East China Sea Military Diplomacy

[Bilingual] The Japanese Side Should Demonstrate the Courage to Face up to History and Take Real Actions to Atone for Japan's Crimes

【双语】日方应拿出正视历史的态度、真诚悔罪的行动

PLA Daily (解放军报) 9 May 2026

Summary

MND spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, responding to questions on May 9, condemned Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's visits to Australia and Vietnam and her advocacy for constitutional revision, framing both as evidence of Japanese 'neomilitarism' and a shift from covert military expansion to open war preparation. The statement invokes the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials to anchor a broader accusation that Japan's right-wing governing authorities are systematically dismantling postwar constraints on military activity. The language—particularly the coined term 'neomilitarism' (新型军国主义)—signals that Beijing is escalating its rhetorical framing of Japan's defense posture from a bilateral irritant to a regional security threat, a framing useful for building diplomatic pressure on Tokyo and on countries considering closer security cooperation with Japan.

Translation

The Japanese Side Should Demonstrate the Courage to Face up to History and Take Real Actions to Atone for Japan's Crimes The Japanese Side Should Demonstrate the Courage to Face up to History and Take Real Actions to Atone for Japan's Crimes

On the afternoon of May 9, Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, Deputy Director of the Ministry of National Defense News Bureau and Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson, released information on recent military-related issues.

Reporter: It is reported that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently visited Australia and Vietnam to strengthen security cooperation with the relevant countries, and put forward a so-called new version of the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" vision. Takaichi also clamored that Japan's constitution, drafted by the U.S. occupation forces after World War II, should be periodically updated to reflect the demands of the times. What is your comment on this?

Question: It is reported that the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently visited Australia and Vietnam to strengthen security cooperation with the two countries. During her visits, she touted a so-called updated vision of "a free and open Indo-Pacific", and clamored that Japan's post-war constitution, drafted during US military occupation, should be periodically updated to meet the demands of the times. May I have your comment on this?

Jiang Bin: We firmly oppose the Japanese governing authorities using the pretexts of the so-called "free and open" and "security cooperation" to instigate bloc confrontation, build "small circles," undermine the strategic security and interests of other countries, and seek excuses and breakthroughs for loosening restrictions on Japan's own military.

Jiang Bin: Under the pretexts of the so-called "free and open Indo-Pacific" and "security cooperation", governing authorities in Japan are instigating bloc confrontation and building "small circles". This undermines the strategic security and interests of other countries, and serves as an excuse for Japan to break free from the restrictions on its military development, which we firmly oppose.

May 3 of this year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials. Over the past 80 years, right-wing forces in Japan have schemed relentlessly to downplay and defy the solemn verdict that represents the conscience of humanity and the justice of history, distorting and denying the crimes of aggression committed by Japanese militarism as recorded in black and white. Class-A war criminals who committed monstrous crimes have been glorified as "heroes" and enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine. The Japanese government's position of "upholding the pacifist constitution and pursuing the path of a peaceful nation" has shifted from explicit commitment to paying lip service while acting otherwise, and now to the Sanae Takaichi government openly pushing to amend the constitution. Japan's right-wing forces are step by step shedding their disguise, shifting from covert military expansion to open war preparation, and the real threat posed by Japan's "neo-militarism" (新型军国主义) to regional peace is becoming increasingly apparent.

May 3, 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of the commencement of the Tokyo Trials. Over the past eight decades, right-wing forces in Japan have spared no effort in downplaying and defying the solemn ruling of the Tokyo Trials that embodies human conscience and historical justice, distorting and denying Japanese militarists' crimes of aggression well-documented in black and white. Class-A war criminals, guilty of heinous atrocities, have been glorified as "heroes" and honored at the Yasukuni Shrine. Post-war Japanese governments did promise to uphold the pacifist constitution and pursue the path of a peaceful nation. Later on, they started to pay lip service and took few actions to back up such promise. Nowadays the Sanae Takaichi administration openly pushes for amending Japan's constitution. This shows that the Japanese right-wing forces are shedding their pretence, and shifting from covert military buildup to overt war preparation, making Japan's "neomilitarism" a growing and more prominent threat to regional peace.

