China urges Japan not to lose its conscience over WWII guilt

... and the rest of the world urges China to grow up.

China urges Japan not to lose its conscience over WWII guilt

Communist controlled China's pointing fingers at Japan, but has never addressed it's own modern crimes against humanity! There is a word for what they are doing and it's H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-C-Y.

Over 70 million and counting dead scream for justice, but will never get it as long as the Communist control China.

TumbleDryMAR. 09, 2015 - 07:01AM JST ... and the rest of the world urges China to grow up.

Think you'll find a majority of people in the world would agree with China in this instance.

@JoeBigs What has that got to do with anything here. The issue is with Japan remembering the war, not China's human rights record.

China’s foreign minister renewed calls Sunday for senior Japanese leaders to abandon any attempt to water down their nation’s guilt over its World War II aggression against China and others.

Seventy years afterward, Japan must not lose its conscience,” Wang said.

What guilt? What conscience? LOL.

Recently quoted from the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs,

Beijing dismissed Manila's concerns on Thursday, saying that "small countries" should not play up disputes. China's retort came after US assistant secretary of state Daniel Russel commented on the dispute that "bigger nations can't bully the small".

Such brilliant diplomacy. "You're too small, so your opinion doesn't matter".

And so much better to focus on things 70 years ago, rather than what you are doing right now, right China?

Says China.....as they're already building structures on Phillipine territory.

Says China.....as they're already building structures on Phillipine territory.

And that has exactly what to do with Abe's desire to water-down previous apologies?

'please dont forget me :('. China's on tsundere-mode :P.

Joke aside, I recently read a comment from a guy who lives in japan. He said that japanese people avoid such topic. I don't know if it is true though. So I can not really form a statement.

As someone who lives in Germany, I think it is important to dicuss openly when it comes to such issue, but not too much please. In school we had this topic for like 12 years in every history's lesson and that's why many students lost their interest.

Water-down what guilt? It never happened according to Japanese & their "own" version of history. Good on China's foreign ministry for being so straightforward.

China has a point (like the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries who suffered from Japan in the first half of the 20th Century do), but having said that, China needs to look at their human rights abuses and destruction of cultures of various peoples (TIbetan, Uyghur, Hmong, etc.)

We have heard this enough already. Why do you continue to print stories like this? Want a scoop. China will say something very similar this coming Thursday afternoon. You heard it here first.

What guilt? They are denying the Nanjing Massacre and the forced sex slaves. Would you think they have any remorse?

igloobuyerMar. 09, 2015 - 07:25AM JST @JoeBigs What has that got to do with anything here. The issue is with Japan remembering the war, not China's human rights record.

This is like a Serial Killer condemning the acts committed by some long dead killer. Communist in China has no right or footing to make these types of demands.

First off, during WW II the Communist were committing atrocities against civilians. They were using terrorist tactics (Red Terror) against the KML and anyone who supported them.

Communist in China have been covering up their own atrocities before they won the civil war and have continued to commit crimes against humanity. Look up Chengguan for just one example of how they use terror to keep people in line.

This is a classic case of misdirection to keep the people talking about someone else's history and not their own..

Tianamen Square. Tibet. Forced Abortions. Dictatorship. And...

oh, Japan's wartime aggression ended 70 years ago. Who'se fooling who?

"Seventy years ago, Japan lost the war. Seventy years afterward, Japan must not lose its conscience," Wang said. "Will it continue to carry the baggage of history or will it make a clean break with past aggression? Ultimately the choice is Japan's."

What is his point? Unlike China which has invaded Soviet Union, India, Vietnam, and Korea since the end of WW2, Japan has not engaged in any combat in the same period of time. What is a cleaner break with past aggression than that?

Another problem is that many of the exhibits at the Nanjing Massacre Museum are outright lies. Historians should take care of the fact finding, but, in China, history and politics are inseparable and truth is hardly there.

