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BEIJING, July 26 (Xinhuanet) -- 70 years after the Japanese surrender. It seems Prime Minister Shinzo Abe still refuses to face history squarely, and has revealed recently that he is NOT familiar with the 1945 Potsdam Declaration.
A recent exchange in the Diet between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Japan's Communist Party leader Kazuo Shii raised eyebrows.
"Articles Six and Eight of the Potsdam Declaration explicitly mentions that the war started by Japan was a war of aggression. Mr. Prime Minister, do you agree with the Declaration that the war started by Japan was wrong," Shii said.
"I want to refrain from making comments immediately because I have not read the sections of the Potsdam Declaration you just mentioned," Abe said.
"Please answer my question Mr. Prime Minister. Do you acknowledge the Potsdam Declaration," Shii said.
"Like I said before, accepting the Potsdam Declaration was Japan's way of ending the war. After the war, Japan started pursuing the path of peaceful development," Abe said.
"The Potsdam Declaration recognized Japan's war as an act of aggression. But Mr. Prime Minister, you have repeatedly refused to acknowledge this. This is an important statement you are making," Shii said.
This month, Abe pushed through parliament's lower house legislation that could see troops sent to fight abroad for the first time since World War Two,
A major shift away from the country's post-war pacifist constitution. This, despite strong opposition from within the country.
"The government is supposed to protect the constitution, but it's ignoring the constitution now, and I cannot accept that, this is what I would like to convey," said a man.
And concerns from neighboring countries.
"Japan should respect its neighbors' security concerns", said China's Foreign Ministry in a statement, and "not damage China's sovereignty or harm regional stability."
South Korea has called on Japan to be more transparent in the discussion of its security policies.
"South Korea calls for "transparency" in Japan's security bill.
"The government's stance is that Japan's security policy should be discussed in a transparent way to maintain the spirit of the peace constitution while contributing to the peace and stability in the region," said Yoo Chang-ho, South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Facing all this, Abe only says a bolder security stance is essential to meet new challenges.
(Source: CNTV.cn)
