There was nothing in Hu Youping's past to suggest she had the makings of a hero, but after the Chinese woman saved a Japanese mother and son, unfortunately losing her own life in the process, she has been lauded by millions of people in both countries.

Hu, 54, was working for a Japanese school in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, when she stepped in to stop a knife attack at a school bus stop on June 24. She died two days later due to her severe injuries. The news of Hu's death dominated Chinese media headlines, and triggered a wave of both grief and respect online.

As of Thursday, more than 100 topics on Sina Weibo involving Hu had received over 1 billion views, with some applauding her bravery and others saying her courage had boosted relations between the two countries.

On June 28, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed condolences for the "tragic passing" of Hu, saying that this Chinese woman embodied the "kindness and bravery" of the Chinese people.

The same day, the Japanese embassy in China flew its flag at half-mast to honor Hu, and issued a statement saluting her "noble actions" and also saying her courage represents the wider Chinese population.

On Tuesday, Hu was awarded the title Model of Righteousness by the Suzhou government. People from different walks of life spontaneously attended a memorial service held in the city to pay tribute to her.

While Hu and her story have found sympathy and respect with both the public and authorities, she has also been subjected to some negative online comments, with extremists attempting to stir animosity between China and Japan.

However, Wang Sixin, a professor of internet law at the Communication University of China, said, "These extremist remarks won't dominate public opinion, let alone overshadow the mainstream voice."

As a result, major internet platforms have vowed to punish accounts that encourage group hatred against Japanese people or denigrate Hu.

"The punishment will help more people clearly see the true face of those using hot issues to attract online views or vent personal grievances, and urge us to surf the internet in a more sensible manner," said Zheng Ning, professor and head of the Law Department at the university's Cultural Industries Management School.