Many people tend to be trapped by the "anchoring effect", where they believe in whatever position they first encounter. Anyone who goes there should be pre-warned.

Communist in China has no right or footing to make these types of demands.

Sure they do. Same as their victims have the right to make the same demands of China.

If you disagree, you will have to stop making comments critical of bigots.

And that has exactly what to do with Abe's desire to water-down previous apologies?

It's called hypocrisy, a universal language that appeals to many. It's the reason why no other nation except for her vassal state Korea, supports her.

If the Chinese government were pursuing a path of genuinely peaceful activity, I could really sympathize with their position, but their CURRENT DAY ACTIONS make me shrug when I hear them complain about stuff that happened years ago, before my parents were born.

Be the role model yourself, before you start telling others how to behave.

Thanks to JoeBigs, I have learned about the Chengguan.

And, about http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deng_Zhengjia - the man killed for selling watermelons. Killed by the brutal administrative regulatory local police - located in every PRC city. Now, that's police abuse and the workings of dictatorship in action, happening today in the PRC; not the recounting of tales from a war that ended 70 years ago.

Unlike China which has invaded Soviet Union, India, Vietnam, and Korea since the end of WW2

And Philippines. And Tibet.

'This is a classic case of misdirection to keep the people talking about someone else's history and not their own..'

Nobody is disputing that. That isn't the real question. The real question is should Abe and his rightists attempt to whitewash history. It isn't just the Chinese, or the Koreans for that matter, who are grossly offended by Japan's attempts to rewrite history. There are millions in countries in Asia and beyond who feel Japan hasn't shown sufficient remorse for its wartime atrocities. Just because other governments are not trying to make hay from this or shout as loudly about it doesn't change the basic fact - denying or clouding these atrocities is morally despicable.

Most people outside of China know about communist wrongdoings, just as most people outside of Japan know about Japanese wrongdoings during WW2.

The Chinese politicians understand so much of international politics that they know quite well when their warnings won't fall on sympathetic ears anymore and Abe is doing his best to justify the Chinese claims. It seems as if the two are made for each other.

He recently appointed a 16-member panel

That he had to appoint a 16-member panel to make a statement about WW2 just shows how lost Abe is in regard to international sentiment. His personal feeling is that Japan didn't do anything wrong, but international reactions to his naiv statements repeatedly showed him that there seems to be a problem with his personal notion, just he doesn't understand why.

We can just hope that 16 advisors will help Abe to find the right words and to not sow even more seeds of discord.

nothing like holding a grudge and rubbing it in every chance you get, I guess. Yeah, THAT'S what the world needs more of, pissing and moaning and whining about stuff that happened 70 years ago while most of the world is going to hell with terrorists and insanity.

Maybe Japan should gently 'remind' China of the atrocities and horrors that occurred during the insane destruction of China and its culture during Mao Tse Tung's dictatorship. Not to mention a few things that still occur as the old school communists watch their regime slowly dying off and becoming senile. NO country is clean of horrors. Being a native American, though I much prefer Indian, I could have some rather serious complaints of my own. but my people aren't without our own atrocities and horrors.

Time to let this pass into history, let the wounds heal and live in the modern world where we have very real atrocities like ISIS facing us. Better to live in the world as it is than to repeat the past because you refuse to let it pass into history.

Japan, at least, has handled their past, both the things they did and the things that were done to them, with a certain amount of grace and dignity, and in a manner which one can respect.

It's like this. My dad fought and was seriously wounded in Korea. Yet, in his later life, one of his best friends in the world was a Korean man named Butch. There's forgiveness there, and respect. Both of which the world could use far more of.

Uh, China has a conscience? News to me. And if Japan is supposed to be allowed to put down this "baggage of history", wouldn't that have to start with China not holding a 24/7 pity party?

