Experts Hit out at Japanese Textbook Revision

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 11, 2002

Experts Hit out at Japanese Textbook Revision

Japan braced itself for a new round of public rebuke Wednesday after it gave the green light to another history textbook criticized abroad as a distortion of its war-time brutality toward neighbouring Asian countries.

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Japan braced itself for a new round of public rebuke Wednesday (April 10) after it gave the green light to another history textbook criticized abroad as a distortion of its war-time brutality toward neighbouring Asian countries.

Chinese observers said the approval may cast a shadow on Japan's economic co-operation with its Asian neighbours and plant seeds of mistrust toward the Tokyo Government's policies.

Zhu Feng, a renowned international-relations expert in China, said Wednesday that the move clouded Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's attendance at a high-profile economic conference on regional co-operation.

"Without directly facing up to its history, Japan cannot sell its governmental policies and goals to its Asian neighbours,'' said Zhu, a professor from Peking University.

Koizumi will fly to South China's Hainan island Thursday for the Bo'ao Forum for Asia, which is aimed at strengthening economic ties among Asian countries.

But, on Tuesday, Japan's Education Ministry approved a draft of the textbook. It is to be used in Japanese senior high schools in the school year starting next April.

The move comes a year after Japan sparked a diplomatic furore by approving a junior high school history textbook that was chided by China, the Republic of Korea and other Asian countries.

They accused the latest textbook of whitewashing Japan's aggression and atrocities during World War II.

For example, the book omitted the sufferings of the so-called "comfort women'' from China and other Asian nations, who were forced to provide sex to Japanese troops.

The torture of civilians in Asia was downplayed in a way that tries to justify Japan's invasion of much of Asia.

Zhu Chengsan, a historian on Sino-Japan relations, said: "The act is right in line with the growing influence of right-wing political forces in Japan, who are wisely tapping into the depressed mood of a public trapped in decades of an economic slump.''

South Korean Foreign Minister Choi Sung-hong expressed regret Wednesday over the "distorted'' Japanese history textbooks. He vowed to keep pressing Japan to correct the alleged inaccuracies.

"Our people are still concerned and still unhappy,'' agencies quoted Choi as telling a breakfast seminar in Seoul.

Chinese experts urged Tokyo to seriously consider the feelings of Chinese people and reflect history in a accurate way.

They warned Japan's right-wing parties not to subvert the Japanese people's desire for peace and friendship with the Chinese.

China Reserves Right for Further Response

China has noticed Japanese side'sfurther revision of a newly-compiled history textbook for high school and it will reserve its right for further response, said Zhang Qiyue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Wednesday.

The history textbook compiled by Japanese right-wing scholars received condemnation from neighboring countries in Asia, including China and the Republic of Korea, in 1986 when it was first published. The textbook had to be revised considerably and then it passed approval in 1991 and 1996, Zhang said.

China has learned that the history textbook was further revisedrecently and therefore, China will find out the related facts about the revision, she added.

The essence of the history text book issue focus on whether Japanese side can correctly recognize and handle the invasions in history.

China hopes that the Japanese government will properly handle the issue in accordance with the promises it had made and with theattitude to be responsible to the history and future, Zhang said.

China believes that the Japanese people are able to tell right from wrong, she said, noting that distorting history is contrary to the will of the people.

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