China's bulk commodity price index stood at 130.3 points in June, down 1.7 percent month on month as the cost burden of raw materials on enterprises eased, according to data released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing on Sunday.
The easing of tensions in the Middle East, along with rising expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes, are cited as key factors behind the drop.
Among the 50 key products monitored by the federation, 11 posted price increases month on month.
The trade in metallurgical coal, coal-derived fuel coke, and corrugated paper saw the largest gains among the monitored products, registering rises of 20.3 percent, 11.2 percent and 5.3 percent month on month, respectively.
In June, domestic and international market demand showed signs of recovery, with the bulk commodity market remaining generally stable and demonstrating strong resilience.
China's bulk commodity price index edges down in June
Japan must not deny the crimes it committed during WWII, still less deliberately cover up or distort history, said a Japanese lawyer.
Syunkichi Takayama, a Japanese lawyer, said in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that Japan will not truly draw lessons from history without facing up to historical truth.
Japanese Kyodo News reported last month that the Imperial Japanese Army had drawn blood from prisoners of war and local Chinese residents for "research on battlefield blood transfusion techniques" during its invasion of China.
Takayama said that the Japanese society today still evades history and blocks truth dissemination. As a result, many historical facts are unknown to the public, which is the core of the current issue.
"This is unacceptable. Moreover, I believe the bigger problem lies in the current politics and the attitude of those responsible for the country's politics who refuse to face these issues head-on. At the same time, many citizens are not aware of this. If the vast majority of Japanese people could see the truth, they will surely think that it is absolutely unacceptable. The problem is that the truth has been blocked, and a deliberate disconnect has been created between historical truth and public perception, as certain people are attempting to distort history. I believe these two points are the crux of the problem," said Takayama.
Takayama pointed out that the Japanese parliament will keep pushing for military expansion and constitutional revision. He believes that there are worrying changes in Japan's current political situation, which should draw the attention of all sectors of society.
"The National Diet of Japan has become a Diet for war. The parliament is discussing how to advance war preparations. It is discussing how to establish a war system under the guise of maintaining Japan's peace and national security, and is pushing for constitutional amendments. The current parliament is just making one more mistake on top of another. If one doesn't see the abnormality of this situation, it would be truly astonishing," said the lawyer.
Takayama said that Japan must never repeat the history of launching aggressive wars. In the face of the current dangerous trends, he said the Japanese society should take the initiative to voice opposition to war and uphold peace.
"Therefore, there must be voices against such a dangerous trend, making it clear that things like that will never be tolerated. I believe that there will be such kind of voices from all over the world, but it is extremely important for Japan to do so first," he said.
Japanese lawyer warns against repeating historical mistakes
