Recently, a Chinese student studying in Russia sparked controversy when he wore a Japanese “rising sun flag” in class, leading to being surrounded and pressured to apologize by fellow Chinese students at the same school.
On October 14, a photo started circulating on Chinese social media platforms. The image showed a Chinese student in Russia wearing a Japanese rising sun flag in class, with a Japanese military cap placed on the desk next to him. This action was captured by a classmate behind him, which immediately stirred discontent among other Chinese students at the school.
According to a report by The Paper, the student involved is Chen Yuxin, a 24-year-old student from Nanjing. Following the incident, several Chinese students from other departments at Moscow State University rushed to restrain Chen Yuxin and demanded that he record a video publicly apologizing.
In the video, Chen Yuxin pledged that he would not engage in similar actions in the future. He explained that he was studying the history of Japan in Africa during the 19th century at the time, and wearing the flag was purely to showcase historical artifacts, not to support militarism.
The anger of some students did not subside. Many students turned to the Chinese Student Union at Moscow State University to report the incident. On October 17, the Chinese Student Union at Moscow State University notified that they had communicated with the school and department management regarding the matter, requesting that the school handle it in accordance with relevant laws of the Russian Federation and the university’s regulations. The school responded that they had initiated an internal investigation process and would release the outcome soon. On the evening of October 18, the Chinese military media outlet “Jungzhengping” published a scathing post on Weibo about the incident.
The history of the 14-year resistance against Japan and anti-Japanese education are crucial components of the Chinese Communist Party’s “patriotic education.” Schools nationwide, from kindergartens to universities, are required to provide students with relevant historical education based on the guidelines of the Ministry of Education. This education largely focuses on Japan’s various atrocities in China, such as the Nanjing Massacre, as well as fabricated stories of Chinese Communist Party’s resistance against Japan. Individuals questioning Japan’s wartime crimes or expressing views that contradict anti-Japanese education within schools may face public criticism, and teachers or school staff could even be dismissed or face government administrative penalties.
For instance, in December 2001, actress Zhao Wei caused a controversy when she appeared in promotional photos for a fashion magazine wearing an outfit that resembled the design of the Japanese military flag, the “rising sun flag.” On December 28 of the same year, she was attacked by a man who threw excrement at her during a New Year’s concert in Changsha, Hunan.
In August 2021, actor Zhang Zhehan triggered a huge controversy during his trip to Japan when a corner of a photo he took featured the Yasukuni Shrine. This led to a comprehensive boycott of him in the entertainment industry.
On December 14, 2021, Song Gengyi, a teacher at Shanghai Shanda Vocational College, was recorded by students while questioning the lack of specific historical evidence and names supporting the death toll of 300,000 in the Nanjing Massacre during a lecture. This incident sparked online criticism, and Song Gengyi was subsequently dismissed by the school.