BEIJING, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — 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 spokesperson said Thursday.
Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks when answering a query regarding the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Japan’s Hiroshima, adding the Japanese side needs to face up to the concerns of the international community, and earnestly fulfill its nuclear non-proliferation obligations under international law.
On Aug. 6, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, accelerating the end of World War II. 81 years on, right-wing forces in Japan are gearing up to revive militarism. The Japanese authorities are rebuilding Japan’s war machine, seeking to revise the three non-nuclear principles, and pursuing nuclear sharing with the U.S. side, even the possession of nuclear weapons.
The particular context of the nuclear explosions should all the more be remembered, Lin said, adding 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 United States, and attempting to break free from the three non-nuclear principles,” said Lin. He pointed out 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, Lin said.
“This year marks the 80th anniversary of the start of the Tokyo Trials. The jury of history is still out and demands reverence from Japan,” Lin said, adding the Japanese side should not once again stand before the court of history. ■