China’s ‘History War’ Problematic Not Only for Japan but for the World
“Could you please apologize first?”
In 2014, during Hong Kong's "Umbrella Movement," a young female protester demanded that a Japanese reporter apologize for Japan's invasion of China during World War II. Despite being born decades after the war, she was likely indoctrinated with anti-Japanese sentiment in school. The reporter, born in Hiroshima and aware of the city's atomic bombing, refused to apologize, acknowledging Japan's postwar efforts to atone for its past and uphold peace.
Japan remains the only nation to have been attacked with atomic bombs, which has shaped modern Japanese identity. In contrast, China, under the Chinese Communist Party, continues to portray Japan as an evil, militaristic entity, using anti-Japanese sentiment as a tool to deflect domestic dissatisfaction and discredit Japan internationally.
This "history war" also serves Beijing's broader objective of establishing an international order that benefits China, including territorial claims to Taiwan and the South China Sea. The U.S. and China were not allies during World War II; rather, the Chinese Communist Party waged a civil war against the Kuomintang-led Republic of China, which later became the Republic of China on Taiwan.
This historical complexity is often overlooked in international relations, particularly by those seeking to use historical narratives for political gain.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
