Japanese right-wing politicians’ denial of Potsdam Proclamation's binding force ridiculous

July 26, 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the announcement of the Potsdam Proclamation. A briefing on Potsdam Proclamation was held at the State Council Information Office in Beijing on July 23, 2015. Experts from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences introduced the background, content and significance of Potsdam Proclamation to the media. They stressed that Potsdam Proclamation was the legal basis of the construction of post-war international order. The Japanese right-wing politicians’ claim that Potsdam Proclamation has no binding force for Japan is ridiculous.

Jin Yilin, deputy director of Institute of Modern History of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences introduced that Potsdam Proclamation identified a clear legal basis for the construction of the post-war international order and the post-war disposal for Japan, which was accepted by Japanese government.

Zhao Jianwen, a researcher from the Institute of International Law of Chinese Academy of Social Science believed that the Potsdam Proclamation laid the legal basis for the construction of the post-war international order from the perspective of international law.

Lyu Yaodong, a researcher from Institute of Japanese Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said that the Emperor of Japan accepted the Potsdam Proclamation in the Imperial Rescript on Surrender. Japan’s accepting of the Potsdam Proclamation and unconditional surrender marked the final victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

One of the important parts of the Potsdam Proclamation is to eliminate the militarism for all time and to establish a government of peace. The Japanese government’s words and deeds violate the Potsdam Proclamation and are undoubtedly open disregard towards the international instruments represented by the Potsdam Proclamation.

Jin Yilin said that the Japanese Instrument of Surrender signed by Japan at the end of the war in 1945, or the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement signed in the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan in 1972 show clearly Japanese government’s accepting of the Potsdam Proclamation. The Japanese right-wing politicians’ claim that the Potsdam Proclamation has no binding force on Japan is ridiculous.

This article was edited and translated from 《构建战后国际秩序的法律基础——有关专家高度评价《波茨坦公告》的重要意义》, source: People's Daily, author: Sun Tianren, Mang Jiuchen.