Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: Japan should reflect deeply on history

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remarks concerning China's Taiwan region are highly dangerous, and Japan must reflect deeply on history and draw lessons from World War II, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. Zakharova noted that commemorative events held around the world serve as a reminder to never forget history and to learn from it. Takaichi must bear in mind these historical lessons and face squarely the inglorious chapters in Japan's past, she said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency.

The spokesperson stressed that the wars of aggression launched by Japanese militarism brought tremendous suffering to Asia and the world while also inflicting heavy losses on Japan itself. 

Japanese politicians, including Takaichi, should seriously reflect on history and remain alert to the grave consequences that erroneous remarks and actions may trigger, she added.

Russian expert: Japan has long harbored ambitions of military expansion

Yuriy Pikalov, a professor at Russia's Pacific National University, said in an interview with CGTN Russian that Japan has long harbored ambitions of military expansion and has been seeking corresponding constitutional revisions. 

He stated that hyping up the Taiwan question is a tactic of political manipulation by Japan, aimed at portraying China as an "enemy" to mislead the public, increase military spending and build stronger armed forces. He pointed out that Japan seems to have forgotten the war crimes it committed during World War II and the tragic consequences it suffered, and the younger generation of Japanese is learning a distorted version of historical truth.

Pikalov also noted that Japan is highly dependent on China in the economic and trade sectors, and its remarks on the Taiwan region, along with its radical military expansion plans, will harm the interests of its own people and push the Asia-Pacific region toward a more dangerous situation.