China urges Japan to reflect deeply on its history of aggression and adhere to peaceful development, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Beijing on Wednesday when commenting on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent remarks on constitutional revision.
Speaking at a regular press briefing, Lin Jian, the spokesman, responded to a query about the remarks Takaichi made earlier this week while campaigning for this Sunday's snap general election, during which she publicly renewed her call to amend the country's constitution to explicitly recognize the self-defense force of the military.
"We have noticed the news you just mentioned. During World War II, Japanese militarists brought untold suffering to the region and the world. Instruments with legal effect under international law, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, clearly state Japan's obligations as a defeated country and serve as the political and legal prerequisite for Japan's return to the international community. For this reason, the issue of Japan's constitutional amendment has been closely watched by the international community and its Asian neighbors," Lin said.
"We urge Japan to deeply reflect on its history of aggression, listen to its people's call for peace, adhere to the path of peaceful development, and win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community with concrete actions," he said.
On Jan 23, Takaichi dissolved the House of Representatives for a snap election, marking the first dissolution at the start of a regular parliamentary session in 60 years.
China urges Japan to reflect on history of aggression, adhere to peaceful development
