中国一小学组织活动抗议韩国部署萨德

The Chinese government’s campaign against a US and South Korean anti-missile system has attracted some unusual recruits: school children as young as seven who have joined impromptu rallies and boycotts across the country.

中国政府反对美韩反导系统的宣传攻势吸引来了一些不同寻常的新加入者——年龄低至七岁的小学生，他们也参与到全国性的即兴集会和抵制活动中。

This month, the Century Star Elementary School in Yali township, part of Hebei province, organised a rally attended by about 400 students and staff. In a video posted online, students no older than 12 pledged to boycott South Korean products and “resist” the deployment of a US-operated Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or Thaad.

本月，河北省牙里镇世纪星小学(Century Star Elementary School)组织了一次由大约400名师生参加的集会。在一段网络视频中，年龄不超过12岁的学生们发誓要抵制韩国货，“抵制”美国运作的“末段高空区域防御系统”（THAAD，中文简称：萨德）的部署。

At the rally, a school teacher painted a grim picture of the potential consequences of the Thaad deployment. “South Korea is our neighbour,” the teacher said. “In the event of war, the US will turn China into a slaughterhouse. For China, [Thaad] is a fatal threat.”

在这次集会上，一名学校教师描绘了有关部署萨德潜在影响的严峻图景。“韩国是我国的邻国。”这位教师表示，“一旦战争爆发，中国就将变成美国的屠宰场，这对中国将是一个致命的威胁。”

The teacher urged the students to boycott South Korean trips, television programmes, cosmetics and any products sold by Lotte, the South Korean retailer whose parent company relinquished some of the land needed for Thaad’s deployment.

这名教师敦促学生不去韩国旅游、不看韩国电视节目、不买韩国化妆品和乐天(Lotte)出售的任何东西。乐天是一家韩国零售商，部署萨德所需的部分土地是由其母公司出让的。

“Students, can we do this?” the teacher asks. “Can! Can! Can!” the students reply.

这名教师问道：“同学们，我们能不能做到？”学生们答道：“能！能！能！”

South Korean officials argue that Thaad is essential to their country’s defence, especially after North Korea’s recent ballistic missile tests. Last month’s assassination in Malaysia of the half-brother of North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un has added to their unease. Pyongyang’s agents are accused of using VX nerve agent, a banned chemical weapon, to assassinate Kim Jong Nam.

韩国官员声称，萨德对韩国防务十分必要——尤其是在朝鲜最近试射弹道导弹之后。上月，朝鲜统治者金正恩(Kim Jong Un)同父异母的哥哥金正男(Kim Jong Nam)在马来西亚遇刺，令韩国官员愈发感到不安。平壤方面的特工被指使用被禁化学武器VX神经毒剂刺杀金正男。

China counters that the Thaad deployment could alter the regional balance of power. Analysts believe Beijing ultimately fears the anti-missile system could be the basis of a future trilateral defence alliance uniting the US, South Korea and Japan.

中国则驳斥称，萨德的部署或改变地区力量平衡。分析人士认为，中国政府归根结底是担心这一反导系统或成为未来美韩日三方防务同盟的基础。

Such complex arguments may be beyond the comprehension of most seven-year-olds but the principal of Century Star Elementary School believes he did the right thing in organising the rally. “Patriotic education should start when children are young,” Xing Xiaofeng told the Financial Times. “The students’ parents support me.”

如此复杂的争论或许超出了多数七岁儿童的理解能力。不过，世纪星小学校长邢晓峰（音译）却认为，他组织这次集会是正确的。“爱国教育应该从小抓起。”邢晓峰告诉英国《金融时报》，“学生家长很支持我。”

A spokesperson for the South Korean embassy in Beijing said: “It is regrettable that children have been mobilised in rallies and boycott movements. The Chinese government needs to take appropriate measures to promote mutual understanding.”

韩国驻北京大使馆发言人表示：“动员儿童参加集会和抵制活动令人遗憾。中国政府应该采取适当措施，促进相互理解。”

The embassy added that it had sent a letter of protest to China’s education ministry, which said it had not encouraged schools to hold such rallies. The education ministry did not reply to requests for comment.

韩国大使馆还表示，它已向中国教育部发出一封抗议信。中国教育部则表示，它未曾鼓励学校举行此类集会。中国教育部未回应记者的置评请求。

Such rallies are also controversial within China. “Such thorough brainwashing,” said one online critic of Mr Xing’s school rally. Another added that “this is crazy — children should not be used as props to disseminate hatred”.

这种集会在中国国内引起的争议也很大。网上一名批评世纪星小学集会活动的人士表示：“这是彻头彻尾的洗脑。”另一名批评者则补充说：“这太疯狂了——学生不应被当作传播仇恨的道具。”

Qiao Mu, professor at Beijing University of Foreign Languages, said such rallies could backfire. “Schools should not organise activities to agitate students,” he said. “What are they going to tell those children if Sino-South Korean relations improve?”

北京外国语大学教授乔木表示，这种集会或适得其反。“学校不应组织活动煽动学生。”他说，“如果中韩关系改善，他们怎么跟这些学生说？”

The campaign against Lotte and other South Korean companies is an example of how quickly political tides can shift in China. As of March 8, some 40 Lotte stores had been closed, often on spurious grounds such as alleged fire-code violations.

针对乐天及其他韩国企业的宣传攻势，体现了中国的政治风向转变有多快。截至3月8日，大约40家乐天门店被关闭——往往是因涉嫌违反消防规定等站不住脚的理由。

As recently as November, Chinese state media ran articles that lauded the retailer for funding “hope schools” and poor students in impoverished regions.

而就在去年11月时，中国官媒还曾发表文章，称赞这家韩国零售商资助中国贫困地区的“希望小学”和贫困学生。