NHK's Senkaku Islands Error Prompts Apology and Urgent Review

On August 19, Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) reported an incident during a Chinese-language news broadcast that aired in the afternoon. The broadcast was part of NHK's Radio 2 international shortwave radio service. During the segment, the presenter made inappropriate remarks for approximately 20 seconds. Among his comments was the assertion that the Senkaku Islands (Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture) "are part of China." This statement was not part of the official news script.

According to NHK, the staff member in question is a Chinese national in his 40s. He has been employed under contract with an affiliated organization. Since 2002, he has been responsible for translating Japanese news scripts into Chinese and reading them on the radio. NHK has issued a formal protest through the organization, which now says it intends to terminate his contract.

Apology and Review

Running from 1:01 PM to 1:15 PM, the program covered nine topics. The eighth report covered the latest incident of vandalism at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward. Shrine personnel recently discovered graffiti written in Chinese on a stone pillar outside one of the shrine's entrances. After delivering the news, the man added unauthorized off-script remarks.

Production staff identified the issue. NHK has not revealed the content of the remarks other than those about the Senkaku Islands. Although the motive remains unclear, NHK reported that this man had no history of making irregular statements.

On the evening of August 19, NHK issued an apology. "It was inappropriate to broadcast such remarks, and we deeply apologize," the broadcaster stated. The international broadcasting station responsible for the program is contemplating shifting from live to pre-recorded news broadcasts in the future.

Experts Warn of Broader Issue

Commentator Seki Hei expressed concerns about the incident in an August 20 interview with The Sankei Shimbun. "Simply terminating the contract of the Chinese staff member is not enough," he said. "The National Diet should thoroughly investigate the situation, including potential infiltration efforts by the Chinese Communist Party."

According to Seki Hei, a Japan public broadcaster employee effectively claimed to the listeners that the Senkaku Islands are Chinese territory. "It's a disturbing development and could be just the tip of the iceberg. There may be many other similar incidents that simply haven't been reported."

Professor Yang Haiying of Shizuoka University (Cultural Anthropology) also addressed the incident. Yang suggested that it might be more than just one individual's overstep. "Many may see this as a personal overreach, but I believe it's indicative of a broader, organized effort," he argued. "Typically, individual Chinese people do not engage in political actions alone," he continues. According to Yang, this is likely part of China's broader external propaganda strategy.

Additionally, Yang emphasized the need to establish an anti-espionage law. "The［Chinese］ National Defense Mobilization Law requires overseas Chinese to follow government directives during crises," he says. "If Beijing were to activate it, this case could indicate how Chinese nationals in Japan might respond."

Former Lieutenant General Hirotaka Yamashita commented on the issue in an August 20 post on X (formerly Twitter). "As a publicly funded broadcaster, NHK must do more than apologize," he wrote. "It needs to take full responsibility."

Lawmakers Demand NHK Accountability

Members of both the ruling and opposition parties in the Diet are also expressing concern.

Liberal Democratic Party House of Councillors member and former NHK employee Wada Masamune voiced his alarm on X . "This was effectively a broadcast hijacking," he stated in a post on August 20. "It's frightening to consider what could happen during a disaster or invasion," he wrote. 

Masamune pointed out that such broadcasts could facilitate the dissemination of misinformation or false reports. "What if the broadcasting equipment were sabotaged? The crisis management is appallingly inadequate," he concluded.

At a press conference on August 20, Democratic Party for the People leader Yuichiro Tamaki criticized NHK's broadcast. He called it a serious issue, highlighting that "such a claim is completely contrary to Japan's position." Tamaki emphasized the need for "a prompt investigation into the matter." 

Furthermore, he also expressed his intention to "seek a thorough explanation from NHK before the Diet." Tamaki stressed that NHK should "thoroughly investigate whether similar incidents have occurred in the past and take stringent measures to address the issue."

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Read the articles in Japanese here and here.

Author: The Sankei Shimbun