By WO KOU
Sovereignty Correspondent
BEIJING (China Daily Show) – Across Chinese cities, thousands poured into the streets yesterday to express a diverse range of considered musings concerning the controversial issues raised over a quintet of uninhabited islands in the South China Seas.
The Diaoyu Islands, currently claimed by Japan and China, as well as Taiwan, have become the recent subject of a heated political dispute.
Today, concerned protestors around China used a sensitive anniversary to publicly call for delicate diplomacy and plead for measures to prevent the clumsily-handled dispute from escalating into a potentially devastating confrontation.
Thought-provoking banners were in abundance, many proclaiming prudent slogans such as “Remember the tragic 1931-1945 war! End all violence, seek diplomatic solutions” and “We condemn the provocative actions of the right-wing Tokyo nationalists but urge the Chinese government to seek a bilateral solution,” as crowds called for a tactful end to the immature stand-off.
“It’s about peace and free love, man,” smiled one long-haired citizen, waving a sign playfully urging fellow citizens to “Fuck the Japanese.”
“We will not stand for any more bullying!” insisted another poster; its owner, Beijing shopkeeper Lao Ping, 52, explained he was sickened by the recent acts of cowardly violence and looting committed against foreign-owned businesses.
Many placards bore the images of incumbent leaders Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao, as well as President-in-waiting Xi Jinping, because, as one demonstrator explained, “they’re the ones who are supposed to be in charge of defusing this mess.”
Tomorrow, millions of Chinese plan to march to their local libraries, in order to research the thorny, unresolved historical issues surrounding the partially submerged outcrop and seek more informed opinions.
“But at the end of the day, they’re just rocks,” shrugged one.
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