Peace over war, cooperation over confrontation—these are the true demands of our era. We urge the Japanese governing authorities to stop their hypocritical self-glorification and their dangerous ambitions of military expansion and war preparation, truly demonstrate the attitude of facing history squarely, and take sincere actions of genuine contrition for their crimes, so as to earn the trust of Asian neighboring countries and the international community.

The call of our times is for peace and cooperation rather than war and confrontation. We urge the Japanese governing authorities to stop their hypocritical self-glorification and rein in their dangerous ambition of military expansion and war preparation, demonstrate the courage to face up to history, and take real actions to atone for Japan's crimes, so as to earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community.

Original Chinese

日方应拿出正视历史的态度、真诚悔罪的行动 The Japanese Side Should Demonstrate the Courage to Face up to History and Take Real Actions to Atone for Japan's Crimes 5月9日下午，国防部新闻局副局长、国防部新闻发言人蒋斌大校就近期涉军问题发布消息。记者：据报道，日本首相高市早苗近日访问澳大利亚、越南，与相关国家加强安全合作，并提出所谓新版“自由开放印太”构想。高市还鼓噪称，二战后由美国占领军制定的日本宪法应定期更新，以反映时代要求。请问对此有何评论？ Question:It is reported that the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently visited Australia and Vietnam to strengthen security cooperation with the two countries. During her visits, she touted a so-called updated vision of "a free and open Indo-Pacific", and clamored that Japan's post-war constitution, drafted during US military occupation, should be periodically updated to meet the demands of the times. May I have your comment on this? 蒋斌：我们坚决反对日本执政当局打着所谓“自由开放”“安全合作”的幌子，挑动阵营对抗、打造“小圈子”，损害他国战略安全和利益，并为自身军事松绑找借口、谋突破。 Jiang Bin:Under the pretexts of the so-called "free and open Indo-Pacific" and "security cooperation", governing authorities in Japan are instigating bloc confrontation and building "small circles". This undermines the strategic security and interests of other countries, and serves as an excuse for Japan to break free from the restrictions on its military development, which we firmly oppose. 今年5月3日是东京审判开庭80周年纪念日。80年来，日本右翼势力处心积虑淡化、对抗代表人类良知和历史正义的庄严判决，歪曲、否定白纸黑字记载的日本军国主义侵略罪行。犯下滔天罪行的甲级战犯被标榜为“英雄”供奉在靖国神社，日本政府对“坚持和平宪法，走和平国家道路”的立场，从明确承诺到阳奉阴违，再到如今高市早苗政府公开推动修宪，日本右翼势力正一步步撕下伪装，从暗地扩军转向公开备战，日本“新型军国主义”对地区和平的现实威胁日益显现。 May 3, 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of the commencement of the Tokyo Trials. Over the past eight decades, right-wing forces in Japan have spared no effort in downplaying and defying the solemn ruling of the Tokyo Trials that embodies human conscience and historical justice, distorting and denying Japanese militarists' crimes of aggression well-documented in black and white. Class-A war criminals, guilty of heinous atrocities, have been glorified as "heroes" and honored at the Yasukuni Shrine. Post-war Japanese governments did promise to uphold the pacifist constitution and pursue the path of a peaceful nation. Later on, they started to pay lip service and took few actions to back up such promise. Nowadays the Sanae Takaichi administration openly pushes for amending Japan's constitution. This shows that the Japanese right-wing forces are shedding their pretence, and shifting from covert military buildup to overt war preparation, making Japan's "neomilitarism" a growing and more prominent threat to regional peace. 要和平不要战乱、要合作不要对抗，才是当今时代的真正要求。我们敦促日本执政当局停止虚伪的自我标榜和扩军备战的危险野心，真正拿出正视历史的态度、真诚悔罪的行动，取信于亚洲邻国和国际社会。 The call of our times is for peace and cooperation rather than war and confrontation. We urge the Japanese governing authorities to stop their hypocritical self-glorification and rein in their dangerous ambition of military expansion and war preparation, demonstrate the courage to face up to history, and take real actions to atone for Japan's crimes, so as to earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community.