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Japanese supporters walk through a Tokyo street Saturday after an anti-China rally.

Increased tensions between China and Japan in recent weeks have greatly influenced international relations across the world and have impacted members of the UCLA community.

The dispute between the two countries has resulted partly from China’s anger over Japan’s aggression in Asia during World War II. The events in Asia have made some members of the UCLA community aware of the potential for strained relations between Chinese and Japanese students on campus.

While most students and faculty members say they have not noticed tension between students on campus, the Daily Bruin has obtained an e-mail which was received by several students and addressed to “fellow Chinese” students. The e-mail proposed a plan to “terrorize” Japanese students at UCLA “in any way possible.” The incident was reported to the university police.

“At this point there is no update on the e-mail that was sent. It is still under investigation,” said Nancy Greenstein, director of university police community services for UCPD.

Though the legitimacy of the e-mail has not been verified, Greenstein said reports from students are always taken seriously, “especially when a threat is involved.”

Tom Plate, a UCLA professor who teaches a class on Asian media and politics and writes a weekly column on the United States’ relationship with the Pacific Rim, said he has not witnessed any tension between Japanese and Chinese students in any of his classes, but that he is aware of the e-mail.

“In an age of globalization it’s not easy to contain the emotions surrounding the conflict. There’s no time delay so people hear about things in seconds and even people who are far away may feel intimately connected to the issue and behave irresponsibly,” he said. “It just shows you that emotions don’t respect borders. There will always be one or two students who will be childish,” he added.

Anger has increased among the Chinese people after the recent publication of school textbooks in Japan that the Chinese say fail to acknowledge the atrocities committed by the Japanese toward the Chinese people during World War II.

As a response to the publication of the textbooks, massive anti-Japanese protests have erupted throughout China within the past few weeks.

Japan, a German ally during World War II, conquered many parts of East Asia before it was defeated in 1945. An estimated 12 million Chinese citizens were killed during Japan’s assault on the country in the 1930s and 1940s.

The tensions between the two countries could potentially affect Japan’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi recently made a public apology over Japan’s wartime aggression in Asia during World War II.

It was the most public apology in over a decade, and was made ahead of an expected meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao in an attempt to defuse the volatile situation created over how Japan interprets its wartime actions.

The apology was interpreted by some as an attempt by Japan to reinforce its bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Armhawan Darsono, a third-year psychology and economics student and president of the Chinese Students Association said he is watching for any possible tension among the organization’s members.

“We are keeping an eye out for racial slurs, unprovoked comments about Japan and uncalled-for actions and we will resolve anything as soon as we see it, but up to now I haven’t seen any offensive stuff. I cannot speak for all Chinese students but most members of CSA are just the way they were before (the conflict)” he said.

Though the situation between China and Japan is tenuous at the moment, “it is one thing to debate issues, but it’s another to be racist and threaten students,” Plate said.

But Plate expects relations between the two countries to improve because he said economics will win out over emotions.

“I’ve never seen relations between China and Japan as bad as they are now but I think it’s going to be OK because the economic interests on both sides are very great,” he said.