China condemns 'absurd' rewrite of WWII

HONG KONG, China -- China has condemned a Japanese politician as ignorant and arrogant for blaming the United States for forcing Japan into World War Two.

China's response followed a rebuke from South Korea and criticism from Japan's main opposition party Democratic Party aimed at Japan's former defence minister, Hosei Norota.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said Norota's argument were absurd and reflect "the ignorance and arrogance of some Japanese regarding questions of history."

"It has made people more alert to similar political tendencies inside Japan," Zhu said, referring to fears in China of a revival of Japanese militarism.

Norota was quoted in Japanese media as telling supporters of the dominant Liberal Democratic Party on Sunday that "Japan had no choice but to venture out southward to secure natural resources" because of an international oil embargo.

Provoked criticism

"In other words, Japan had fallen prey to a scheme of the United States. This is what many historians are saying," he said in remarks reminiscent of the justification used by Japanese militarists in the 1930s.

Zhu said Japanese militarism was "a profound disaster for all the victims in Asia."

"The evil acts are too numerous to record and cannot be denied," he said.

The comments made by Norota, who chairs the budget committee of the lower house of parliament, have provoked criticism from South Korea and Japan's opposition party.

Senior Democratic official Hirotaka Akamatsu was quoted in local media as saying Norota's remarks were "erroneous, irresponsible and anachronistic."

Chinese war victims

Norota's remarks are expected to anger more of the neighboring Asia nations which were invaded by Japan in the 1930s and 1940s, at the same time worsening the problems of embattled Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori.

The Democrats and three other opposition parties, already out to topple Mori, are considering whether to submit a no-confidence motion against Norota.

Hong Kong Legislature Council member Albert Ho, who has been campaigning to seek compensation for Chinese war victims, said: "The distortion of history will cause continuing tension between Japan and other Asian countries."

The Global Alliance for Preserving the History of the World War Two in Asia, an umbrella group based in California, is organizing a protest outside the Japanese consulate in Hong Kong next week to demand justice over a recent Japanese high court ruling on Hong Kong residents' demand on war compensation.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Japanese politician condemned for WWII remarks

Alliance for Preserving the Truth of Sino-Japanese War
Japanese House of Representative

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