Chinese government said Friday that the way Japan views its aggression history is in sharp contrast to that of Germany, leading to concerns of where it is heading.
Chinese foreign ministry said it while reacting to a report stating that French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has called on China and Japan to learn from the French-German relationship and solve issues and respect each other.
The minister had made the comments after meeting visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.
"... there is a world of difference between Japan and Germany on how they treat their aggression history, including war crimes," said Chinese ministry's spokeswoman Hua Chunying.
Late West German Chancellor Willy Brandt dropped to his knees at the monument to victims of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising more than four decades ago, helping Germany win forgiveness, respect and trust from the whole world, said Hua.
Reconciliation between Germany and France, the process of European integration as well as peace and prosperity on the continent are based on the deep introspection by Germany on its Nazi history, she said.
In sharp contrast, some Japanese leaders have not reflected on Japan's militarist history but visited a controversial shrine which honours 14 convicted Class-A war criminals of World War II, the official said.
"Such a move not only arouses people's bitter memories of the war but also makes people highly alert and worried about where Japan is heading, " Hua said.
"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it," Hua said quoting former British prime minister Winston Churchill.
"It is up to the Japanese leader himself to decide whether to persist with the wrong course or to admit mistakes and change," Hua said.
