The devastation and tragedies brought by nuclear weapons should never repeat themselves, and the lessons of Japanese militarism's aggression and expansion must forever serve as an alarm, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday.
Lin Jian, the spokesman, made the remarks when answering a query regarding the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Japan's Hiroshima.
The devastation and tragedies brought by nuclear weapons should never repeat themselves, the particular context of the nuclear explosions should all the more be remembered and the lessons of Japanese militarism's aggression and expansion must forever serve as an alarm, said the spokesman.
Lin pointed out that right-wing forces in Japan have long been distorting historical facts, politically exploiting the nation's identity as a nuclear bombing victim for sympathy and deliberately downplaying Japan's invasion that killed and wounded tens of millions of people in Japan's neighboring countries, in an attempt to escape accountability for the war.
More ironically, the Japanese authorities have been beefing up military buildup, seeking enhanced nuclear protection from the U.S., and attempting to break free from the three non-nuclear principles, he said, adding that a senior official at the Prime Minister's Office even clamored for Japan's independent nuclear armament, without even hiding the ambition for remilitarization. This is a provocation to all peace-loving people in the world and reveals their contempt for historical justice, said the spokesman.
Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the start of the Tokyo Trials, Lin said that the jury of history is still out and demands reverence from Japan. The Japanese side needs to face up to the concerns of the international community, earnestly fulfill its nuclear non-proliferation obligations under international law, and not once again stand before the court of history, he said.
Responding to a question about Japan's military buildup on its Pacific islands, including the deployment of an anti-ship missile battery on Minamitorishima, Lin said this is yet another proof of Japan accelerating remilitarization.
Noting that Japan committed untold crimes and inflicted profound sufferings to its Asian neighbors and the world in its blatant aggression and expansion during WWII, Lin said that today, not only has Japan refused to repent, it is even retracing those erroneous steps and concocting false narratives about threat from neighboring countries to cover up its attempt of military buildup.
Facts prove that Japan's remilitarization already poses a real threat to regional peace and stability, and the international community must stay on high alert, said Lin. China urges the Japanese side to stop the spread of disinformation and smear campaign, truly repent for its historical crimes, learn the lesson of history, and step back from the wrong path, he said.
Lessons of Japanese militarism's aggression must forever serve as alarm: spokesman