Jimizo is right about some of what he says. Abe and others do try far too hard to whitewash history. but I don't think Japan needs to show more remorse. Enough is enough. but whitewashing the history doesn't help and is doomed to fail. Because people remember. Most of the people alive today were not directly affected by these events, just as I was not a victim of what was done to my people. to keep pushing and pushing just breeds hate and hostility, and attempting to whitewash it only makes that worse.

Wow, I got nearly double-digits thumbs down for saying:

What guilt? What conscience? LOL

Well, since China is obviously aiming their comment at Abe, let's see what he has to say on the subject:

Later in the session, Abe stated his belief that Class A war criminals are not criminals under Japan's domestic law.

In this book, he says that Class A war criminals (those charged with crimes against peace) who were adjudicated in the Tokyo Tribunal after World War II were not war criminals in the eye of domestic law.

So, Abe has clearly gone on record as saying, in his mind, the Class A war criminals were not guilty. So I repeat: What guilt? What conscience?

Wang Yi is correct, check the comments here, the nation has already lost its conscience.

It's called hypocrisy, a universal language that appeals to many. It's the reason why no other nation except for her vassal state Korea, supports her.

Nigelboy -- so what? You Japan apologists are just looking for an excuse to attack the messenger, rather than addressing the message -- which just happens to be your usual tactic whenever comments from China or SK are involved. But how about the concerns expressed by the U.S. Congress about Japan back-sliding? Is that hypocricy too? You guys would have at least some credibility if you'd address the issue, rather than simply trying to throw a bunch of garbage on the wall about China, and see what sticks. The plain fact of the matter is that countries, including China, have a right to be concerned about what Abe is going to say, and as an important trading partner, have a right to vocalize that concern. Or, for that matter, do you really think the CEO's of all the Japanese companies doing big buisness in China don't have the same concern? Or do you think they want to have another year or more of problems in China because Abe decided to not worry about "hypocrisy"? Please.

Finally it becoming clear. In the future you should send all applications for building permit to China. Obviously Bejing still think they are the center of the world and owns everything since ancient times. As long as everyone in "the boat" stays calm its okay to take anything they want. What better way is there to keep everyone calm (quiet) than with an enormous military and aggressive foreign policy. The lesson from China is very clear, everyone should invest more in military might.

' What better way is there to keep everyone calm (quiet) than with an enormous military and aggressive foreign policy. The lesson from China is very clear, everyone should invest more in military might.'

Probably a lesson they learned from the US among others historically. I'm not America-bashing or trying to be a smart-arse here. I've met many in China in awe of the size and power of the US military. I've met many Chinese who get just as excited as the US rightwingers at the idea of guns, jets, missiles and tanks. America has set the bar pretty high.

jerseyboyMar. 09, 2015 - 10:38AM JST

Well, since China is obviously aiming their comment at Abe, let's see what he has to say on the subject:

Later in the session, Abe stated his belief that Class A war criminals are not criminals under Japan's domestic law.

It is a correct answer to a WRONG question. A war crime is, by definition, a crime against INTERNATIONAL laws, such as Geneva Convention, Hague Convention, or Kellogg-Briand Pact. Class A War Crime is defined as "Crime against Peace", which is to start a war against the provisions of Kellogg-Briand Pact.

I am no supporter of Abe, but if someone asks such a loaded question like "Were Class A War Criminals against Japanese domestic laws at that time?" the answer is "No."

History must not be distorted but recorded properly. Germans and Japanese should acknowledge and learn the facts of the grievous mistakes of WWII. But the world community should also recognize that the war crimes were not committed by the post war generations and act accordingly. International discourse should not be spent arguing about the past but toward solving the looming existential threats to all mankind.

Hey China get over it stop bringing up the past. Japan has time and time again said they are sorry. How about you clean up you're human rights violations that are still commented everyday in you're own country.

Japan has time and time again said they are sorry

They've also time and time again said they're not.

'Another problem is that many of the exhibits at the Nanjing Massacre Museum are outright lies. Historians should take care of the fact finding, but, in China, history and politics are inseparable and truth is hardly there.'

