China urges countries not to forget painful lessons of Japanese wartime aggression

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense on Thursday called on relevant countries not to forget the painful historical lessons of Japan's wartime aggression, and to heed public concerns over recent military developments in the region.

Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a regular press conference in response to a media query regarding Japan's participation in this year's US-Philippines Exercise Balikatan, which marks the first time since the end of World War II that Japanese combat forces have reportedly set foot in the Philippines

Japan's move has prompted opposition and protests from Philippine WWII victim associations and civil society groups.

Zhang said he fully understands the sentiments of the Philippine people regarding the exercise, recalling the atrocities committed by Japanese militarism during World War II.

He noted that during the war, Japanese aggressors committed grave crimes in the Philippines, including the Manila Massacre and the forced recruitment of "comfort women." He also referred to the Bataan Death March, which, together with the Nanjing Massacre and the Burma-Thailand Death Railway, is known as one of the three major wartime atrocities in the Far East.

According to Zhang, in April 1942, after Japanese forces captured the Bataan Peninsula, around 78,000 surrendered American and Filipino troops were systematically abused and forced to march about 120 kilometers to Camp O' Donnell, where roughly 15,000 died.

He stressed that the perpetrators of these atrocities have never shown genuine remorse, asking how such historical trauma could truly be healed.

"Relevant countries should not forget the lessons of this painful history, listen to the voices of their people, stop fueling division and confrontation, and work together to curb Japan's 'neo-militarism,' so as to safeguard peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region," Zhang said.