The shares of major Chinese bulletproof vest makers spiked after the former Japanese prime minister was shot and killed.
The first shot hit Abe's back and caused him to collapse. According to an official, he went into a state of cardiopulmonary arrest, meaning a sudden loss of heart function and breathing. He was declared dead afterwards. A man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder.
Chinese companies saw their shares increase in value after the news broke. Jihua is the largest supplier of military products in China, while the other two firms produce advanced and new materials. The three manufacturers of bulletproof vests are listed in China.
Even if the firms have no connection with the newsmakers, it's not uncommon for their shares to move when there is a news event. When the Chinese-American skier Eileen Gu won gold medals at the Beijing Winter Olympics, the stocks of companies with the same characters as her Chinese name, Gu Ailing, also surged.
The shooting of Abe has caused a lot of interest on the Chinese internet, where people are cheering the attack against him. Anti-Japanese sentiment in China has always been strong, due to Japan's invasion of China in 1937. Beijing has criticized Abe for visiting the shrine while he was in office. China sees the shrine as a symbol of Japan's military aggression during World War II.
The news of Abe's shooting has been read nearly a billion times on Weibo. The suspected shooter was praised by many internet users in China. The Chinese reaction to the news was said to be due to Abe's past behavior towards China. The Diaoyu, or Senkaku, Islands in the East China Sea, which have been fought over by mainland China, Japan, and Taiwan, were the subject of a post on his website.
Some people sympathized with Abe. The former editor of the state-owned tabloid Global Times urged his readers to put aside Abe's past disputes with China. Hu said he hoped more could understand and join him in showing his attitude towards Abe.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
