Japan's heavy blood debt: Unhealed wounds across Asia

Japan's heavy blood debt across Asia during World War Two remains an unhealed wound. Fresh alarm is rising as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's extremely erroneous and hostile remarks on China fuel concerns that she is steering Japan toward reviving its notorious militarist past.

Takaichi recently claimed that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, implying the possibility of Japan's armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait. She has refused to retract these harmful remarks so far, despite China's solemn representations and strong protests, and criticism from former Japanese leaders and prominent public figures.

Her remarks evoke memories of Japan's imperialist aggressions and reveal the country's expanding military ambitions. Historically, Japan launched multiple aggressions against many countries under the pretext of addressing so-called survival crises, which created real survival crises across Asia and inflicted immense suffering on countless civilians.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Many are urging Japan to confront its wartime atrocities with sincerity. Japanese authorities should truly repent past militarist invasions, draw lessons from history, and commit to peaceful development, rather than seeking incendiary and deceptive excuses for military buildup.

Some footage in this video is sourced from the documentary "Asia-Pacific War Crimes Trials."