A Chinese television presenter from the southern island province of Hainan has been suspended for his comments about the deadly earthquake that struck central Japan on New Year’s Day.
On Monday, the day the earthquake occurred, Xiao Chenghao, a broadcaster from the local Hainan Broadcasting Group, said, “Is the comeuppance here? A magnitude 7.4 earthquake has hit Japan.”
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Death toll from Japan’s New Year’s Day earthquake exceeds 60, search continues for survivors
Death toll from Japan’s New Year’s Day earthquake exceeds 60, search continues for survivors
“It is surprising that such a strong earthquake occurred in Japan on the first day of 2024,” he said in a video that went viral on Chinese social media, but has now been deleted from his personal account.
“If such a large-scale natural disaster occurs on New Year’s Day, I’m worried that Japan will be shrouded in dark clouds in 2024.
“perhaps [Japan should] Some actions should have been reduced and nuclear water should not have been released into the sea. ”
Because of Mr. Xiao’s “inappropriate comments,” the company suspended him and investigated the incident, the broadcaster said in a statement Tuesday, without providing further details.
The presenter regularly comments on current events on the social media platform Weibo, where he has more than 230,000 followers.
Hsiao has never apologized since he was suspended.
This employer’s decision sparked a debate on Chinese social media, with some saying his video was inappropriate and unprofessional, while others agreed with his comments and questioned the employer’s actions. There were too.
When news broke about the strong earthquake that struck Ishikawa Prefecture on Monday, Chinese netizens seemed to have mixed reactions. Many sympathized with the victims and their families, while others lamented the disaster.
Hate speech is allowed on China’s tightly controlled social media, raising concerns about extremist views.
Hate speech on Chinese social media has surfaced in other international situations, such as the Israel-Gaza war, and there has been a surge in anti-Semitic views online.
Relations between China and Japan have long been strained over a variety of issues, including Japan’s occupation of China during World War II, disputed territorial claims in the East China Sea, and, more recently, Japan-U.S. security cooperation.
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Recent tensions, including a dispute over Japan’s release of wastewater from a nuclear power plant in August, have exacerbated long-standing grievances among the Chinese public, especially those with more nationalist views.
On Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang expressed condolences on behalf of the Chinese government to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. “China stands ready to provide the necessary support for Japan’s earthquake relief efforts,” he said in a telephone conversation with Kishida.
No injuries or deaths of Chinese nationals were reported, according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tens of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed in the disaster, according to Japanese media, and water, electricity and mobile phone service remained out in some areas as of Wednesday afternoon.