Japan urged to retract false remarks

China's permanent representative to the United Nations has again called on Japan to "retract its erroneous remarks" in regard to China's Taiwan region and criticized its role in colonizing countries around Asia in World War II.

"As a defeated country in World War II, Japan must undergo deep soul-searching regarding its historical crimes, abide by the political commitments it made on the Taiwan question, immediately stop provocative actions that cross the line and retract its erroneous remarks," Ambassador Fu Cong said on Thursday at the UN General Assembly to commemorate the first International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations.

"The International Day Against Colonialism in All Its Forms and Manifestations aims to urge the international community to remember the harm of colonialism, accelerate the ongoing decolonization process, and end colonialism in all its forms and manifestations," Fu said.

Last month, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that a "Taiwan contingency" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, implying possible military involvement.

Takaichi's comments "challenge the outcomes of World War II, undermine the postwar international order and violate the purposes and principles of the UN Charter", Fu responded at the time. "The history of the World Anti-Fascist War teaches us that peace needs to be striven for and safeguarded," he noted.

"At present, despite the end of colonial occupation and the collapse of the colonial system, the world has yet to emerge from the shadow of colonialism. Hegemonism, unilateralism and power politics, as legacies of colonialism, remain rampant. The international community needs to resist the colonial mentality in ideological, political, economic, cultural and educational domains, eradicate the remnants of colonialism, uphold international fairness and justice, and promote greater democracy and rule of law in international relations," Fu said.

"Japan invaded China, the Korean Peninsula and Southeast Asia, and imposed horrendous colonial rule. Japanese aggressors committed innumerable crimes and atrocities in Taiwan, killing over 650,000 Taiwan compatriots, forcibly recruiting around 200,000 young people to serve in the military, forcing more than 2,000 Taiwan women to become 'comfort women', occupying 70 percent of Taiwan's land, and destructively exploiting natural resources, including coal and gold mines. It was the darkest page in Taiwan's history," Fu said at the General Assembly.

Military buildup opposed

Japan has significantly increased its military budget, with spending estimated to exceed $69 billion this year, a 9.4 percent jump from 2024. Japan's boosted military spending over the next few years is expected to be allocated toward long-range missiles — including those launched from ships and submarines — and the development of a satellite network. It is also strengthening joint exercises with countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

"We must resolutely defend the victorious outcomes of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War, and resolutely defend the postwar international order," Fu said.

"We must never allow any denial or distortion of the history of aggression, never allow the revival of militarism and never allow the recurrence of historical tragedies. Any words or actions that challenge or seek to subvert the postwar international order could create instability in the world and bring immense suffering to humanity as a community with a shared future. We must remain highly vigilant and firmly oppose them."

In another development, China urged Japan on Friday to stop challenging the red lines of international justice with its nuclear ambitions, in response to media reports that a senior Japanese official said Japan should have nuclear weapons.

"For some time, Japan has taken erroneous actions and made erroneous rhetoric on military and security matters," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular news briefing in Beijing.

Guo said the media reports reflect the growing ambition of right-wing conservative forces in Japan to revive militarism, break free from the international order and accelerate the country's "remilitarization".

Wang Qingyun in Beijing contributed to this story.