Never Forget

After WWII, Japan, as the aggressor and vanquished nation, should have demonstrated remorse, exercised introspection and strived to maintain the hard-won peace. Unfortunately, Japan’s right-wing forces have persistently disregarded historical facts and the millions of innocent victims of this war, denied, distorted or even beautified its aggressive war, and intimated moves to regain the right of collective self-defense, so making a peaceful constitution impracticable. This attitude is bound to encounter strong condemnation and opposition from people in the affected countries including Japan, as well as peace-loving people all over the world.

“Peace is the common ideal of people worldwide. Japanese outrages in WWII threatened that ideal. In fighting against atrocities and aggression, peace-loving people endeavored to safeguard world peace and human dignity,” said Li. “Japan’s act of denying, distorting or even beautifying its aggressive war is like a contamination of the victims’ souls and an insult to the living, which deserves condemnation and criticism.”

Remembrance is not about sowing seeds of revenge or nationalism. “What nationalism advocates is exclusivism and the narrowest form of patriotism. Maintaining a realistic historical perspective, human peace and dignity is central to remembrance,” said Li.

In February 2014, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, ratified September 3 to mark China’s victory over Japan, and December 13 as the national memorial day to commemorate victims of the Nanjing Massacre. “History is the best textbook, as well as the best dose of sobriety,” Xi said, adding that Chinese people, who remember the torment of war, have always been in pursuit of peace.

Remembering the past is not about prolonging hostility. Only by commemorating the past can people draw historical lessons, cherish the hard-won peace and create a brighter outlook for the future.