China urges Japan to learn from histroy, stick to peaceful path

BEIJING - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei on Tuesday urged Japan to learn from history and adhere to peaceful development path.

Wednesday is the 82nd anniversary of the "Sept 18 Incident," which marks the beginning of Japan's invasion of China.

Hong told a routine press briefing that the Japanese militarists' invasion of its Asian neighbors brought disaster to these countries and peoples.

He urged the Japanese to learn from history and adhere to the path of peaceful development with a responsible spirit as well as to abide by its statements on the invasion issue.

Japan should take concrete action to win the trust of the international community and neighboring countries, according to the spokesman.

For historical reasons, Asian neighbors are extremely concerned about Japan's development in terms of politics and security, Hong said, urging Japan to respect the concerns of countries in the region.

Japan should do more to contribute to regional peace and stability, stop creating or playing up tensions and making excuses for boosting military capacity or adjusting military policies, he added.

China has the ability and determination to safeguard its territorial sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands, the spokesman stressed.