One of China's big mistakes was to exaggerate the scale of the atrocities - stupid, spiteful people. This gave ammunition to the rightists in Japan who attempt to use this as evidence of a whole cloth fabrication - stupider, even more spiteful people.

China urges Japan not to lose its conscience over WWII guilt

It is difficult to always agree with what China says or does but in this case they are absolutely right

When is it enough? Will the apology only be accepted when Japan just surrenders the country to China?? They are the ones who can't let go. Most people alive back then are dead now. People living today have largely not been affected by the war and it is absolutely tasteless to claim you carry the suffering of people living before you.

China should quit digging this up everytime it wants to hold talks with Japan. Isn't one apology enough. What else? Now in regards to the Japanese officials claiming sex slaves never tooj place, try telling that to your own soldiers from that era that admitted to it. Also turn the victims from Korea and China that were abused. Instead of being ashamed from it, admit to it and move on.

Will the apology only be accepted when Japan just surrenders the country to China??

Nope, but when Japan passes laws against historical revisionism - yes

Marlin HughesMar. 09, 2015 - 06:55PM JST China should quit digging this up everytime it wants to hold talks with Japan

This has nothing to do with the upcoming talks, the Communist leaders in China have been worried and they are looking for ways to distract the people. Just recently they got real scared with a video documentary that was abruptly taken down from China's web. The video scared the leaders because people started to complain about the facts the video exposed about their leadership.

Now, you would think that the video was exposing how corrupt their leadership is or about the disappearance of journalist or activists.

But, you would be mistaken. The video that got the Communist leadership knees a-knocking was a video documentary investigating the pollution and air quality in China. It is called Under the Dome and the Communist elites in China are worried about it.

So, what better way to get the attention of the people away from the obvious problems the Communist have rot against them than to drudge up the past.

This is just another propaganda campaign to redirect the people's anger from their real problems.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/07/world/asia/china-blocks-web-access-to-documentary-on-nations-air-pollution.html?_r=0

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/under-the-dome-watch-the-viral-video-documentary-about-pollution-that-is-scaring-the-chinese-government-20150308-13yag6.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhIZ50HKIp0

Christopher GlenMar. 09, 2015 - 05:20PM JST China urges Japan not to lose its conscience over WWII guilt It is difficult to always agree with what China says or does but in this case they are absolutely right

Good joke there, but there is some truth behind your post........You don't agree with Communist China all the time, you only agree with them 99.9% of the time. What you post stays on long after you are gone.......

Over 70 million and counting dead scream for justice, but will never get it as long as the Communist control China.

I was about to mention this but you beat me to it: the atrocious Chinese civil war. And human rights being violated to this day thanks to the commie Chinese government.

Japan retorts why is the only Chinese reciperant of the Nobel Peace Prize still languishing in jail. Or perhaps why since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre the Chinese government is still committing one atrocity after another on their own people?

All the environmental crimes by Chinese-government owned companies poluting the air whole towns and cities breath.

Execution of prisoners without recourse to judicial process or international law, and the continued efforts to eradicate all Tibetan people culture, and religion. Bullying and war threats all neighbors in the South China Sea. What goes arround comes around.

Nigelboy -- so what?

Like I said, when only two countries make this as a diplomatic issue on a constant while the rest doesn't, you question the motives behind their constant whining.

Dead horse... whip whip! China's propaganda machine hard at work. China needs to get over it's self. Every other country around the world is past WWII. Bad things happened, Japan got nuked, China got what, war crimes committed aginst them that were done in a war. Move on. No one is listening becasue nothing can be done about it now, it happened in a time no one can remember. That would be almost 100 years ago.

It is a correct answer to a WRONG question. A war crime is, by definition, a crime against INTERNATIONAL laws, such as Geneva Convention, Hague Convention, or Kellogg-Briand Pact. Class A War Crime is defined as "Crime against Peace", which is to start a war against the provisions of Kellogg-Briand Pact.

