China slams a Japanese man for kicking 'comfort women' statue

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Mitsuhiko Fujii, a citizen of Japan who was in Taiwan representing 16 civilian groups who objected the building of a "comfort women" statue, was captured by surveillance cameras kicking the bronze statue and posing for pictures last Thursday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang on Tuesday said China hopes Japan will take up its responsibility and handle the incident properly, when asked about China's stance on the man's conduct.

The statue was erected on August 14, the International Memorial Day for Comfort Women, in commemoration of those innocent women who were forced into sex slavery by Japanese soldiers during World War II.

A surveillance camera catches Mitsuhiko Fujii of Japan kicking a newly erected "comfort women" statue in Taiwan last Thursday. /Screenshot from Facebook

The incident has drawn widespread criticism in Taiwan, Geng said, adding that what the Japanese soldiers did was inhumane and the crimes have been recognized by the international community. China hopes Japan can face the concerns of the international community and neighboring Asian countries.

Geng said he hopes the Japanese right-wing member will re-examine his behavior and gain self-respect.