China urges Japan to take concrete steps to confront militarism

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China on Monday called on Japan to take steps on historical issues to earn the trust of countries in Asia victimized by Japanese militarism in World War II.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks at a press briefing when commenting on the recent "comfort women" row between Japan and the Republic of Korea.

Lu said it is basically a dispute between the ROK and Japan, but the conscription of "comfort women" was a grave crime of Japanese militarism committed against people in several countries during World War II. Therefore, China thinks it necessary for Japan to reflect thoroughly on this.

South Korean citizens read descriptions on a plate next to a statue symbolizing women forced into wartime Japanese military brothels, soon after it is installed in front of the Japanese Consulate in the southern South Korean port city of Busan on December 30, 2016. /CFP Photo

When it comes to historical issues, Lu said that Japanese leaders tend to avoid the important and dwell on the trivial, while shirking the main responsibility, which makes it unlikely for people to believe the sincerity and honesty of the Japanese side or give them credit.

Recently, the Japanese leader visited Pearl Harbor, the site of a shock attack by Japan on December 7, 1941 that killed thousands of US soldiers and civilians, while ignoring Japan's neighboring countries that were seriously devastated by Japanese militarism.

Moreover, following the Pearl Harbor tour, a number of Japanese senior officials visited the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, which honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals. Lu said that such moves by the Japanese side showed that Japan is evasive about key historical issues.

South Korean p‍eople stage a protest in Seoul against the South Korea-Japan agreement aimed at resolving the longstanding issue of women forced into wartime Japanese military brothels on the first anniversary of the deal on December 28, 2016. /CFP Photo

Japan has decided to temporarily recall its ambassador to the ROK to protest against the erection of a new "comfort women" statue near its general consulate in ROK's southern port city Busan, a Japanese government spokesman said on January 6.

The ROK said that it was regrettable for Japan to recall its senior envoys over a statue symbolizing Japan's wartime sex slavery victims. The statue represents women forced into sexual slavery in Japanese military brothels before and during World War II and was first erected in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul in 2011.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency)

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