Japan's past can't be forgiven without sincere apology

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did mention "colonial rule", "aggression", "profound self-reflection" and "apology" in his speech on Aug 14 to mark the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, but he avoided endorsing the words that former Japanese prime minister Tomiichi Murayama used in 1995 to own up to his country's war past that helped Japan win the trust of some of its Asian neighbors.

Despite Abe's deliberate act of omission, some people both at home and abroad see his statement as a kind of "progress", with some even arguing that China should be more tolerant toward Abe in a bid to show its self-confidence.

In fact, the recent past has seen some people arguing that China should stop repeatedly asking Japan to apologize for its past atrocities because it could have the opposite effect on Japanese people and would thus be unfavorable to the healthy development of Sino-Japanese ties. Instead, they say, China should play down the unpleasant past and look to the future by recognizing Japan's contribution to postwar regional peace and development.