The Senkaku Crisis: A Visual Exploration of 'Rational Patriotism' by Hong Kong China's Diaoyu Activists

The 2012 crisis in Sino-Japanese relations over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands provoked numerous demonstrations across China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan over actions taken by Japanese individuals, the metropolitan and national governments, and political parties. In a number of instances, protests in Chinese territories led to vandalism of Japanese businesses and Japanese-made cars, the Japanese embassy, and even attacks on Japanese nationals. As nationalistic-motivated street actions threatened to spiral out of control, Chinese, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese authorities called for rational patriotism and protests by activists and citizens. Though underappreciated in regional and international media coverage, examples of such rational protests and demonstrations of rational Chinese patriotism transpired in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and provide a counter-narrative to media spectacles presented as part of larger geopolitical struggles. Hong Kong's putative role as a rational actor in Sino-Japanese disputes is strengthened by being the locus of the second largest concentration of Japanese companies outside of Japan. Substantial bilateral cultural and economic exchanges between Japan and Hong Kong provide a further foundation for mediating conflicts and building mutual trust between Beijing and Tokyo. Indeed, Hong Kong has long served as a 'window' for the People's Republic of China, and the Hong Kong SAR's long tradition of peaceful and rational protests under Chinese sovereignty increases the possibilities for rational and pragmatic engagement. This paper utilizes a visual methods approach in examining Hong Kong's rational patriotism and protest responses to the questions of Diaoyu/Senkaku islands, and reflects on their exemplar potential for moderating protests elsewhere in China thereby fostering improved Sino-Japanese relations.