it must be diverted onto others.”[2]
The Chinese government is such a reactionary government skilled in inciting confrontation and provoking contradictions among different nations and peoples. Although they do not openly show hatred toward Japanese people, under their daily and intense propaganda, all Japanese are branded with “original sin” labels. Social existence determines social consciousness, and social consciousness reacts back on social existence. When the Chinese government faces a ruling crisis, under its continuous guidance and incitement, the “Japanese” as targets naturally become the victims of misunderstanding by the working masses and fascist right-wing elements.
As a revisionist regime, the Chinese government cannot and dare not properly distinguish between different classes and strata of China and Japan. The culprits of the invasion of China are naturally distorted from Japanese bourgeoisie and militarists into the Japanese nation — that is, the actual Japanese working people. Whether it is last year’s attack on Japanese students or the recent harassment of Japanese mother and child, the victims are certainly not the Japanese ruling class. The act of murdering Japanese working people as “politically correct” exposes the true face of these “patriots” — they are exactly the same as the Japanese right-wing fascists they hate!
Under the education of “patriotism,” such “patriots” are widespread throughout capitalist society. China is no exception, nor are other countries. At the end of July, Sina reported an incident where a primary school boy, after watching “Nanjing Photographic Studio” with his parents, silently tore up his treasured Ultraman cards (not discussing the reactionary content of the related art here). Also at the end of July, in central Tokyo, two Chinese people were beaten severely by four strangers Japanese, suffering serious head injuries. These incidents are not isolated. According to NetEase News, “In recent years, Japan’s internal xenophobic sentiment has been quietly rising. Official surveys show that among Japanese under thirty, the proportion of those feeling ‘uneasy or xenophobic’ toward foreigners has significantly increased over five years. Some far-right forces, under slogans like ‘Japan First,’ are rising in elections by exploiting populist waves, constantly inciting xenophobia.” It is evident that under imperialist rule, far-right fascist forces are becoming more rampant, and the poisonous gas of nationalism is continuously poisoning the younger generation, turning them to some extent into fascist reserves. Living in such a reactionary society, the ultimate victims can only be the broad working people of both countries!
Are Japanese people enemies of Chinese people? This question had already received a clear answer during socialist China. “The Chinese people and the Japanese people are united, and there is only one enemy, which is Japanese imperialism and Chinese traitors.”[3] In socialist China, the reason why there was no pervasive “anti-Japanese atmosphere” was precisely because socialist education made the broad masses realize the simple truth that “closeness or distance depends on class,” recognizing that Chinese and Japanese workers are connected heart to heart. As workers themselves, Japanese workers oppressed by the reactionary imperial system and capitalist system, under the influence of the great proletarian cultural revolution in socialist China, shouted slogans like “Long live Mao Zedong Thought,” “Rebel and be justified, the imperialist system disintegrates,” fighting and bleeding for national liberation; while the liberated Chinese workers, with a firm attitude of supporting the Japanese people, held parades, political rallies, and opposed the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, demanding Japanese governments make concessions to Japanese workers. The ironclad fact of the unity and struggle of the two peoples has ruthlessly refuted all shameless lies of “patriotism” advocates.
In just half a century, the era of capitalist restoration has passed. After the counterattack and reversal of socialist China, the struggle of Japanese workers also declined. Under nearly fifty years of reactionary capitalist education, fascism, militarism, and nationalism have spread in both countries. “The masses of Japan and China are originally brothers. The bourgeoisie deceives the masses, drawing a line with their blood, and continues to do so. But the proletariat and their pioneers are using blood to wash it away.”[4] The arrival of revolution, like the arrival of crisis, is inevitable. In future socialist revolutionary movements, the proven unity of the Chinese and Japanese peoples will inevitably eliminate fascist and nationalist remnants, and under the bright sunlight, once again march forward hand in hand like brothers!
References:
[1] Mao Zedong, “Talks at the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art”
[2] Lenin, “China’s War”
[3] Mao Zedong, “Inscription for Japanese Workers and Peasants School”
[4] Lu Xun, “On the Death of Comrade Kobayashi”
News references:
https://cn.nikkei.com/china/cpolicssociety/59545-2025-08-01-15-30-27.html
