Debunking the Myth: Kuaishou Takes Aim at Viral Rumors Claiming Japanese Schools in China are Breeding Grounds for Spies
China Cracks Down on Anti-Japanese Sentiment After Boy’s Death
A major short video internet platform, Kuaishou, has announced a crackdown on the spread of false and harmful information, as well as content that incites confrontation between China and Japan. This move comes after a Japanese boy was attacked and killed in China, sparking widespread outrage and calls for action.
Escalating Tensions
The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on Japanese citizens in China, which have led to increased tensions between the two countries. In June, a Japanese mother and her child were attacked in Suzhou, prompting major Chinese internet platforms to step up their crackdown on anti-Japanese speech on social networks.
Role of Social Media
Netizens have taken to social media to express their outrage and speculate about the motives behind the attack. Some have pointed to the role of anti-Japanese dramas and extreme nationalist propaganda on platforms like TikTok and Kuaishou in fueling tensions.
One author, who counted the number of Kuaishou videos that incited anti-Japanese sentiment, found that 278 videos had accumulated over 2.3 million likes. These videos can be roughly divided into four categories: first-person vlogs, fake news broadcasts, face-to-face commentaries, and emotional condemnations that promote ethnic hatred.
Spreading Rumors and Hate Speech
The videos often use unfounded remarks to spread rumors that Japanese schools in China are training spies to subvert Chinese society. In the comment section, there are often mob remarks clamoring to demolish Japanese schools.
Kyodo News reported that on Chinese social media platforms, there were a series of unfounded posts claiming that Japanese schools were “spy bases,” and there were also offensive posts such as ”Abolish Japanese schools” and “Japanese devils’ schools.”
Government Response
The Chinese government has promised to guarantee the safety of foreign citizens, but the Japanese community in China has expressed distrust. Japan plans to send its deputy foreign minister to China to gain an understanding of the circumstances surrounding the attack and death of the Japanese boy.
Kuaishou’s Crackdown
Kuaishou has announced that it will resolutely crack down on the spread of false and harmful information, as well as content that incites confrontation between China and Japan. The platform has already dealt with over 90 related illegal accounts and will continue to carry out special inspections to manage related violations.
Expert Opinion
Tang Renwu, dean of the Institute of Government Management at Beijing Normal University, has suggested that people who incite anti-Japanese sentiment and spread false rumors should be punished at the legal level. He believes that it is not enough to deter online platforms from regulating accounts, and that it is not enough to curb related behaviors just by the public.
Tang Renwu also pointed out that the fact that angry young people can attract traffic with extreme language and content shows that there is indeed a kind of hostility among the people, and that people who are frustrated in life are likely to be inspired by extreme language and do extreme things.