(ECNS) -- The Japanese government at the time knew full well the disgrace of enshrining Class-A war criminals and, fearful of the consequences, deliberately kept the decision-making process secret, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday.
Mao made the remarks in response to a question about Japanese media reports disclosing internal meeting minutes of Yasukuni Shrine that revealed the decision-making process behind the enshrinement of 14 Class-A war criminals, including Hideki Tojo.
These Class-A war criminals were the chief culprits behind Japanese militarists' war of aggression, with the blood of innumerable war victims on their hands. The solemn verdict of the Tokyo Trials condemned them to perpetual infamy, thereby upholding international justice and laying the legal foundation for the postwar international order, Mao said. "Yet those running the Japanese government have again and again paid respects to what is in fact a shrine to war criminals. One has to ask: where has the conscience gone?"
History shall not be rewritten, and truth shall not be erased, she added. Japan committed undeniable crimes during its militarist aggression. Those running the Japanese government must face history squarely, reflect on the war crimes, and make a genuine break with its militarist past, Mao concluded.
(By Evelyn)
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