Ex-Tokyo envoy: 'Apologizing' is right

Tuesday marks the 78th anniversary of the Lugou Bridge Incident, also known as the Macro Polo Bridge Incident, which signaled the beginning of Japan's full-scale invasion of China in July 1937. But diverging versions of the historical facts continue to plague Sino-Japanese political relations.

Speaking on the issue, Uichiro Niwa, former Japanese ambassador to China, said the future is closely linked with the past.

"No matter how prosperous Japan describes the vision of its future to its people, it cannot win trust without recognition of history," Niwa said.