BEIJING: “We will never allow Japan’s right-wing forces to reverse the course of history, never allow external forces to interfere in China’s Taiwan region, and never allow Japanese militarism to stage a comeback. Japanese militarism is the common foe of all peoples around the world. China will work with all peace-loving countries and individuals to safeguard the victories of World War II and the postwar international order. We urge Japan to deeply reflect on its history, genuinely learn the lessons, make a clean break with militarism, and take concrete actions to eliminate its remaining toxic influence,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday.
These remarks were made in response to a media inquiry about how China will carry out commemorative activities — especially as the 12th national memorial day for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre approaches, the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression is being observed, and China-Japan relations are strained due to recent Taiwan-related remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Guo noted that this year marks the 88th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre. In line with the decision of the National People’s Congress, China will, as usual, hold a national memorial ceremony for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre.
Guo said the Nanjing Massacre was a brutal crime committed by Japanese militarism, and the evidence is irrefutable. Three hundred thousand Chinese people were slaughtered, marking one of the darkest chapters in human history. Under the pretext of “survival-threatening situation,” Japanese militarism waged wars of aggression against China and other Asian countries and committed countless crimes against humanity, which remain a stain on the history of human civilization.
International legal documents such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation set out clear provisions opposing aggression, punishing war criminals, and eradicating militarism. The Allied Forces also established the International Military Tribunal for the Far East to prosecute Japanese war criminals, the spokesperson said.
Guo further noted that the Japanese government has long tolerated right-wing forces in reversing historical facts. Multiple prime ministers and other senior politicians have insisted on visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, where Class-A war criminals are honored. Some politicians have even openly questioned “the Murayama Statement,” which expressed remorse and apologized for Japan’s colonial rule and aggression. Japan has also repeatedly revised its textbooks in an attempt to whitewash its wartime atrocities and rewrite the history of aggression.
Such egregious acts openly challenge the postwar international order and trample on human conscience, drawing strong indignation and high vigilance from the international community, said Guo. This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s restoration to China.
Eighty years ago, through bloody and arduous struggle, the Chinese people defeated Japanese imperialism, recovered Taiwan and other territories stolen by the Japanese aggressors, and defended the integrity of the nation and the principles of international justice,” the spokesperson said, adding that eighty years later, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable, Guo added. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
