China holds exhibition at UN headquarters to mark Tokyo Trial's 80th anniversary

An exhibition marking the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trial opened at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday.

Titled "Justice and Peace for All Humanity," the exhibition features historical photographs, archival documents and publications on the investigation and prosecution of Japanese war crimes during World War II.

"The Tokyo Trial cements the post-war world order, upholds fairness and justice, and advances international rule of law. It is a landmark victory of peace over war, civilization over barbarism, and justice over evil, with far-reaching political and historical significance," said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, at the opening ceremony.

"The Tokyo Trial put Japanese militarism in the dock. It's essential for Japan to bear in mind what is at the core of the trial, make a clean break with militarism, and commit itself to peace once and for all," he said.

"Regrettably, right-wing forces in Japan keep questioning the legitimacy of the Tokyo Trial under various pretexts, and try to gloss over Japan's history of aggression. From worshiping Class-A war criminals to hollowing out the pacifist Constitution, from easing controls on arms exports to lifting the ban on the right to collective self-defense, Japan is going further away from the Tokyo Trial and tearing up its 'pacifist' rulebook."

"History, if not forgotten, can serve as a guide for the future," said Fu. "We need to guard against rising neo-militarism, and together uphold the post-war order and international peace and security."

Qi Dahai, director-general of the Department of Treaty and Law of China's Foreign Ministry, Zhou Feng, curator of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, and officials from Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea addressed the opening ceremony. Permanent representatives to the United Nations from Spain, Nicaragua and other countries attended the ceremony.

Speakers highlighted the Tokyo Trial's role in upholding peace through the rule of law and bringing Japan's wartime aggression to justice. They stressed the need to learn from history, remember the suffering caused by war, and work together to prevent the resurgence of militarism and aggression.

Organized by China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, the exhibition is being held during the UN International Law Week.