Japan commits heinous crimes by human experiments, germ warfare in WWII: spokesman

Japan committed heinous crimes during World War II by conducting illegal human experiments and germ warfare, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

Lin commented on Inside Unit 731: Japan's Secret Human Experiments, a recent documentary from Singapore that features interviews with the last surviving member of Japan's Unit 731 during its war of aggression against China, germ warfare victims and their families, and Singaporean scholars, shedding light on the historical truth.

"During World War II, Japan's Unit 731 conducted gruesome human experimentation and germ warfare during its war of aggression against China. Its victims included not only a large number of Chinese civilians, but also Soviet prisoners of war, Korean laborers, and captured American and British soldiers, among others. The Japanese Army also set up Unit Oka 9420 in Singapore, using it as a base to establish branches in Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and other places, where it conducted illegal human experiments and germ warfare, committing heinous crimes," Lin said.

"Japanese militarists used germs to bring about large-scale destruction of human lives, in flagrant violation of universally recognized international law, including the Hague Convention (IV) of 1907 and the Geneva Protocol of 1925. The inhumane nature of these acts is nothing but horrendous," he said.

"This unspeakably dark and brutal chapter of history calls into question the very conscience and moral limits of humanity. It is alarming that, in the face of ironclad facts, the Japanese right‑wing forces not only refuse to repent, but also whitewash the notorious Unit 731 as a mere 'sanitary research unit,' engage in brazen historical revisionism, and go to great lengths to cover up the truth while downplaying and denying their guilt. Their real purpose is to negate the judgment of history and challenge the post-war international order based on the victorious outcomes of WWII, which poses a threat to regional peace and stability," said the spokesman.

"Attitude toward history is a mirror. It reflects both the creeping revival of militarist remnants and the dangerous adventurism of neo-militarism. The international community must stay on high alert and firmly oppose such tendencies," Lin said.

Japan commits heinous crimes by human experiments, germ warfare in WWII: spokesman

More than 10,000 people gathered outside Japan's National Diet in Tokyo on Friday to protest the government's moves toward expanding military capabilities and revising the country's pacifist constitution.

On June 9, Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved a draft proposal on revising the country's three key security documents later this year, according to Kyodo News. The proposal, formalized at the party's decision-making General Council, called for securing necessary funding to transform Japan's defense capabilities within five years.

Some other conservative parties in Japan also proposed amendments to Article 9 of the constitution -- the "peace clause" that renounces war and bans "war potential", during constitutional review meetings.

"I was taught when I was young that Article 9 of the constitution is very important for keeping Japan from becoming involved in war. Now the sudden move to revise it makes me feel fearful. So to express my feelings, I came here to protest the revision," said a protester.

The protest also targeted specific policy proposals, including potential changes to restrictions that limit arms exports.

As far as the issues of war and weapons exports are concerned, Japan has followed its own historical path since the end of World War II. But what [Prime Minister Sanae] Takaichi is trying to do now is to reset this period of history back to zero. Unfortunately, some people support this approach, but I do not. I hope Japan will not take that [terrible] step again," said a protester.

"If we continue to strengthen military power, it will only worsen Japan's relations with neighboring countries. The government should not take this approach," said another protester.

Thousands protest against Japan's military expansion, constitutional revision