Old image of Deng Xiaoping bowing to Japanese flag widely shared out of context
In March, a black-and-white historical photo of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping seemingly bowing to the Japanese flag and armed forces was widely shared on X.
The post implied that during Deng’s visit to Japan in 1978, he groveled at the country and its soldiers standing behind the national flag. It also claimed he wrote a handwritten note that reads: “Salute and learn from the great, hard-working, courageous, and intelligent people of Japan.”
At the time of writing, the post has 5,000 likes, 742 reposts and about 700 comments.
However, Annie Lab found that this news image was being shared out of context.
While Deng indeed bowed in front of a Japanese flag in the ceremony, there was also a Chinese flag right next to it, although it is not visible from the angle this particular picture was taken.
A spokesperson from the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong said in an email that “There is no specific requirement to bow during the sequence of ceremonial honors; it is left to the discretion of individual dignitaries within the procession,” adding that showing respect for other national flags is “considered significant by all nations.”
Our investigation shows all state leaders who visited Japan have done this under normal circumstances.
The diplomatic protocol found on Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website says that a guest country and its representative should be placed on the right side, which is considered superior. It is in line with the international diplomatic conventions that most countries follow, according to Nikkei newspaper.
This seems to explain why the Chinese flag was placed on the right side of the Japanese flag, and Deng stood on the right side. In fact, all similar photos taken during state leaders’ visits we have gone through followed this convention.
Nikkei says this is also why the silver medal podium is placed on the right side of the one for gold medalists while the bronze medal podium is placed on the left in the Olympics.
Not a new claim
This photo and similar claims surfaced online before.
The earliest post we found in our investigation was made in August 2021 posing the same question about why Deng Xiaoping had “bowed to the Japanese armed forces.” Another old post on Reddit asked if this picture of Deng was real.
Another color photo showing Deng’s bow from a different angle also spread on X in 2022 and 2023, with similar claims.
However, unlike the black-and-white version, this and other similar photographs taken at the event all show Japanese soldiers holding both Chinese and Japanese flags.
These images seem to originate from a YouTube video (20:22) posted by Japan’s Defense Agency introducing its major initiatives and activities in 1978, which includes the whole process of the welcoming ceremony.
The video was taken during Deng’s visit to Japan from Oct. 22 to 29, 1978, after the Chinese and Japanese governments concluded the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty in August 1978.
Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda welcomed Deng at the Welcome Guest House on the morning of Oct. 23.
In this original clip, we can also see Fukuda performing the Chinese military salute to the Chinese flag while Deng was bowing to the Japanese flag.
When South Korean President Yoon Seok-Yeol’s bow became controversial in a similar fashion in March last year, the South Korean presidential Blue House said the exchange of salutes is part of Japan’s diplomatic etiquette.
We found a video of the honor guard ceremony showing that Yoon first saluted the South Korean flag by placing his right hand on his chest and then bowed to the Japanese flag while Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida bowed as well.
In our investigation, we also found a video (11:27) showing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher bowing to the Japanese flag during her visit in 1982 and also American President Joe Biden during his visit in 2022.
Deng’s hand-written note praises auto-industry workers, not soldiers
We also looked into the note supposedly written by Deng and found the claim misleading.
According to a biography of Deng quoted by this post on People’s Daily-affiliated People’s Tribune, the handwritten words praising Japanese were written after he visited Nissan automobiles, indicating that he was referring to people in the auto industry, not in the military.
