Beware of Japan's dirty games

Comment on "Japan's 'checkbook diplomacy' could bounce: Observers", (China Daily, Dec 16)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe presented the Association of Southeast Asian Nations a proposal of establishing something similar to the notorious "Greater East Asian Co-prosperity Sphere" which was advocated by imperial Japan before and during World War II. Japan had then promised the co-prosperity sphere would be an area of shared prosperity after white colonizers were kicked out of Asia. In reality, however, it was one of intensive exploitation of the people and theft of resources of the region by Japan; hundreds of thousands of people died of starvation and many more were summarily executed by Japanese troops.

In Nanjing, then China's capital, more than 300,000 civilians were killed and yet some Japanese claim it did not happen. In Malaya, Japanese troops executed people in the thousands and in the Singapore Sook Ching Massacre, they gunned down more than 70,000 young Chinese in cold blood. Women in Korea, China and countries in Southeast Asia were kidnapped and forced to become comfort women for the Japanese troops.

But instead of showing remorse or apologizing for their barbarous past, some Japanese lawmakers pay homage to war criminals at the Yasukuni Shrine. Beware of the evil designs of Japan.

Hwang, from China Daily forum

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(China Daily 12/18/2013 page9)