Central barrier for reconciliation in East Asia

On Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed "deep remorse" for Japan's World War II aggression at the Asian-African Summit, but stopped short of apologies.

Historical problems are the central issues in the international relations of East Asia. A core issue in all the historical problems in East Asia revolves around Japan's attitude, reflection, and understanding regarding its own actions during World War II. Over the past 70 years, many Japanese political leaders have expressed their regrets about Japan's behavior during the war, and even apologized to Japan's neighbors, and admitted to its invasion and violence in the region.

However, both Chinese and Koreans do not consider Japan's apology to be sincere. Many still feel anger about the perceived lack of Japanese indignity and sorrow when it comes to the past. During the seven decades, the Japanese remarks and behaviors have frequently fueled strong protests in China and South Korea.