China urges Japan to learn from history, adhere to peaceful path

BEIJING - China hopes Japan will learn lessons from history and adhere to the path of peaceful development, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.

Spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks at a routine news briefing when asked to comment on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's proposal to amend the country's war-renouncing Constitution and add an explicit reference to the Self-Defense Forces in Article 9 at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's convention.

"Due to historical reasons, Japan's intentions for constitutional reform have drawn much attention from the victimized countries of World War II," Lu said.

Article 9 of Japan's pacifist constitution prohibits the country from possessing military forces and other "war potential."

Lu said that China hopes Japan will listen to the appeals for peace from people both in Japan and abroad, and win the trust of neighboring countries and the international community with concrete actions.