China may block Japanese Security Council bid

After days of violent protests, China hinted strongly that it will block Japan’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council with Premier Wen Jiabao saying that Tokyo had to face up to its wartime atrocities before aspiring to a bigger global role.

China has ignored Japan’s demands for an apology and compensation after demonstrators stoned the Japanese embassy in Beijing over the weekend, angered by Tokyo’s approval of a history textbook that critics say plays down Japanese military abuses.