Fear And Loathing in Beijing
Ever wonder how the Chinese leadership feels about its tenuous hold over the population?

From the Asahi Shinbun:

China's domestic politics trumped protocol in Wu's snub of Koizumi

05/26/2005
By HIDEHITO FUJIWARA

BEIJING-China's political leadership canceled a meeting between Vice Premier Wu Yi and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi apparently to head off possibly serious domestic repercussions.

``The central party leadership decided that resistance would have arisen in China if she had met Koizumi while it was clear that no progress would be made on the Yasukuni issue,'' a Chinese Communist Party source said.

They are maintaining that the Chinese are afraid of a popular uprising based on the fact that Koizumi was defending the Yasukini visit in August....And so they blew international conventions and a delicate relationship with their biggest trading partner because of public opinion?

Something stinks.

That, or China is becoming fearful of something..anything that might happen. Maybe they were spooked by the protest last month...Interesting.