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China slams Inada for ducking Nanjing massacre questions

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DTryPleXAug. 08, 2016 - 08:01PM JST Getting back to the article, I still can't grasp why people keep asking these kinds of questions to ministers. I'm pretty sure >I've never heard anyone asking an Italian defence minister how he felt about his country taking over Ethiopia or Albania >or how he feels now about how they (attempted to) invade Greece. Although her response is indeed stupid. Either owe >up to it or say "no comment". Either would've been acceptable.

What is stupid about her response? She neither confirmed nor denied anything.She effectively did say "no comment" by neither confirming nor denying a baited question which had nothing to do with the press conference. China employs "journalists" working for state controlled media to attend press releases and ask questions that will hopefully draw answers that the Chinese government can attack. They have done this in the White House Press Briefing room as well. Many people have now become annoyed at this and simply refuse to answer questions that have nothing to do with the issues at hand.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Bullfighter,

are you serious? Have you actually read history? You conveniently left out Papua New Guinea including Rabaul and the likes which were sovereign Australian territory at the time. The Japanese invasion of the Alaskan islands as well as other both British and American owned islands in the South Pacific which all belonged to sovereign nations. That is, completely ignoring your assumption that replacing one colonial power with another is in any way a good thing.

Getting back to the article, I still can't grasp why people keep asking these kinds of questions to ministers. I'm pretty sure I've never heard anyone asking an Italian defence minister how he felt about his country taking over Ethiopia or Albania or how he feels now about how they (attempted to) invade Greece. Although her response is indeed stupid. Either owe up to it or say "no comment". Either would've been acceptable.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

That the slaughters recorded following WW II occurred is unquestionable. The Japanese contributions to art, engineering and other positive issues is likewise unquestionable. What is sad to me, because I do admire Japanese culture, is the official and perhaps private unwillingness to admit that Japanese troops committed these terrible, inhuman acts. These continued denials brings same on every Japanese, because the officials who represent them are issuing these denials - sad and disgusting!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Don't trust what the Chinese propaganda say. Look at Xi Jin-ping's aggression and his criminal acts from Southeast Asia to Tibet, Xin-jiang, Mongolia, Manchuria, Yunnan, Viet Nam, etc

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

China NEEDS the US, Japan EU more than they need China. China grew from 1990 to date by providing cheap labor and currency manipulation which fueled their exports, As costs in China have risen the foreign companies are shifting toward labor substitutes, Southeast Asia, South America etc. China has already started to lose it's economic advantage. China NEEDS exports in order to keep it's economy afloat and not have 1.3 billion people unhappy about the CCP government which maintains control without any free elections. Or even opposing political parties. Which is why, like Germany in the 1930s, hatred of foreigners and threats of war are part of the Chinese government's way of keeping the people under control.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

agree with China here. Inada will be disastrous for China-Japan relations, which Japan needs more than China.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

James BurkeAug. 07, 2016 - 09:34AM JST Not going to waste my time with a netouyo History can't be rewritten no matter how right wing you are.

So China needs to stop rewriting history. If I am as right wing so is the United States government. Don't waste our time with historically ignorant and incorrect nonsense.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Germany didn't lie to herself after the war and thus earned the respect of her fellow Europeans. Wonder whether Inada and Koike will have a good old chit chat at Yasukuni in a few days time.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

The Government of China, pious and predictable, loathsome and squalid, self-righteous and sanctimonious, adopting a despicable brand of devious duplicity,...

Forked tongued hypocrisy cynically delivered taking into consideration that 20115/16 at least 370 human rights lawyers have been arrested and detained. The Uighur minority group have witnessed there people disappear under a false connection to ISIS. Over 17,000 individuals have been imprisoned simply demanding equal democratic political representation accused preposterously of endangering Internet security.

Reckless is The Government of China vows to protect with military intervention/force, man-made artificial reefs and Island in the South China Sea under ludicrous claims of sovereignty.

Tomomi Inada, open wanton urges to take a revisionist rake revisiting, thus reinterpreting. in essence attempting to sanitize Imperial Japanese armies war atrocities, that 83% of Japans population were neither present or could be held responsible for, is politically nonsensical and an ill-advised, irrational, illogical, swivel headed lurch backwards to repudiate historic truths.

