A street fight in Causeway Bay between a Japanese tourist and a Chinese man queuing for a taxi did nothing to cement frosty bilateral relations between the two countries, as China’s netizens voiced support for their fellow countryman.
Apple Daily said Saturday’s fight was sparked after the Japanese man was accused of jumping a taxi queue.
The six-minute video showed the pair throwing punches at one another as shoppers attempted to break up the fight.
One of the men starts off wearing a black t-shirt and a rucksack, but is soon filmed brawling on the pavement in just his combat shorts and trainers.
This incident sparked a large volume of comments from mainland netizens after Chinese media reprinted the original report.
One Chinese netizen, from Zhengzhou in Henan province, slammed Hong Kong people for not helping “Chinese people’s resistance against Japan”, referring to the Second Sino-Japanese War that broke out in 1937 and lasted until 1945. His comment drew more than 7,000 recommendations.
Another netizen said it was regretful that the Chinese man was pushed to the ground, adding that he hoped this “wouldn’t be the result when China and Japan fight again”.
Another web user, from Shijiazhuang city in Heibei province, said that people “should fight when they have to fight”. He added that “it is necessary to fight Japan”.
Both men were arrested.
