With tensions escalating between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands, a survey by CCTV found 90 percent of Chinese respondents intend to boycott Japanese-made goods. Will you boycott Japanese products? China Daily cellphone readers share their views with us.
I support the boycott because it can sober up the consortium of Japanese right-wingers. However, I think we should also be dedicated to the development of domestic goods at the same time. It is difficult for an ordinary girl like me to quit all makeup and skin care products from Japan because there are no domestic alternatives of equally good quality. Besides, it is also hard to completely boycott all Japanese-made products, for example, the plastic cover on our ID cards.
A READER, Wuhan, Hubei province
I am very firm in boycotting Japanese-made products, because these boycotts launched by ordinary Chinese consumers will not be a heavy blow to the Japanese economy, but they do present the attitude of all Chinese people: our dignity and determination that we will never yield over the Diaoyu Islands issue.
JUNE, Weifang, Shandong province
As far as I am concerned, the battle between governments should not involve their people and economies. With globalization, many of the goods produced by Japanese brands are actually manufactured in China. If 90 percent of Chinese people start boycotting Japanese-made products, those Chinese workers in Japanese or joint-venture companies may face a sharp cut in wage and even lose their jobs. Moreover, due to the global purchasing strategy, parts of products come from different countries, how can one guarantee there is no Japanese-element in the goods one buys?
XIAOWU, Beijing
I will not participate in the boycott since I can still protest against the Japanese government's decision and still buy Japanese products. What we should be opposed to is the despicable efforts of the Japanese government to seize China's territory rather than Japanese companies. Meanwhile, it is because some domestic products are not as good as Japanese ones that we purchase. Hopefully in the not too distant future, Chinese enterprises can catch up with their Japanese counterparts so Chinese brands are the natural choice of consumers.
JASON, Foshan, Guangdong province
Whether to boycott Japanese goods or not is an individual decision. Everyone can have their own opinion. Purchasing Japanese-made products does not make someone unpatriotic. Besides, no one should engage in uncivilized or illegal behavior, such as damaging shopping malls that sell Japanese products, in the name of patriotism. As for the Diaoyu Islands, they have been Chinese territory since ancient times, no matter who now supports Japan behind the scenes. The issues left over by history must be tackled.
JOURNEY, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang province
(China Daily 09/17/2012 page9)