BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- China hopes Japan will have courage to properly and correctly solve the "comfort women" issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said here Thursday.

    Japan should have a responsible attitude toward history, the people and the future and properly solve the issue in answering to calls by the international community, Qin told a regular press conference.

    It is an undeniable fact that Japanese militarists conscripted women from other countries to serve as "comfort women" in state-sponsored Japanese military brothels, he said, urging Japan to face this issue that concerns Japan's image in the international community.