Japan’s coronavirus support wins praise in China, showing further signs of improving relations

Reports of Japanese goodwill towards China as it struggles to contain the coronavirus outbreak have been widely shared online and in state media

The widespread praise appears to be another sign of warming relations between the neighbours, which have a long history of uneasy bilateral ties

3-MIN READ3-MIN

A Japanese girl in Tokyo wearing a red Chinese cheongsam bows deeply to passers-by with a donation box in hands to raise money to help Chinese affected by the coronavirus. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 12:30pm, 18 Feb 2020Updated: 1:09pm, 18 Feb 2020

Japan’s support for China as it battles to contain the new coronavirus outbreak is winning it praise online and from the government in a further sign of warming relations between the two neighbours.

The pneumonia-like illness, which causes a disease officially known as Covid-19, has so far killed more than 1,800 people and infected over 70,000 in the mainland since it spread from the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late December.

In stark contrast to some of the criticism Beijing has directed at the United States, Japan – a wartime occupier with which China has bitter historical disputes – has been thanked by social media users and state-run news outlets, including Xinhua, the People’s Daily and even fiery nationalist newspaper the Global Times.

Photos and video have appeared online reporting Japanese girls fundraising for Wuhan, banners bearing well wishes for China, and news that every parliamentarian from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party would donate 5,000 yen (US$45) from their monthly salary to help.

Reports that Japanese cities have supplied masks, goggles and protective clothing to sister prefectures in China have been particularly popular, attracting millions of shares and tens of thousands of likes.

“Like most of my friends, my favourite story is that many local governments and NGOs in Japan have donated masks to Chinese, and encouraged us with many ancient Chinese poems depicting the long-lasting friendship between China and Japan,” said Qiu Ruifa, a white-collar worker from Guangzhou in southern China.

“I and many of my friends can’t help but share these ancient poems in our WeChat circle.”