Professor Min said that while some people taking part in online discussions were simply irrational, at least traditional media outlets no longer dictated what people could say.
'Online commentaries demonstrate nationalism in foreign affairs and realistic criticism when it comes to domestic issues,' he said.
Anti-Japanese sentiment is there for all to see on the internet, as is the desire for the reunification of the mainland and Taiwan. Issues of corruption and injustice also receive a great deal of attention on sites where discussion of such matters are not blocked. And contributions to these sites appear to be having an impact on events outside cyberspace.
The public outcry soon aroused the interest of the media, bringing the issue to national attention.