Tomomi Inada is a gifted political organiser, with a proven track record in advocating draft reform and restructuring programmes.

Part of me probably paranoically suspects Abe san appointment of Tomomi Inada is his use of tactical political chicanery, ade-devious, which would not be out of place in a story line for House of Cards ...... The philosophy of set up to hang out any potential rivals.

Frankly if Tomomi Inada embraced a more political pragmatic style and approach, less backward looking, there is an opportunity to be seized.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Not going to waste my time with a netouyo

History can't be rewritten no matter how right wing you are.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

James BurkeAug. 06, 2016 - 10:51PM JST

Ever hear of a German politician denying the holocaust? Doubt it because it's against the law. Germany made a 180 >degree change and became a success story.

I don't see a Japanese politician denying anything in this article either. In fact if you actually tread it, it says that she didn't say anything.

Japan had everything going for it but it looks like it's set to implode these days. We've got politicians who deny all of >Japan's war crimes, provoke its neighbors by visiting yasukuni, illegally modifying the constitution by FORCE and using >political loopholes to evade the word of law.

All of which, while stupidly erroneous, beats a huge militant dictatorship out to take over Asia, openly thumbing it's nose at interational law and chanting for "war".

As for the nations that were invaded by Japan now "welcoming" Japanese military assistance, one has to wonder whether those nations would be so impoverished to this day had Japan not utterly destroyed them during the war. >Those nations did not get the benefit of the economic miracle provided by America after the war, unlike Japan and >Germany.

Looks like you missed 10 years between 1980-1990. Pacific nations prospered under an economic growth lead by Japan. Those nations were "impoverished" when they were long European colonies , which ended because of WWII.

China and Korea are fixated on those war crimes because Japan denies they ever happened.

Wrong. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_apology_statements_issued_by_Japan

The number of atrocities >committed by Japan during the war is staggering, and every time a lunatic like Inada goes to >yasukuni it just proves that the j-gov does not care one bit about the people who suffered.

You are much more of a lunatic than a simple J-politician.

MacArthur must be spinning in his grave. 71 years ago on this day Japan was punished severely for its actions and >crimes during the war with the dropping of an atomic bomb. The entire world should have learned to renounce violence >and learn from history . Yes McArthur is spinning in his grave for not having gotten Truman to allow him to drop 4-5 A-bombs on China when they crossed into the Korean Peninsula.

In 2016 Japan has just about done a 360. Deny everything, from netouyo to the ministers and prime minister himself. >We're right back where we were in the 1920's.

Yup except this time it's China that is the militant dictatorship with an expanding military and territorial aspiration. This time Japan, a democracy stands with the US, Australia , India, UE. Which is why nobody but China and their supports like you have a problem with the direction that Japan is taking. All brought about by China's aggressive behavior, no one elses.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Spin spin spin the facts, do this long enough and soon the morbidly moronic will buy into it. This is known tactic tried out over and over again in the course of human history.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

She is making sure Taiwan knows Japan does not abandon Taiwan. Otherwise I am sure she knows Beijing massacre is true in history. and well written in books and history magazines. Or maybe she is rare illiterate in Japan?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Ever hear of a German politician denying the holocaust? Doubt it because it's against the law. Germany made a 180 degree change and became a success story.

This is the difference between a civilized nation and a failed experiment.

Japan had everything going for it but it looks like it's set to implode these days. We've got politicians who deny all of Japan's war crimes, provoke its neighbors by visiting yasukuni, illegally modifying the constitution by FORCE and using political loopholes to evade the word of law.

Interesting and depressing to say the least.

As for the nations that were invaded by Japan now "welcoming" Japanese military assistance, one has to wonder whether those nations would be so impoverished to this day had Japan not utterly destroyed them during the war. Those nations did not get the benefit of the economic miracle provided by America after the war, unlike Japan and Germany.

China and Korea are fixated on those war crimes because Japan denies they ever happened. The number of atrocities committed by Japan during the war is staggering, and every time a lunatic like Inada goes to yasukuni it just proves that the j-gov does not care one bit about the people who suffered.

MacArthur must be spinning in his grave. 71 years ago on this day Japan was punished severely for its actions and crimes during the war with the dropping of an atomic bomb. The entire world should have learned to renounce violence and learn from history.

