Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday said the crimes committed by Japanese militarism during World War II are supported by “irrefutable evidence” documented in the Tokyo Trials.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials. China recently published the complete Chinese translation of the records of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, considered the core historical document of the Trials, which fully documents more than two years of court proceedings.
In addition, six handwritten diaries by David Nelson Sutton, a US assistant prosecutor who participated in the Trials, were also disclosed in China for the first time.
Speaking at a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the publication of the complete translation and the release of Sutton’s diary once again demonstrate that the crimes of Japanese militarist aggression are too numerous to record and backed by irrefutable evidence.
He said that despite the passage of 80 years, some right-wing forces in Japan have failed to deeply reflect on history and have instead sought to whitewash acts of aggression and promote a distorted view of history within Japanese society.
Lin also criticized some Japanese politicians for repeatedly visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, where Class-A war criminals are enshrined, saying such actions attempt to deny the conclusions reached by the Tokyo Trials and challenge the post-war international order.
“Historical truth cannot be erased, the bottom line of justice cannot be blurred, and the post-war international order cannot be challenged,” Lin said.
He added that peace-loving people around the world would not allow any attempt to reverse the verdict on crimes of aggression and would firmly oppose Japan’s “neo-militarism.”