I am no supporter of Abe, but if someone asks such a loaded question like "Were Class A War Criminals against Japanese domestic laws at that time?" the answer is "No."

CH3CHO -- nice try. You conveniently missed the nearly identical quote from Abe that was published in his book-- which I posted as well. It was NOT in response to a question -- he was stating his opinion. So, call me stupid, but, IMO, Abe saying Class A war criminals were "not guilty", by any standard, means he feels no guilt or conscience towards their acts. You can play semantics all you want, as you usually do, but the truth is the truth.

It's not just China that's upset with Japan's attitude toward the war and its war crimes. Try the Korean women who were made into sex slaves and the people who were turned into medical experiments. They never had to acknowledge or take responsibility for any of these crimes, unlike the Germans, because the US wanted a base of operations against China!!!

Today in Japan's schools they basically teach that the war never happened and that they were the good guys. I know this because one of my niece's (my Chinese husband's nieces) is married to a Japanese and is living there. They have a daughter who was born there and has attended school there from the beginning. They learn NOTHING about the war!!!

The US has never gotten past WW2 and its image as the world's savior and would-be boss. It murders leaders of other countries, sabotages other countries efforts to have the kind of government and economic systems they want, brings wars into other countries.....and you tell CHINA to grow up, get over itself! Tell the US to do that too! It has the worst case of it, starting with the Korean war onward.

Think China has a problem with having a conscience? What about the US's lack of a conscience over civilian deaths in Iraq and earlier Vietnam? Oh yes, in the latter, they counted most of them as 'the enemy' even when they knew better. We accuse China of the same things we ourselves are guilty of. Which of us is worse? I think it's a toss-up. Take a look in the mirror at what we've become--a country that doesn't care about its people anymore.

The reason China is so dictatorial (which I don't approve of) is because of China's past of starvation and poverty.

Leah Ma Mar. 10, 2015 - 02:54AM JST Today in Japan's schools they basically teach that the war never happened and that they were the good guys. I know this because one of my niece's (my Chinese husband's nieces) is married to a Japanese and is living there. They have a daughter who was born there and has attended school there from the beginning. They learn NOTHING about the war!!!

Most young Japanese students are clueless of Japan's relations with the outside world. They are taught too late. Young Japanese people often fail to understand why neighboring countries harbor a grudge over events that happened in 1931-45. The reason, in many cases, is that by the time they reach high school, they barely learned any 20th century history. Many young Japanese got a full picture when they left Japan and went to school in foreign countries. It's hardly surprising that some classes, in some schools, never get there, and are told by teachers to finish the book in their spare time.

Many young people in Japan really don't understand the Japan's war history and making the point that many of today's geopolitical tensions stem from what happened then. In Japanese textbook, only a footnote on the Nanjing massacre. Why they couldn't go straight to that period if it was so important, instead of wasting time on the other subject. When students did finally get there, it turned out only few pages dealt with events between 1931-45. Reading many factual books on the incident at least allowed them to understand why many people in China still feel bitter about Japan's military past. Few years ago, PM Abe was forced to apologize after casting doubt on the existence of comfort women. While school pupils in Japan may read just one line on the massacre, children in China are taught in detail not just about the Rape of Nanjing but numerous other Japanese war crimes, though these accounts of the war are sometimes criticized for being overly anti-Japanese. The same can be said about South Korea, where the education system places great emphasis on our modern history. This has resulted in very different perceptions of the same events in countries an hour's flying time apart. And yet, many Japanese will have no clue why it is such a big deal.

We've heard this "story" enough Japan Today, China makes this same statement every single week. What here is news? Please stop printing China's "urges" as if it were something new.

This has resulted in very different perceptions of the same events in countries an hour's flying time apart. And yet, many Japanese will have no clue why it is such a big deal.

Exactly. The phrase for this is historical amnesia