Peace in East Asia

[zhaoyun]

This music video was made by the Japanese pop/choreography group World Order promoting peace and brotherhood among East Asian nations. I support this message. Even though the situation is pessimistic now, I hope China, Japan and Korea can co-exist as brothers in the future. East Asians share a remarkable history and civilization, unique unto themselves, after all.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwg2Hpf4ta8

[Taiji]

A little late but I thought this article fits the theme well. China and Japan can get along after all (and who would think it can happen through rivalry)
Love through sports?


Chinese netizens rally behind ‘Japanese Doll’ Ai Fukuhara after her Olympics defeat – to a China player

China’s defending table tennis champion Li Xiaoxia easily made it to the women’s singles finals by beating Japan’s Ai Fukuhara 4-0 – but it was the Japanese athlete who received more applause from Chinese fans.

The battle was closely watched by people in China, not only because of the usual tensions between the two countries but because Fukuhara has a huge Chinese fan base to whom she is known as the “Japanse Doll”.

The 28-year-old Japanese athlete’s Chinese micro-blogging site, on which she has 590,000 followers, was flooded with messages of support after she was defeated on the fifth day of the Rio Olympics.

“I don’t know why but I want to cry seeing you got defeated. I am really going to cry if you don’t win bronze,” one Chinese netizen commented on Fukuhara’s Weibo page.

“Come here and let me hug you. Don’t cry,” said another.

Even the state-run China Central Television cheered for the Japanese player, saying that she had already done a “fabulous” job.

Fukuhara lost 4-11; 3-11; 1-11; 1-11 to the mighty Li.

“I was actually in pretty good form. But [Li] was just too strong,” Fukuhara said in fluent Chinese.

“I thought that [Li] would perform less well because of the pressure. But she managed to turn that pressure into motivation. I really couldn’t find a chance.”

Li said after the game that she did not expect the victory would come so easily.

"I didn't expect it because [Fukuhara] made it to the semi-finals with a 4-0 game. I was prepared to play her seven matches today, and I had in fact prepared to lose. But it turned out I controlled my mentality very well today," Li said.

Before the battle began, the Japanese player had already gained so much support among Chinese netizens that she has been advised to marry a Chinese man – an unusual olive branch given the often tense relations between the two countries.

Fukuhara, who is also fluent in written Chinese, has been keeping her fans posted about her every move at the Rio Olympics. On the day of the opening ceremony, she posted seven messages on Weibo.

https://www.scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/486w/public/2016/08/11/aifukuharaweibo.jpg?itok=xiD38NWD

Some fans have said future of relations between Japan and China depend on the player marrying a Chinese man.

But there is a catch regarding the marriage proposal. Fukuhara already has a boyfriend – the 27-year-old Taiwanese player Chiang Hung-chieh who is also an Olympian in Rio.

In the battle for table tennis medals, Fukuhara will take on North Korea’s Kim Song-I for the bronze, while China's Li faces compatriot and teammate Ding Ning for the gold.http://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/2002072/chinese-netizens-rally-behind-japanese-doll-after-loss-one-their-own

[Taiji]

Looks like they've tied the knot.


‘Japanese doll’ Ai Fukuhara – Chinese netizens’ favourite table tennis star – marries Taiwanese fellow Olympian
Mainland fans’ darling reveals she’s tied the knot at press conference in Tokyo

Ai Fukuhara, the Japanese table tennis player who has become a darling of Chinese netizens, has married a Taiwanese fellow player.

The 27-year-old, who is hugely popular on the mainland because of her fluent Putonghua and participation in China’s Super League, is often referred to as ‘Japanese Doll’ by fans there.

She has more than two million followers on Weibo and during the Olympics some were urging her to marry a Chinese man.

On Wednesday she revealed that she tied the knot on September 1 with fellow Olympian Chiang Hung-chieh of Taiwan.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/image/3145142/1474461313000/large16x9/768/432/japan-s-table-tennis-olympian-ai-fukuhara-has-her-wedding-ring.jpg

“I proposed to her after the Rio Olympics when I got a chance,” said the 27-year-old Chiang, who also competed in Rio.

“With regards to the way I proposed, I actually gave her a key and hoped that she would be an owner of our home.”

