China raises concerns over Abe’s take on WWII China has raised concerns about Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo #Abe’s statement on #WWII this year, after Abe hinted that he would change the wording of a significant document that is often quoted as an official apology nearly two decades ago. Abe suggested on Sunday that he wanted to change the Murayama Statement that offered apologies in 1995 for the countrys wartime aggression, to exclude words like “colonial rule” and “aggression”. But during his first news conference of the year, the prime minister said he would stand by previous apologies for wartime misdeeds in a fresh statement on the Second World War, expected on August 15, the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying on Monday urged Abe’s government to take the right attitude towards history. “We are all very concerned about Japanese leaders’ attitude towards history, and the whole international community is waiting to see,” Hua said. As one of the key figures in the release of the Murayama Statement, former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama said it’s impossible for Abe to revise as it would increase concerns in the international community. “#Japan has to admit the history and makes sure that we don’t repeat our mistakes,” he said. Abe’s attempt comes as world leaders gather in Poland on Tuesday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Camp, where about 1.1 million people, mainly European Jews, died between 1940 and 1945. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the anniversary reminds people that the concentration camp is a “warning of what people can do to one another”.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 08:02:00 +0000
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