China urges Japan to reflect on history after new evidence on wartime human experiments

China on Monday urged Japan to confront its wartime history and fully break with militarism after Japanese media reported newly uncovered evidence suggesting that the Japanese army conducted live human experiments involving animal-to-human blood transfusions during its invasion of China.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China had noted the reports, which cited records from a 1940 meeting of Japanese military doctors. According to the reports, the experiments were carried out multiple times in the autumn of 1938, with 23 unidentified individuals believed to have been used as subjects.

Guo said the invading Japanese army conducted large-scale live human experiments and germ warfare during its aggression against China, describing the crimes as brutal and inhumane.

He noted that the Khabarovsk Trials held in 1949 left behind extensive audio recordings, written records and physical evidence, forming a complete chain of evidence regarding Japan's germ warfare crimes. The trials complemented and expanded upon issues that had not been fully addressed during the Tokyo Trials.

According to Guo, an increasing body of evidence continues to reveal the crimes committed by Japanese militarism, while more people, including members of the Japanese public, are learning about this dark chapter of history. Only by respecting established historical facts, addressing historical shortcomings and upholding the bottom line of peace can the tragedy of war be prevented from recurring.

Guo also warned against Japan's remilitarization, saying it's treading a path of no return. We urge Japan to sincerely reflect on its crimes of aggression, make a clean break with militarism, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community through concrete actions, he said.