POLITICS: Anti-Japanese Sentiment Erupts in Shanghai, page 1

Some 20,000 protesters stormed through the streets of Shanghai Saturday hurling rocks at the Japanese consulate, and leaving in their wake smashed cars and broken shop windows. Upset over Tokyo's attempt to secure a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council and perceived failure to admit to and atone for WWII war crimes against the Chinese, some protesters shouted "Kill the Japanese" as they rioted while police stood by mostly watching, according to reports. There were other, peaceful protests by thousands in Hangzhou and Tianjin, even though the government requested restraint.

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China Rejects Japan's Demand for Apology

By JOE McDONALD
Associated Press Writer

BEIJING (AP) -- China's foreign minister on Sunday rejected Tokyo's demand for an apology for damage to Japanese diplomatic missions in violent protests, telling his Japanese counterpart that Beijing had done nothing for which it had to apologize to Japan's people.

Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing instead complained that Japan has "hurt the feelings" of Chinese on a series of issues, including relations with rival Taiwan and "the subject of history" - a reference to new Japanese textbooks that critics say minimize Japan's wartime offenses.

"The Chinese government has never done anything for which it has to apologize to the Japanese people," Li told Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura.

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There is a lot of disputed history behind this latest flare-up of tension, going back at least to WWII and the "Rape of Nanking" (See the book of the same name by the recently deceased under curious circumstances Iris Chang). Both sides are entrenched in their positions, and I see little hope for an amicable resolution. Bad blood going way back between these two. China isn't about to stand idly by while Japan takes a position of such power and prestige as a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

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