Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

China Presses Japan to Withdraw Erroneous Statements Outright


(MENAFN) Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian issued a stern rebuke Monday, urging Japan to absorb historical lessons, conduct deep introspection, heed Chinese warnings seriously, withdraw erroneous statements outright, and implement concrete actions honoring its political obligations to China.

"On issues of principle, an evasive attitude will not get the Japanese side anywhere," Lin stated during a regular news briefing.

Lin accused Japan of systematically obscuring and blurring its stance on the Taiwan question. He noted that when pressed, Japanese officials deliberately avoid referencing the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender—documents explicitly mandating Taiwan's restoration to China—alongside four foundational political agreements underpinning China-Japan relations and Tokyo's commitment to the one-China principle.

Japanese authorities persistently evade scrutiny by asserting their position "remains unchanged" without ever fully articulating its substance, Lin charged, adding that Tokyo's ambiguity extends beyond just Taiwan policy.

December 1 marked the 82nd anniversary of the Cairo Declaration. This instrument, combined with subsequent international legal frameworks, establishes China's sovereignty over Taiwan and represents crucial achievements of the World Anti-Fascist War, forming an essential pillar of the postwar international architecture.

"Japan has an obligation under international law to observe those documents, which is the prerequisite for Japan to be readmitted to the international community after the war. But the Japanese side does not even mention a word about those instruments with full effect under international law, and instead keeps quoting a document that excludes China and some other Asian countries who suffered the most from Japanese aggression and colonialism," he said.

"That is a clear sign of oblivion to the tragic memory of Japan's militarist aggression, a serious disregard for the history of the World Anti-Fascist War, and a blatant challenge to the UN's authority and the postwar international order," he said.

Lin highlighted Japan's recent years overhauling security and defense frameworks, consecutively expanding military expenditures, and considering revisions to its three non-nuclear principles, while certain Japanese factions aggressively pursue escape from the Pacifist Constitution and postwar legal constraints as a defeated WWII nation.

"They never truly learned the lessons from history, never truly did any soul-searching about Japan's war atrocities or looked at them squarely, and never truly sought to prevent the revival of militarism in Japan. They hope that by whitewashing and not mentioning the true history, they could somehow make the world forget and release Japan from its obligations, but the world will not be deceived," Lin said.

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