Beijing, October 10 — China has called on Japan to stop efforts to whitewash its wartime aggression and colonial rule, emphasizing that a truthful acknowledgment of history is crucial for peaceful development.
Speaking at a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian highlighted the immense suffering caused by Japan’s militarism during World War II to the people of China and other Asian countries. Lin urged Japan to have a correct understanding and treatment of its history.
“An honest reckoning with the past is not only a prerequisite for Japan’s post-war return to the international community but also the political foundation for its relations with neighboring countries,” Lin said. “It is a critical standard by which to assess whether Japan truly adheres to a path of peaceful development.”
Lin criticized ongoing tendencies within Japan to downplay or glorify its wartime actions. He pointed out persistent attempts to distort facts about the forced recruitment of “comfort women” and repeated visits by some Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni Shrine, where Class-A war criminals are enshrined.
“These actions continue to spark strong dissatisfaction and serious concern among neighboring countries,” Lin noted. “Instead of deeply reflecting on its crimes of aggression, Japan points fingers at the joint efforts of China and Russia to uphold historical truth and promote global peace. This again reveals Japan’s misguided attitude toward its past.”
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Lin called on Japan to seriously reflect on its historical responsibilities, to clearly distance itself from all acts that seek to glorify wartime aggression, and to commit itself to peaceful development with concrete actions.
