China urges Japan to reflect on war responsibility

BEIJING - Japan should face up to and reflect on its aggression history and not make critical comments about China's memorial activities, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

China's top legislature made a decision Thursday to set December 13 as a national memorial day to commemorate those killed by Japanese aggressors during the Nanjing Massacre. It also formalized September 3 as Victory Day of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

The ratifications were made at the bi-monthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday.

Japan's chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday questioned why China had decided to designate the days now, 69 years after the end of World War II (WWII), according to a report by NHK, a Japanese broadcasting organization.

"We are remembering history not continuing hatred," said Yang Yujun, the spokesman.

He said only by remembering history can we learn lessons, cherish hard-won peace and create a brighter future.

"We can not help wondering why some Japanese officials still attempt to vindicate Japan's war crimes and pay tribute to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine, which still honors Class-A war criminals of WWII," said Yang.

He urged Japan to face up to and reflect on its war responsibility and take concrete actions to win the trust of its Asian neighbors and international society, instead of making carping comments on normal memorial and mourning activities of war-victim countries.