In 2016 Japan has just about done a 360. Deny everything, from netouyo to the ministers and prime minister himself. We're right back where we were in the 1920's.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

71 years after WWII ended, all the nations that were" invaded" by Imperial Japan, as well as most of their former enemies are now welcoming Japan's moves to step up their military and play a greater role in regional security. Even South Korea has come around. The allied victor nations who fought the brunt of the war against Japan have no issue with WWII history, China (PRC) did not even exist when WWII ended and yet continues to be fixated on 71 year old history while it expands it's territory in blatant defiance of international laws. Now that the Chinese monster is out of the closet this continuing WWII fixation looks sillier and sillier,

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Yes, well I think Japan and it's revisionists can rest assured that the countries involved in the War in the Pacific, and there are quite a few of them, aren't going to suffer from the same kind of multiple perspective divergence in understanding as they. The world is simply not going to let them forget, or re-write that story. Full stop.

Not as clear cut as you and others seem to think. The Japanese moved into Indochina with the agreement of the French who were the colonial occupiers. A number of "the countries that Japan invaded" were not in fact independent countries. They were under colonial occupation. The Japanese displaced the colonial occupiers. Those areas include

Dutch East Indies (aka Indonesia) - Dutch colonial occupation

Malay States (aka Malaysia) - British colonial occupation

Philippines - American colonial occupation

Myanmar - British colonial occupation

At the moment I cannot think of any independent country other than China for which the term invasion might apply. Japan attacked Australia and the US both did not actually invade the mainland of either country.

Precisely which (independent) countries were you thinking Japan invaded?

I'll have to go through the full list of areas Japan occupied again, but with the exception of China, I don't think Japan actually invaded any independent countries. They replaced the existing colonial occupation with one of their own. Even in the case of China, the Japanese presence was not necessarily seen as the result of an invasion.

Communist Chinese histories seldom mention it, but there was a collaborationist government based in Nanjing and led by Wang Jinwei that allied itself with the Japanese.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

http://www.mod.go.jp/j/press/kisha/2016/08/04a.html

Above is the transcript of the discussed meeting. For the specific answer that's so hammered, here is the actual sequence:

Q:侵略戦争ですか。

A:侵略か侵略でないかというのは、評価の問題であって、それは一概に言えないし、70年談話でも、そのことについて言及をしているというふうには認識していません。

The question is not so much about "invasion" as "invasive war" which maps to the English "aggressive war". And when Inada answered, she is not saying "invasion", she was saying "invasive".

The nuance is entirely different. For example, the landing on Normandy meets all the objective criteria of an "invasion" if we borrow JeffLee's criteria. Mass landing, yes. Aerial and sea bombardment, yes. But any Allied state will be mortified if that was used as some kind of proof that they were conducting an invasive / aggressive war. Iraq II will also qualify for an invasion, but at least it is not socially unacceptable to say it is not an "invasive war" despite the inability to actually find any WMDs.

And if you are familiar with the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War, you will realize that whether it is "invasive" is murkier than most in the West seem to think. Not only does Marco Polo actually start when some Chinese soldier opened up on a Japanese company, Japan's movement of troops into China actually looks a lot more like the emergency dispatch of half-ready "rapid reaction troops" then some kind of prepared offensive.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

China "slams" somebody just about every day. Who will China slam tomorrow?

2 ( +6 / -4 )

The quoted response to questions doesn't appear to be directly relating to the Nanking Massacre, so this reporting seems a little inconsistent, or disingenuous to me:

Inada told reporters on Thursday that whether Japan’s wartime actions should be described as an invasion “depends on one’s point of view”, and said she thought it was not “appropriate” for her to comment on the matter.

It's not the same question, is it.

depends on one’s point of view

Yes, well I think Japan and it's revisionists can rest assured that the countries involved in the War in the Pacific, and there are quite a few of them, aren't going to suffer from the same kind of multiple perspective divergence in understanding as they. The world is simply not going to let them forget, or re-write that story. Full stop.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

How true. Anyone who says the mass landing of Japanese soldiers and aerial and sea bombardment on the territories of China,

Strictly speaking the Sino-Japanese war started without an invasion. The fighting in 1937 that started the war (Marco Polo Bridge incident) involved Japanese who were legally in China under the so-called Boxer Protocols.

The fact is, the JIA were the absolute worst of the worst. Unit 731 in Nanjing, forcing POWs to eat their own organs, cannibalising allied soldiers.

