The official newspaper of the Central Military Commission of the CPC, PLA Daily, published a commentary stating that today, there are only a handful of exhibition halls that can systematically and objectively present Japan’s history of aggression, and pointed out that forgetting history means betrayal, and denying guilt means repeating the crime.
On Monday (December 22), PLA Daily published a signed commentary in its International Observation column entitled “Japanese Historical Revisionism Recklessly Tramples on Justice and Conscience.” The article begins by noting that 2025 will mark the 80th anniversary of the international community's commemoration of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. However, in many places in Japan, so-called “peace” memorial halls have quietly shifted, with much of the exhibits exposing Japan's foreign aggression and the truth about the war being intentionally weakened, reduced, or even deleted. Now, there are only a very few halls that can systematically and objectively present the history of Japan as an aggressor.
The article continues, pointing out that memorial halls are supposed to be sacred places to remember history and pass on memories, but under the manipulation of Japan's right-wing forces, they have been reduced to tools for distorting history and cover-ups for hiding guilt.
The article notes that on one hand, Japan blurs the invasion of China as the “Sino-Japanese War,” avoiding discussion of its aggression, and on the other hand, goes to great lengths to portray itself as a “victim” by highlighting narratives such as the U.S. air raids on Osaka. Behind these “carefully arranged” exhibitions, there is no reverence for history; there is only a sinister intention to use selective narratives and word games to conceal war crimes, in an attempt to thoroughly distort the facts of aggression as generations pass.
The article notes that on one hand, Japan blurs the invasion of China as the “Sino-Japanese War,” avoiding discussion of its aggression, and on the other hand, goes to great lengths to portray itself as a “victim” by highlighting narratives such as the U.S. air raids on Osaka. Behind these “carefully arranged” exhibitions, there is no reverence for history; there is only a sinister intention to use selective narratives and word games to conceal war crimes, in an attempt to thoroughly distort the facts of aggression as generations pass.
The article goes on: However, history is never a canvas to be painted at will. From the bullet-scarred walls of Wanping Fortress near the Lugou Bridge, to the mass graves of the 300,000 victims in Nanjing; from the atrocities—killing, looting, rape, and destruction—by the invading Japanese troops documented in the “Rabe Diary,” to Iris Chang’s revelations about the Nanjing Massacre; from the human experimentation equipment left on the site of Unit 731, to the bloody traces at the former Liji Lane comfort station in Nanjing; from the tearful testimony of survivors, to the solemn verdicts of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.
The article affirms: “Every site, every line of writing, every artifact, every document, is ironclad evidence of Japan’s aggression against China—evidence that cannot be altered or erased.”
The article also criticizes that, even in the face of such irrefutable evidence, Japanese right-wing forces remain selectively blind, desperately trying to downplay, deny, or even glorify acts of aggression and crimes against humanity. They either distort young people's understanding of history through textbook revisions, seek to exonerate war criminals in the name of 'scientific research,' openly visit the Yasukuni Shrine that honors Class-A war criminals of World War II, and even play the role of 'victim' on the international stage, slandering the correct view of history as a 'masochistic historical perspective.'
The article affirms: “Every site, every line of writing, every artifact, every document, is ironclad evidence of Japan’s aggression against China—evidence that cannot be altered or erased.”
The article also criticizes that, even in the face of such irrefutable evidence, Japanese right-wing forces remain selectively blind, desperately trying to downplay, deny, or even glorify acts of aggression and crimes against humanity. They either distort young people's understanding of history through textbook revisions, seek to exonerate war criminals in the name of 'scientific research,' openly visit the Yasukuni Shrine that honors Class-A war criminals of World War II, and even play the role of 'victim' on the international stage, slandering the correct view of history as a 'masochistic historical perspective.'
The article points out that these manipulative practices of historical revisionism are a crude desecration of historical justice and a blatant challenge to the conscience of humanity.
The article also states that forgetting history means betrayal; denying guilt means repeating the crime. Even today, the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum is still discussing a display revision plan regarding the description of the Nanjing Massacre.
Finally, the article concludes that, even though exhibits that once recorded history are taken down and text is replaced—perhaps temporarily concealing part of the history and blurring memories for a while—the truth cannot be denied or evaded. As the river of time surges forward, all acts of distorting history will eventually be washed away, and the clear truth will shine bright like the sun and moon, illuminating the future.
Tensions between China and Japan have continued since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made remarks in the Diet about the “Taiwan issue” on November 7.