Japan braced itself for a new round of public rebuke yesterday after it gave the green light to another history textbook criticized abroad as a distortion of its war-time brutality toward neighbouring Asian countries.
Chinese observers said the approval may cast a shadow on Japan's economic co-operation with its Asian neighbours and plant seeds of mistrust toward the Tokyo government's policies.
Zhu Feng, a renowned international-relations expert in China, said yesterday that the move clouded Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's attendance at a high-profile economic conference on regional co-operation.
"Without directly facing up to its history, Japan cannot sell its governmental policies and goals to its Asian neighbours," said Zhu, a professor from Peking University.
Koizumi will fly to South China's Hainan island today for the Bo'ao Forum for Asia, which is aimed at strengthening economic ties among Asian countries.
But, on Tuesday, Japan's Education Ministry approved a draft of the textbook. It is to be used in Japanese senior high schools in the school year starting next April.
The move comes a year after Japan sparked a diplomatic furore by approving a junior high school history textbook that was chided by China, the Republic of Korea and other Asian countries.
They accused the latest textbook of whitewashing Japan's aggression and atrocities during World War II.
For example, the book omitted the sufferings of the so-called "comfort women" from China and other Asian nations, who were forced to provide sex to Japanese troops.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said yesterday that China would continue to keep abreast of relevant information on the issue. She said China reserves the right to react further.
The essence of the issue lies in whether Japan can admit its past history of aggression, said Zhang.
She called on the Japanese Government to adopt a responsible attitude towards the past and the future, and abide by its commitments and promises on the issue.
(China Daily April 11, 2002)
