Uichiro Niwa, Japan's ambassador in Beijing, said Tuesday he believes there is no chance that antigovernment movements in China inspired by Tunisia's "Jasmine Revolution" can topple the Communist Party as the Chinese people don't want to destroy their current living standards.
Niwa told a meeting of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party that he personally believes the Chinese people "don't have a passion or intention to change the government" since the country has achieved rapid economic growth, bringing about an increase in private income.
Chinese authorities have been "overreacting" to the democratization movement sweeping parts of the Middle East and North Africa, and they will continue to control the Internet, which some 400 million people in China can access, Niwa said.
Even though China will not totally abandon its moderate approach in foreign policy, hardliners including in the Chinese Navy will increasingly try to take a stiffer line to secure national interests, he predicted.