Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a news conference in Tokyo, Aug. 14, 2015. In a statement on Friday marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, Abe mentioned previous governments' apology for Japan's wartime past, but refrained from offering his own apology. He also said that Japan must not let its future generations "be predestined to apologize." (Xinhua/Ma Ping)
China's People's Daily on Saturday called on Japan to face up to its wartime history while lamenting the lack of "sincerity" in Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
In his statement on Friday, Abe mentioned previous government apologies, but dodged offering his own apology.
"Japan has repeatedly expressed the feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology for its actions during the war," said the prime minister, adding "such a position articulated by the previous cabinets will remain unshakable into the future."
But the prime minister also said that Japan must not let its future generations "be predestined to apologize."
The lack of sincerity in Abe's statement was a "far cry" from that of his predecessor Tomiichi Murayama two decades ago, a commentary carried by the People's Daily read Saturday, exactly 70 years after late Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender on Aug. 15, 1945.
"Up to this day, Japan has yet to manage a clean break-up with its disgraceful past," the commentary read.
True introspection and apology should come in the form of respect and conformation to the peaceful post-war order, it went on.
But by pushing ahead a controversial security bill and revising the country's pacifist Constitution, the Japanese government had blindly and unscrupulously sought to challenge history and justice, it said.
The commentary said descendants of any country in the world must inherit their predecessors' past attainments along with responsibilities brought by their forebears' prior crimes.
"Only by facing up to its aggressionist and colonial past and through sincere introspection and apology could Japan truly take on its historical responsibility, win back credibility from its Asian neighbors and the international community and create a new future," it read.