A post Fukuhara made on Weibo announcing the engagement had more than 350,000 likes on Thursday morning.

Fukuhara, now 27, competed in her first Olympics in 2004 when she was 15 years old.

The pair showed off their custom-made wedding rings, engraved with table tennis balls, which were designed by Chiang.

“I was overwhelmed when he proposed, so I don’t remember what I told him in response,” said Fukuhara, who won a bronze medal in Rio and was consoled by her Weibo fans after breaking down in tears following her semi-final defeat.

http://cdn2.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980x551/public/images/methode/2016/09/22/cc3ef5b2-806b-11e6-9a58-22a696b49295_1280x720.jpg?itok=kfuITLJG

“Most female athletes in Japan give up their career after marriage. But Chiang’s support makes me feel that I can continue my career even after our marriage,” she added.

Additional reporting: Reuters, Xinhua
http://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/2021554/japanese-doll-ai-fukuhara-chinese-netizens-favourite-table-tennis-star#add-comment

[Taiji]

Cute couple, I wish them well.

http://dd7978b90kfgn.cloudfront.net/2016/09/730_1935105_437471.jpg
Former Japanese Ambassador, Uichiro Niwa likened Japan and China to a married couple unable to divorce.

From my observations, most Japanese and Chinese do want to get along. This is especially true with the younger generations. I hope the future relations of China and Japan will improve.

[Dandelion]

Especially with diaspora I would assume East Asians notice some kinship for one another and get along better.

The hostility is still manageble too I assume. After all, Chinese and Japanese are safe to visit the other country, as long as they don't provoke a patriotic reflex. Not that it means a lot. A Serb is also safe to travel in Croatia, but Croats still hate Serbs and vice versa. And they even speak the same language.

[Taiji]

Definitely. Most East Asian Americans are quite close and it seems there is a natural affinity that draws us together. In a way, it's very similar to how Europeans from the same regions can comfortably make conversations and form friendships. For instance, historically and politically, Greeks/Armenians have some grievances against Turkish people but I've noticed that IRL, they're often the best of friends.

In the same vein, I've noticed that many Japanese university students have Korean, Chinese friends and vice versa. Even among East Asian natives, this rapport is noticeable which makes one wonder how nationalists from each of these countries can hate each other so much. Among the international student community, I've known some Chinese people show their new Japanese friends around the city, and I've seen Korean friends share a room with desperate Chinese/Japanese strangers who later become good friends. At the end of the day, people are people and being so close to each other, it's very easy to empathize with fellow East Asians.

[zhaoyun]

Definitely. Most East Asian Americans are quite close and it seems there is a natural affinity that draws us together. In a way, it's very similar to how Europeans from the same regions can comfortably make conversations and form friendships. For instance, historically and politically, Greeks/Armenians have some grievances against Turkish people but I've noticed that IRL, they're often the best of friends.

In the same vein, I've noticed that many Japanese university students have Korean, Chinese friends and vice versa. Even among East Asian natives, this rapport is noticeable which makes one wonder how nationalists from each of these countries can hate each other so much. Among the international student community, I've known some Chinese people show their new Japanese friends around the city, and I've seen Korean friends share a room with desperate Chinese/Japanese strangers who later become good friends. At the end of the day, people are people and being so close to each other, it's very easy to empathize with fellow East Asians.

Yeah, obviously the cultural ties and familiarity is strong. I'm pessimistic about the future of Sino-Japanese relations though. I think there is growing nationalism on both sides, and China is still furious about the past. Even though most Chinese and Japanese get along well on a personal level, things are different when it comes to public attitudes molded by nationalism. I think when China has a clear power advantage over Japan, it will start a war to take over the Diaoyutai islands. How brief or destructive the war is, hard to tell.

[Babak]

http://static.atimes.com/uploads/2016/02/china-vs-japan.jpg

[Köstebek]

North Korea must to be nuked for the peace, Im afraid

[serenesam]

I support a relationship between Japan and South Korea. Not sure about China and North Korea because maybe it's not so much the people but more like their governments - evil - like I saw an article about China killing CIA informants.

Source used in the above post: China crippled CIA by killing US sources, says New York Times (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39989142)