The MND urges relevant countries not to turn the Asia-Pacific into a hunting ground for geopolitical rivalry

Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a regular news conference on Wednesday.

Question: It is reported that during the US Secretary of Defense's visit to Japan, he said Japan as a "warrior country" was "indispensable for tackling Chinese aggression" and complimented the "valor" of Japanese soldiers in the Battle of Iwo Jima. His remarks have aroused controversies in the US. Do you have any comments?

Zhang Xiaogang: History shall not be forgotten, and the right and wrong must not be confused. The international community has long had a fair judgment on who launched wars, aggression, and expansion, and who fought for peace during the Second World War. This year marks the 80th year of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Some people in the US are making a political stunt by distorting facts and whitewashing Japan's militarism. It is a betrayal to soldiers who died fighting fascists and has aroused public anger back in the US. It will surely be opposed by the international community and disdained by history. We urge relevant countries to stop making erroneous comments, stop turning the Asia-Pacific into a hunting ground for geopolitical rivalry, stop stoking bloc politics and military confrontation, and stop undermining security and well-being of people in the region.