Sino-Japanese bilateral relations are at a stalemate due to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks that “Taiwan has troubles and Japan has troubles.” The two countries will also face another showdown on the football field. The two teams will meet in the Under-23 Asian Cup final on Saturday (January 24). Chinese netizens hope that the youth team can avenge its regret of losing to Japan in the Asian Cup final 22 years ago.
Scholars interviewed analyzed that Sino-Japanese relations are currently at a low level, and it is difficult for Chinese fans to view the game with a “pure sports” mentality. The victory or defeat of a game is unlikely to change the structural contradictions in bilateral relations. If the Chinese team wins, it may alleviate some people’s negative sentiments against Japan in the short term; if it loses, it may intensify some fans’ sentiments against Japan.
This year’s Asian Under-23 Men’s Football Cup was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Chinese team defeated Vietnam in the semifinals despite not being favored, and will compete with Japan for the championship on Saturday.
The Chinese men’s football team has performed poorly in international competitions for many years and has been ridiculed by netizens, saying, “1.4 billion people can’t find 11 players who can play football.” The youth team’s entry into the finals is the first time in 22 years for the Chinese national men’s football team at all levels to reach the finals. It not only ignited netizens’ enthusiasm for Chinese football, but also ignited the urge of some fans to go to Saudi Arabia to watch the game.
In response to some self-media claims that Chinese fans can enter the game for free, the Chinese Consulate General in Jeddah refuted the rumor, emphasizing that the so-called “Chinese people are free of tickets” are false information, and called on fans to “watch the game in a civilized and orderly manner and show a good image of Chinese fans.”
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When many netizens cheered for the team on Weibo, they mentioned the match in 2004 when the Chinese men’s football team lost to Japan in the Asian Cup. At that time, the final was held at the Beijing Workers’ Stadium. One of the Japanese team’s goals was controversial due to handball, which aroused strong dissatisfaction among Chinese fans. A large number of fans clashed with the police outside the stadium after the game. They reportedly threw mineral water bottles at police and called for a boycott of Japanese goods.
Some netizens sighed when thinking of that game: “I burst into tears back then. 22 years later, we reached the final again, and our opponent was the Japanese team. The opportunity came.” Others said: “The regrets of that year only remain in our memories, and we don’t need the young men to bear and inherit them. In the final, we will accompany the national football team to fight again.”
Some people exaggerate the significance of this confrontation between Chinese and Japanese teams: “This is no ordinary final, it is a grudge showdown that spans decades, and it is a bloody charge of Chinese football in a last-ditch battle!”
Chen Yang, director of the Japan Research Center of Haiyi Think Tank, analyzed to “Lianhe Zaobao” that football, as the world’s number one sport, has always been closely bound to strong emotions such as passion, glory, regret, etc. In the context of the current low level of Sino-Japanese relations, lack of political mutual trust, and relatively sensitive social emotions, it is difficult for Chinese fans to view this game with a completely “pure sports” mentality.
He said that the defeat in the 2004 Asian Cup final is still an “emotional node” in the collective memory of Chinese fans. In recent years, the tensions in Sino-Japanese relations on issues such as security, Taiwan-related issues, and historical recognition have further amplified the emotional projection of the “game against Japan.” Therefore, some fans must regard this game as an “emotional outlet.”
However, Chen Yang pointed out that there are also many rational voices on Chinese social media. Some people recognize the maturity of Japan’s youth training system; some emphasize civilized viewing of games; and some focus on the growth of the U23 team itself. “This exactly reflects the diversity and maturity of Chinese fans’ mentality. They not only retain their passionate love for football competition, but are also gradually clarifying the boundaries between sports and other fields.”
As for how the result of the game will affect Sino-Japanese relations, Chen Yang believes that the outcome of a game is unlikely to change the structural contradictions or policy trends of bilateral relations.
Chen Yang assessed that at the level of civil society and public opinion, if the Chinese team wins, it may significantly boost the mood of Chinese fans in the short term, alleviate some of the negative emotions towards Japan, strengthen the psychological identity that “the younger generation is catching up or even surpassing”, and have a certain positive effect on the domestic public opinion atmosphere. If the Chinese team loses, it may intensify the frustration and anti-Japan sentiment of some fans, and more intense emotional expressions cannot be ruled out in cyberspace.
Lin Dawei, a professor at Soka University in Japan, believes that no matter who wins or loses, as long as both teams can show sportsmanship, it is expected to create favorable conditions for the repair of Sino-Japanese relations, at least to promote people-to-people exchanges.
He also said that Japanese fans usually stay at the scene to pick up trash after the game, and the Japanese team leaves paper cranes in the locker room to express their gratitude. “These are all friendly gestures.”
Sino-Japanese relations have not improved since the stalemate in November last year. Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on Thursday (January 22) that the position of Consul General of the Japanese Consulate in Chongqing has been vacant for more than a month. The report quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that Beijing delayed responding to Japan’s request to send a new consul general after the previous consul general was transferred.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on the same day in response to questions from Japanese media: “China is handling relevant matters in accordance with procedures.”
