Shanghai – A netizen in Shanghai wrote in a WeChat group about going to a Japanese school on Monday and preparing to commit violence. The related chat content has been circulating online. Public opinion believes that the anti-Japanese sentiment of netizens is related to the long-standing anti-Japanese education promoted by the authorities under the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian regime.
Scholars point out that the official handling of netizens’ speech adopts a double standard. In the current public opinion framework, criticism of foreign countries by the public is sometimes seen as “safer” speech, but may be restricted on other issues.
On November 17th, the person involved mentioned in the WeChat group chat about going to a Japanese school and continuously wrote phrases like “I can’t wait” and “kill, kill, kill”, which led to being asked to make a record at the police station. Images leaked show the person being led to the questioning table at the police station, where there were documents and record paper on the table. In the record, he stated that he wrote inappropriate remarks after seeing content related to Japanese schools in the group, and claimed no specific action was taken.
Chat screenshots show that the WeChat group is named “Shanghai White Hat Group (480)”. In the screenshots, after some members mentioned external situations, the person involved wrote consecutively, “Wait for Monday to slaughter the Japanese school”, “I can’t wait”, “kill, kill, kill”. Other members in the group replied, “What do you mean”, but most understood the reference.
Some netizens revealed that such intense statements in these groups still frequently appear in Shanghai despite censorship. One netizen said that in China, many people with similar speech can be found, quoting the words of Yi Zhongtian to point out that some only talk about their stance without considering right or wrong, placing themselves in the position of the authorities and ignoring their own situation.
Mr. Zhao, a scholar who has been studying China’s internet governance for a long time, pointed out in an interview that the appearance of such statements is related to the domestic public opinion environment. He said, “The CCP repeatedly uses specific historical narratives in education and the media, making it easy for some people to express emotions when talking about foreign countries. He said, “After accumulating for many years, this context will form a fixed expression on the internet.”
Mr. Zhao stated that in the current public opinion framework, criticism of foreign countries by the public is sometimes seen as safer speech, but may be restricted on other issues. He said, “Many people may not be aware of which content is considered a boundary, which is also the reality behind the incident.”
Mr. Gu, who used to teach in Shanghai, said that the content students are exposed to on the internet and media influences their way of expression. He mentioned hearing students in the classroom using internet vocabulary related to foreign countries, “Some vocabulary appears frequently online, so students naturally use it. In addition, in history classes, teachers often instill anti-Japanese and anti-Western education in students, including test questions. I strongly disagree with this type of education, but what can be done, the phenomenon is grassroots, and the root is at the top.”
Shanghai resident Mr. Liu, during an interview, said that the appearance of hate speech against Japan and the United States is related to years of anti-Japanese and anti-Western education. He said, “Online content related to Japan is not uncommon locally. When the chat content of the person involved falls within the anti-Japanese context, the handling will be relatively lenient.”
Mr. Liu, familiar with Chinese laws, made a comparison, stating that if the same statements were directed at Chinese leaders, he believed the police’s handling would be completely different. He mentioned that in Guangdong, a child in their teens was sentenced for sharing information that was allegedly about a leader’s daughter, “He hadn’t even threatened anyone.”
Another financial blogger mentioned on social media that the content of the involved netizen involves public events, and the official handling should not be limited to conversation but should examine the flow of hate speech on the internet. He said, “If someone threatens public facilities online, they will not merely be called for questioning. The anti-Japanese context has long existed online, and the handling method this time is different from similar content.”
The Japanese school in Shanghai is located in the Hongqiao area. Discussions targeting the school have occasionally arisen in online public opinions. Chinese laws have provisions for messages threatening public places, covering fabrication, dissemination of terror information, and provocation. It is required in various regions for group administrators to conduct daily patrols, and platforms must report abnormal content. It is observed that officials tend to handle anti-Japanese and anti-Western statements more leniently.
Ms. Xu, working in Shanghai, mentioned to reporters that she frequently sees comments about Japan and the United States in WeChat groups, with many group owners not intervening, and network managers avoiding dealing with it. She said, “Try criticizing the Communist Party, try saying the government is overcharging, try criticizing currency devaluation, will you dare? The group owner will immediately kick you out, and your account will be blocked.”
Ms. Xu stated that anti-Japanese and anti-American comments are often viewed as exchangeable content in group chats. She said, “If these comments are directed at national leaders, the platform will delete and ban them immediately. The author will also be investigated for three generations.”
Recently, statements from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takai have caused tension in Sino-Japanese relations. Takai mentioned the Taiwan Strait situation during parliamentary questioning, stating that if a situation arises in Taiwan, it may constitute a crisis situation for Japan’s existence. These remarks on social media in China have sparked massive discussions. The Chinese Foreign Ministry protested, followed by multiple rounds of negotiations between China and Japan, with some communication projects temporarily suspended. Public opinion believes that this wave of diplomatic conflicts affects public sentiment and related discussions continue to spread online.
Internet researchers pointed out that threatening statements involving foreigners or foreign institutions will be of concern. They say that this is a period of relatively tense relations between China and Japan in the past decade, and related content is often monitored. “Statements related to schools will fall into the sensitive events handling range, but the handling method will be judged based on the situation.”
In recent years, several security incidents involving Japanese citizens or Japanese schools have occurred in various places. In June 2024, a man in Suzhou, Jiangsu, attacked a Japanese mother and son near a Japanese school bus stop, resulting in the death of a Chinese school bus staff member while trying to stop the assailant. In September, a 10-year-old Japanese boy was fatally stabbed on his way to school in Shenzhen, Guangdong.
Following the incidents, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised the issue with the Chinese side, demanding the safety of Japanese nationals in China. The Shanghai Japanese school also implemented measures such as online classes or increased security at various times.