Beijing: Tokyo must back words with actions
By Hu Xiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-08-16 06:03

China yesterday urged Tokyo to fully match its words of remorse over Japan's aggressive history with concrete actions.

Veterans of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression chat with explorer Wang Longxiang yesterday in Shanghai's Putuo District. Wang spent the past four months tracing historical sites of the war. Riding a motorcycle, Wang travelled through 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country and interviewed 500 veterans. [newsphoto]

"We've noted Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's statement," Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said.

Taking a serious and responsible attitude towards its militaristic aggressive history serves Japan's long-term and fundamental interests, he added.

Koizumi issued a statement yesterday on the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, apologizing to the victims of Japan's past aggression.

However, two Japanese cabinet ministers and a group of lawmakers yesterday undermined Koizumi's apology by visiting Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, which honours 14 Class-A war criminals.

Kong said the shrine visits on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and World War II showed the politicians involved had seriously misjudged a key issue.

As a country which was targeted by the Japanese military, China strongly requests the Japanese Government consider its history and stop doing things to hurt the feelings of people affected by Japan's previous military aggression, Kong added.

The spokesman said Japan's correct view of its militaristic past is a prerequisite for the country to gain trust from its Asian neighbours and the international community.

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