Japanese official denial of Nanking as a significant tragedy, continues to justify anti-Japanese sentiment (and action) in (Mainland, People’s Republic of) China. I’ve just come back from a trip through Chiang Kai-Shek airport in (Taiwan, island Republic of) China.
Can’t help thinking it is significant that the occupants of Nanking, Chiang Kai-Shek’s “nationalist” army and Kuomintang governement, were then engaged in a civil war power struggle with the Communist Chinese before fleeing Nanking to Taiwan. Dare I suggest that Japan’s (normaly honorable) attitude to their enemy in Nanking might have been colluded, encouraged, at least tolerated by the communists at the time.
For example, I find it odd that the strong anti-Japanese sentinment is “on the winning side” in PRC, whereas the concern with this period of history remains strong in ROC. Does the PRC sentiment over Nanking, really reflect a popular PRC sympathy for the ROC, despite ongoing official cold relations – reaching sabre-rattling invasion threats as recently as only a couple of weeks ago ? Had me nervous about the trip to Taipei CKS in fact.
Does the suggestion of PRC official tolerance of the popular PRC protests suggest the PRC government is itself emotionally ready to resolve this triangle of guilt, or at least exposing that it sees itself on the horns of a dilemma ?
(Must look out for official and unofficial ROC attitudes to this PRC / Japan situation.)