"Zhejiang Propaganda", a social media account belonging to the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department in eastern China, published a warning on 3/7, advising the country's football fans to "have limits" when supporting the Japan national team.

The statement followed media reports that some supporters in Shanghai wore Japan national team jerseys to cheer for Japan during their World Cup match against Tunisia on 21/6 at a sports bar.

According to AFP, many Chinese supporters cheered for Japan's goals and even held Japan national team flags for souvenir photos after the match.

"Our 90s generation grew up with the comic series Tsubasa - Captain Tsubasa. More importantly, we are all Asian; the Japan national team currently represents the glory of Asian football, and we hope to support them a bit more," shared Fan, the organizer of the activity.

According to the Zhejiang Propaganda Department's post, this scene sparked widespread debate across China. Some argued it was a matter of personal freedom, while many others felt it was an insult to national pride.

Chinese football supporters wore Japan national team jerseys, cheering for Japan in their match against Tunisia on 21/6. *Photo: Reuters*

"The current controversy shows that many people in China still accept supporting other excellent international football teams, but such support should have limits and not be used to attack national pride," the post stated.

The Zhejiang Propaganda Department said that some social media accounts used Japan's success to "maliciously attack" Chinese football.

For many Chinese football supporters, the rise of the Japan national team has long been both a model to emulate and a bitter contrast. Japan has participated in the World Cup an eighth consecutive time. This year, they advanced past the group stage before being eliminated in the round of 16. They first qualified in 1998 and have built one of Asia's most successful national teams.

China qualified once in 2002, where they lost all three matches and failed to score a goal. The country's team has not reached the World Cup in the past 24 years.

The post suggested that Japan's football system has advantages worth learning from, but some comments "went too far", no longer limited to purely technical or tactical analysis.

"These accounts, under the guise of supporting Japanese football, are actually undermining China's national pride," the article stated. "Football has no borders, but fans have a homeland. Fans should consciously maintain a balance between national stance and sports enjoyment."

The Shanghai Football Association also called on fans to watch matches rationally, paying attention to their attire and behavior in public places to avoid causing misunderstandings or social conflicts.

Some bars in Shanghai received warnings from the police last week, instructing them not to display Japan national team jerseys inside their establishments.

Sino-Japanese relations are at their lowest in many years, since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's statement on the Taiwan issue in 11/2025. Takaichi then warned that Japan could take military action if the island of Taiwan were attacked. The island of Taiwan is 100 km from Japan's nearest island.

The Japanese Prime Minister later softened her tone to ease tensions, but China did not accept this and continued to demand she retract her statement. Takaichi refused to do so, while also declaring that Japan would strengthen its defense capabilities. Beijing has repeatedly accused Tokyo of seeking to restore militarism, a claim Japan consistently denies.

Hong Hanh (According to SCMP, Zaobao)