Yukio Hatoyama, former prime minister of Japan, attended the 80th anniversary commemoration of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression with a sense of reflection and apology. Despite criticism within Japan, Hatoyama stressed the importance of confronting Japan's historical actions and learning from them.

He also expressed respect for President Xi Jinping's remarks, which distinguished between Japan's militarist invaders and the general Japanese people, acknowledging that the wrongdoers were the militarists, not ordinary citizens. Hatoyama reaffirmed Japan's need to face its past and foster mutual respect moving forward.