China Marks WWII Victory Day on Alert

Jiji Press

15:30 JST, September 4, 2023

BEIJING (Jiji Press) — China marked the 78th anniversary of its World War II victory over Japan on Sunday as it went on high alert amid simmering anti-Japanese sentiment over the release of wastewater from a nuclear plant.

Strict security was put in place in front of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing as authorities were wary of possible violent protests over the release of tritium-containing treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.’s meltdown-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

President Xi Jinping’s administration is strongly opposed to the discharge of the water into the Pacific Ocean. But it has not launched any anti-Japanese campaign related to history, apparently hoping to avoid a situation in which demonstrations develop into unrest.