I don't know where you are getting your misinformation. Leaving aside the claims about canibalism, you are not even getting simple bits of geography correct. "Unit 731" (a designation not employed until 1940) was based near Japanese controlled Harbin roughly 2100 km from Nanjing.

There is no rational tactical motivation, not even an incompetent one, to spit babies with bayonets.

There is also no reliable documentation for this and other similar claims. Last summer I read through accounts by various eyewitnesses to "the Rape of Nanking" both European and Chinese Christians. The baby spitting claim does not appear even as hearsay. They do mention looting and rape by Japanese soldiers although somewhat to my surprise they say more about looting than rape. These same accounts also blame much of the physical destruction of Nanking on the Chinese nationalist forces who destroyed all manner of facilities to prevent their use by the Japanese.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

"she declined to say whether Japanese troops massacred civilians in China during World War Two."

In other words she didn't say whether they did or they didn't.

"China’s defense ministry, in a statement on its microblog, expressed “indignation” over Inada’s comments, and said there was ironclad evidence of the Nanjing massacre"

What comments? I thought she didn't comment either way.

"“Her open denial of the ... facts is simply an attempt to cover up Japan’s history of aggression and challenge the international order by reviving militarism"

What denial? She didn't confirm or deny anything.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

@Katsu78 +1 for the followup post.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

bruinfanAUG. 06, 2016 - 11:23AM JST Re:Nanjing vs. Great Leap Forward They don't cancel out. Both acts (as well as the wicked men behind them and their ideology) should never be forgotten lest they happen again.

Good point. We should also keep in mind that grievances need to be brought forward by people who actually suffered from them. For one of us who has never suffered any consequences of the Great Leap Forward to bring it up looks an awful lot like cynical deflection, trying to change the subject to avoid ideas we find shameful. If we truly care about the Great Leap Forward, we should be looking for Chinese people who want to talk about it and supporting them, not just cynically bringing it up everything Beijing mentions WWII.

Another thing to remember is that while there absolutely were horrific atrocities committed under the Great Leap Forward, a large chunk of its casualties can be attributed to government incompetence leading to the Great Famine. Whatever horrors came out of it, Mao actually thought his policies would modernize China and make it prosperous. His heart being in the right place (at least some of the time) doesn't excuse the atrocities of course, but it makes the Great Leap Forward a poor comparison to the Rape of Nanking, where the killings were motivated by pure malice. There is no rational tactical motivation, not even an incompetent one, to spit babies with bayonets.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

stop living in the past you child nation china

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

There's no doubt the Nanjing massacre took place, and Japan should own up to it. But Mao's "Great Leap Forward" alone was responsible for the deaths of more than 45 million of his own people, many for the tiniest infractions.

They don't cancel out. Both acts (as well as the wicked men behind them and their ideology) should never be forgotten lest they happen again.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

re: China on Friday accused Japan’s new defense minister of recklessly misrepresenting history after she declined to say whether Japanese troops massacred civilians in China during World War Two.

When China apologizes to Tibet for the countless tortures, brutal murders and invasion, then at that time perhaps Japan will consider the same.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Cowardice on Inada's part. And yet Abe picked her because of 2 things: (1) He can claim he`s getting more women on board. (2) Because she believes what he believes, she's his woman.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

believing lies to meet their own distorted beliefs. Republicans do this all the time in the USA

And Democrats don't?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Funny, when NHK profiled her, they merely described her as a "hard-liner" on disputed territory issues. No mention at all of her historical revisionism. I wonder why that would be? Surely in a modern nation like Japan the people responsible for news coverage would know better than to abet historical revisionism, wouldn't they?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

China on Friday accused Japan’s new defense minister of recklessly misrepresenting history after she declined to say whether Japanese troops massacred civilians in China during World War Two.

Pride stings. All she had to do was wear the shoe. Bow deeply & say "regrettably, yes we did" or something to that effect. Japanese politicians are the worst liars.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

so if you do it with an atomic bomb its an act of war. if you do it with a bayonete its a massacre. conflictinting points of view i dare say. keep dragging it up.

Who won the war? There is your answer.

