Opening Ceremony: White Chairs with Red Stickers—Wuhan University Criticized for 'Japanophilia'

On the 5th, Wuhan University in China held its graduate student opening ceremony, where to distinguish seats, the university stuck round, five-pointed star, and other shaped stickers in red, yellow, and other colors on the chairs. Some netizens believed that Wuhan University was posting a pattern similar to the “Japanese national flag.”
According to Chinese media reports, some Wuhan University graduate students shared photos from the ceremony, taking memorable pictures in a sea of white chairs with red stickers. This led to suspicions that Wuhan University intentionally created a visual effect resembling the Japanese national flag at the event.
Some netizens questioned whether Wuhan University deliberately produced a scene reminiscent of the Japanese flag at the ceremony as an act of “Japanophilia.” Some left angry comments: “This is just too absurd! It’s absolutely ridiculous,” “Does the president have a problem? Is everyone at the school blind?” “Wuhan University doesn’t even know who they are anymore,” “A campus full of cherry blossoms and filled with Japanese ghosts.”

Wuhan University subsequently issued a clarification statement, explaining that there were white and blue chairs at the scene, and the stickers came in yellow, red and other colors, in both round and five-pointed star shapes, all used only to facilitate seat separation and guided seating. The university expressed deep apologies for the misunderstanding caused by affixing red round stickers on the backs of white chairs, and said it would pay more attention to such details and improve work rigor in the future.
Prominent Chinese media commentator Hu Xijin wrote on Weibo, “Has the sun been monopolized by the Japanese devils? Does it belong to Japan? I strongly recommend everyone refrain from such associations; I actually think such linking is too much credit to Japan over there in the east.” Using this kind of standard to interpret things would mean you could find traces of “Japanophilia” everywhere, he argued, which he said is neither right nor fair.