On December 1, marking the 82nd anniversary of the Cairo Declaration, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian called on Japan to face its wartime past and honor its political and legal commitments on the Taiwan question.
Lin’s remarks came after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that, under the Treaty of San Francisco, Japan has renounced all rights and claims and is not in a position to recognize Taiwan’s legal status. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi then reiterated that Japan’s stance remains firmly tied to the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement – and nothing more.
According to Lin, Tokyo has 'kept hiding and fudging its position,' repeatedly avoiding any mention of the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation or the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. These key World Anti-Fascist War documents, he argued, plainly affirm the Chinese mainland’s sovereignty over Taiwan and form the legal foundation for Japan’s postwar readmission to the international community.
Lin also criticized Japan’s selective reliance on a treaty that excluded China and other Asian nations most affected by Japanese aggression, calling it 'an affront to the tragic memory of militarist expansion and a challenge to the authority of the United Nations and the postwar order.'
He further warned that recent policy shifts in Tokyo – from a planned defense budget increase and a revision of non-nuclear principles to efforts aimed at overriding the Pacifist Constitution – risk reviving the specter of militarism.
Urging Japan to learn from history, Lin called on Tokyo to retract erroneous statements, fully articulate its position and take practical steps to honor commitments to the one-China principle. 'The course of history must not be reversed, and the bottom line of peace must not be crossed,' he emphasized.
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Japan urged to face history, honor commitments on Taiwan question
cgtn.com