It is horrible that people fool themselves into believing lies to meet their own distorted beliefs. Republicans do this all the time in the USA. For example calling the Iraq war a liberation instead of an invasion, a war crime really.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Well, they would say that, wouldn't they!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Yeah, revisionist history don't work.... I would like to see China's response when people bring up "The great leap forward", "Tibet" and "Tiananmen Square" etc.

Uhm, they actually don't outright deny any of those, if that makes a difference.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

@sighclops The fact is, the JIA were the absolute worst of the worst. Unit 731 in Nanjing, forcing POWs to eat their own organs, cannibalising allied soldiers. The fact that we're in 2016 those in power here continue to avoid, whitewash or even straight-up deny that the atrocities ever took place is UNACCEPTABLE.

Don't be a sheep and just repeat what someone else says as fact. Unless you were there of course.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

I first off do not understand why everybody gets their panties in a bunch over this. In war, bad things get done on both sides axis and allies. While I will agree that the Rape of Nanjing was a horrendous act. One must look at the mentality of the nation of Japan at the time. It was being financially strangled by the US and many other non-Asian powers due to the treaties and deals made by President Theodore Roosevelts cabinet (who in later years admitted that it was the worst mistake he had ever made during his administration). So when the current government of Japan by the 1930's came to power led I believe militarist Hideki Tojo, they started the reinstitution of the samurai bushido code but with a few major changes since the code had never been written down I believe. So now we have a bunch of young men all juiced up on this neo-bushido talk and deals being made with then early Nazi Germany it was the match that set off the powder keg. Remember before the allies got involved in the war Germany and Japan had already invaded their neighbors in Europe and Asia. To fix this problem in Asia at least I think that the Japanese government representatives should go to China and Korea and even the Philippines to make everybody happy and say "We are sorry for what our ancestors did and will not allow it to happen again. We must learn from the past to prepare for the future not use the past to blame the future.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

and now we know why Abe chose her...

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Japan continues to live under the delusion that they can rewrite and/or ignore the atrocities, war crimes and other acts of human depravity they (the Japanese) committed during World War 2. The selection of this defense chief is a continuation of this delusion. Since the history of Japanese atrocities in China and Japan are quite long dating back to 1894, there will be dribbling of these materials for a long time to come.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

“If history is denied, China-Japan relations have no future.”

That's a laugh. If you Chinese keep up your aggression and war-like activities, we have no future. YOU are causing the problems TODAY.

The important point is what she will do from now, how to deal with the Chinese troublemakers - not what someone may or may not have done 70 years ago.

-10 ( +5 / -15 )

"Honest" comment is on the money. There's no doubt the Nanjing massacre took place, and Japan should own up to it. But Mao's "Great Leap Forward" alone was responsible for the deaths of more than 45 million of his own people, many for the tiniest infractions. But you don't hear any apologies or see reparations for those. That's more than Hitler (11 million not counting war deaths) or Stalin (20 million not counting war deaths).

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

"We must point out that facing up to history is the basis for resolving historical problems,” it said.

Yep. Problem is Japan and China are both adepts of the 'not losing face/ not taking responsibility' bs and neither wants to break the cycle. In this respect they are much closer to their NK neighbours than they would like to believe. Japan should rise above the melee though, unforgivable.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It's coming. The same old every August without fail. Boring.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

so if you do it with an atomic bomb its an act of war. if you do it with a bayonete its a massacre. conflictinting points of view i dare say. keep dragging it up.

-11 ( +7 / -18 )

"whether Japan’s wartime actions should be described as an invasion “depends on one’s point of view"

How true. Anyone who says the mass landing of Japanese soldiers and aerial and sea bombardment on the territories of China, Philippines and others where the unwanted/uninvited visitors went on to kill millions of local people with extreme violence is NOT an "invasion" has a "point of view" that could safely be described as "rabidly insane."

18 ( +21 / -3 )

Maybe Inada should watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9jYYaxZK2w

Video of a contest held by two Japanese officers to see who could behead the most Chinese prisoners. I don't know how anyone could deny this.

Nanking happened. Denial is unbelievably childish.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Yeah, revisionist history don't work.... I would like to see China's response when people bring up "The great leap forward", "Tibet" and "Tiananmen Square" etc.

5 ( +12 / -7 )

Oh dear, with politicians like this Japan's future looks bleak indeed......!

12 ( +16 / -4 )

I expect a Yasukuni visit next week

15 ( +17 / -2 )

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