Assaulting vehicles is no help to diplomacy

According to Japanese media reports, a car carrying Japan's ambassador to China, Uichiro Niwa, was targeted in Beijing Monday by a man who ripped off the national flag on the car. The ambassador was not hurt in the incident. The man has not yet been identified. If he is Chinese, as is suspected, then his act was a stupid one that can only make matters more difficult.

Tensions between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands have been escalating recently. Right-wing forces in Japan have been stirring up nationalism and pressing Tokyo to take a hardline stance with China. The world at large is keeping a close eye on how the two countries will handle their issues.

Even if the man is confirmed as Chinese, it remains unclear if he suffers from some mental condition. Either way, his action is not representative of the Chinese people.

Diplomacy has not just been carried out by authorities in China. In this open globalized era, every Chinese is a participant in diplomatic affairs. The more severe the confrontations between China and Japan, the more actively the public will be involved in diplomacy with Japan. Individual actions matter greatly in whether China can gain an upper hand in public opinion in its conflict with Japan.

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