The spread of the Internet in China is turning out to be a boon for China watchers in Japan. The Web now serves as an outlet for news not found in newspapers or on television but that can be deemed important and valuable. It also offers an opportunity to learn about the real feelings Chinese people have toward Japan.
But while the Internet has a potential for deepening mutual understanding, the possibility remains that emotional arguments will drown out dispassionate ones.
Yoshikazu Shimizu, a Tokyo Shimbun reporter who was stationed for more than 10 years in China and Hong Kong as a correspondent, told a session of the recently held Japan-China Media Symposium how the spread of Internet in China has been helping him.