¡¡TOKYO, April 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Japan's stand on history has not changed and it will continue to humbly treat the facts about its aggression and make profound reflection, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.

    Aakira Chiba made the remarks shortly before the Education Ministry's authorization of a controversial history textbook.

    Aakira Chiba said, as far as the history problem is concerned, the Japanese government will stick to the position embodied in theremarks of former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995 and a Japan-China joint declaration inked in 1998.

    Japan's colonial rule and aggression has caused tremendous damage and suffering to the Chinese people and peoples of other Asian nations, and the Japanese government makes profound reflection and sincere apology, Chiba said.

    While talking on the history textbook, Chiba said it is difficult for the government to comment on a specific history textbook because the state is not in charge of compiling textbooksand does not have a say on historical issues in certain textbooks.

    The points of view over history in those textbooks do not necessarily reflect the official stand, he noted.

    The Japanese Education Ministry on Tuesday defied protests fromother Asian countries and gave the green light to the latest edition of a middle school history textbook which blatantly distorted history and glorified Japan's invasion of neighboring countries last century.

    Governments of China and South Korea have expressed their indignation and regrets over the issue of history textbook. Non-governmental groups in Japan and South Korea also showed theirstrong opposition. Enditem