Student sent back to China over Japanese rising sun flag incident in Russia

A Chinese university student who displayed the Japanese rising sun flag in a classroom has been expelled from Moscow State University and ordered to leave Russia, according to state-run newspaper Global Times. The flag, historically associated with Japan's imperial military, is viewed as a symbol of Japanese militarism and aggression in China and other parts of Asia.

The university took action after the student's actions were criticized by Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily and the People's Liberation Army, which deemed his behavior as glorification of Japanese militarism. A People's Daily commentary emphasized that such acts of "promoting militarism betrayed national conscience and violated the shared human value of cherishing peace, and deserved serious criticism and disciplinary action".

The incident occurred during a history class at the university, where the student, surnamed Chen, is reported to have brought a 1930s Japanese military cap and draped the rising sun flag over himself. The university's history faculty initiated procedures for Chen to leave Russia after several of his Chinese classmates signed a petition urging the university to take action.

Acting dean Lev S. Belousov stated during a faculty meeting that Russia and China had fought together during World War II, and the friendship between the two nations had a long history. The university's stance on the anti-fascist historical consensus aligned with China's position. The incident highlights the ongoing tension between China and Japan over historical issues, with the latter's recent remarks about a potential crisis in the Taiwan Strait further straining bilateral relations.