Conducting diplomacy on the streets is never clever, even when those streets are virtual. Over 20 million Chinese have united online against an effort of Japan to secure a seat in the UN Security Council. According to unconfirmed messages on sina.com a crowd of 10,000 turned violent against a Japanese department store in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province.
But the campaign is now also turning against the central government, because it has not yet openly opposed Japan's bid, writes the Financial Times.
Many internet users posting comments on Sina and other websites at the weekend turned their ire on the Chinese government for what they said was its weak stance on the issue.
Unlike South Korea, which has stated publicly it will not support Tokyo's UN bid, China has not said it will oppose Japan taking the Security Council seat.
"How can China stand firm when its state leaders are all impotent?" said one online posting. "If China gives approval this time, state leaders will have no right to sit in their current positions - let them go home and embrace their kids."
Bulletin board postings attacked Wu Jianming, a senior diplomat who now serves as director of the Foreign Affairs University, for his comment that China should treat Japan's application "in a rational manner".
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