China vital to triumph over fascism

Abe, apology is not shameful

As the 70th anniversary of the victory of Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) and the world's triumph against fascism approached, calls for Japan to own up to its war past started rising.

The world will be watching closely to see whether Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lives up to its expectations when he delivers a speech on Aug 14, one day ahead of the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII. His speech will reportedly include the words "apology" and "aggression", which were emphasized by former Japanese prime minister Tomiichi Murayama in his landmark statement in 1995.