Japan told to show remorse

It is time Japan showed "deep remorse over its history of aggression" as the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II approaches this year, a spokesman for the annual session of China's top political advisory body said on Monday.

The comment was made by Lyu Xinhua, spokesman for the third session of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

Lyu said Japan's leader and most political figures in that country "have never shown deep remorse or made a sincere apology as German leaders did toward the Nazi Holocaust against the Jewish people".

Lyu was chairing the first news conference for this year's two sessions - the annual meetings of the top legislature and the CPPCC National Committee.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to deliver his "Abe Statement" on Aug 15 - the day on which Japan surrendered in 1945. His predecessors Tomiichi Murayama and Junichiro Koizumi also delivered statements in 1995 and 2005.

The two former leaders spoke of the nature and the damage the war caused to China and other Asian nations.

However, observers are doubtful about Abe's plan, as he and his followers have indicated recently that they will not use the same key words as the former leaders did, such as "colonial rule" and "aggression".

Liang Yunxiang, a professor of Japanese studies at Peking University, said, "It is unlikely that Abe will fully reiterate the previous repentance".

zhangyunbi@chinadaily.com.cn