China apologizes to Japan for car attack<\/p>\n
Agence France Presse
\nBeijing<\/p>\n
Beijing police have apologized to Japan after a car carrying a
\nJapanese embassy official was attacked by angry Chinese soccer
\nfans, the embassy said on Monday.<\/p>\n
The car carrying Chikahito Harada, a minister at the embassy,
\nwas hit by an unidentified object as it left the Workers' Stadium
\nafter the Asian Cup final on Saturday night, in which Japan beat
\narch rival China 3-1.<\/p>\n
The car's back window was smashed when the object was thrown
\nfrom the crowd, fuming over defeat to a country many still
\ndespise because of its war-time invasion of China.<\/p>\n
\"Somebody threw something at the car as it left the stadium.
\nThe back window was broken but fortunately no-one was hurt in the
\nincident,\" an embassy official told AFP.<\/p>\n
\"The Beijing police called to apologise. This is a fact.\"<\/p>\n
After the match pockets of Chinese fans burned Japanese flags
\nin the street and others confronted armed riot police.<\/p>\n
In post-match incidents rare in a city where authorities
\nmaintain strict control, fans threw bottles, shouted anti-
\nJapanese obscenities and demanded a boycott of Japanese goods.<\/p>\n
At least two foreign photographers covering the scenes were
\nroughed up by police outside the stadium, with one needing
\nstitches to a head wound.<\/p>\n
In Tokyo, China's Ambassador to Japan Wu Dawei met with
\nJapanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and said Beijing had
\ndone all it could to prevent trouble.<\/p>\n
\"We did everything we could ... There was some disorder after
\nthe match as we could not maintain full control (of the Chinese
\nfans) after the match,\" a Japanese government official quoted Wu
\nas saying.<\/p>\n
\"Some supporters' behaviour was very unpleasant and they were
\ndoing things that even the Chinese government did not want to
\nsee,\" Wu added, while stopping short of making an explicit
\napology.<\/p>\n
Kawaguchi recognised the Chinese government had \"made its best
\nefforts\" to control rioting while noting it was \"important to
\nanalyse and discuss the issue of feelings of both countries'
\npeoples\" on a long-term basis.<\/p>\n
More than 15,000 police and soldiers were deployed throughout
\nthe capital to keep order, including a large contingent in and
\naround the stadium, and Japanese fans were kept in the ground for
\nseveral hours after the match until the crowds dispersed.<\/p>\n
Throughout the tournament Japan's team was heckled and on one
\noccasion their team bus was rushed by an angry mob. Tokyo issued
\na formal complaint over the actions.<\/p>\n
Chinese animosity towards Japan has festered since its imperial
\narmies invaded and began occupying China in September 1931.<\/p>\n
It left when Tokyo surrendered to the Allied Forces at the end
\nof World War II in August 1945 with Beijing claiming the lives of
\n35 million Chinese were lost.<\/p>",
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