China's Xi says Japan's wartime atrocities 'fresh in our memory'

Well, if they insist on playing those old black-and-white war footage news reels to Chinese schoolchildren, over and over again...

If you need peace, then watch something peaceful.

“We Chinese have long held the belief that we should not do onto others as we do not wish they do onto us ...

When I manage to stop laughing I want to ask if he said this with a straight face. Does President Xi honestly not realise how stupid this makes China look to the world?

I think because most people living did not experience them, he meant, "fresh in our imaginations."

maybe it is shinzo abe's action keep them fresh until now?

Its easy to understand. You don't forgive and you don't forget , you live with it everyday, that's why it is still fresh.

What exactly does Xi personally remember?

President of china xi should remember how 50,000,000 to 70,000,000 people died when his party leader took power

OssanAmerica, What do you personally remember???? For those that are full of opinions it would be good if they were balanced and not consistently biased.

Not only Chinese remember the war atrocities. We in SEAsia remember too! Singapore celebrates her 50th independence the next year.and we expect the government to highlight the miseries and sufferings we went through in the war so that the population does not take peace for granted. My grandfather was killed in the war for no reason and my grandmother suffered tremendously to bring up her 8 children. My uncles received little education and my mother would not have been educated if not for the Methodist church near her home. Victims did not stop after the war!

" President of china xi should remember how 50,000,000 to 70,000,000 people died when his party leader took power."

That would require him to remove the forest from his own party's eye first. Not gonna happen.

I bet the Tibetans or the Uyghurs won't forget what China did to them either.

Think real peace is impossible with the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of Korea. Something always happens which allows them to bash Japan. In my heart I do not see a real peace and until it is possible not to try. I believe both will attack Japan in the future as history repeats itself.

No need for me to work out my ab's today! Laughing so hard that my stomach feels like its gonna rip right open!

OMG , fresh in your memories ? man , its 2014 , there is barely 1 % of population alive from that time today .

Germany Rebukes China’s Anti-Japan PR Campaign - Berlin strongly rebuffed Beijing’s manipulative pr efforts to use Germany’s wartime past to shame Japan during Xi’s trip to Germany.

Chinese President Xi Jinping embarrassed don't now where to put his greedy Communist Face. Typical ! down with communist China.

Chinese killed themselves thousand times more than other countries did to them. That must be fresh as well

China needs peace like humans need air and plants need water,” he said.

Does Mr. Xi consider Chinese subhuman because the air in China is terrible if he said human need air why is it that China does not care about the air pollution in china.

AustralianexpatinchinaMar. 29, 2014 - 10:49PM JST OssanAmerica, What do you personally remember???? For those that are full of opinions it would be good if they >were balanced and not consistently biased.

What I personally remember is irrelevant since I''m not the one making announcements about how we "Americans will never forget WWII". My point was that Xi is not old enough to know anything about WWII other than what the CCP propaganda minister controlled education system has ingrained into him. My late uncle was a 19 yeart old Marine on Guadalcanal. He had not one bad word to say about Japan or the Japanese as long as I remember. Most of the world has moved on, put past conflicts behind them and are working together to deal with current threats, crises and problems. And that includes China's threat to peace in Asia and their export of air pollution.

“We Chinese have long held the belief that we should not do onto others as we do not wish they do onto us ... China needs peace like humans need air and plants need water,” [President Xi Jinping] said.

As reported today on the BBC: A Chinese navy vessel harasses a Philippine supply boat, witnessed by journalists who had been invited onto the Philippine boat to observe China's actions. It seems clear that the Chinese navy was unaware of the presence of these journalists, and they don't like having their actions exposed. Harrassment? Intimidation? Unilateral re-drawing of borders in the South China Sea?

Erm...President Xi, you were saying...?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26806924

“We Chinese have long held the belief that we should not do onto others as we do not wish they do onto us ... China needs peace like humans need air and plants need water,” he said.

There is so much wrong with this. Laughter fills the air. It is such a bizarre statement to make because it is so incorrect. Chinese officials have nothing on their minds but themselves. They are not concerned with peace at all and the Tibetans, western China and countries in the South China Sea would disagree with this statement completely.

Japan’s wartime atrocities were still “fresh in our memory”.

Yes, they are fresh in your memory because you refuse to move on and utilise this for your own personal political gain. By continuing to brain wash your people into hating Japan you are only serving yourself and peace will never, ever come between the two countries if you continue on with this course of overemphasising this in your education system. Peace can only be achieved if you let things that happened more than 70 years ago, go, and work towards building a better future together. I am not saying that all has to be forgotten at all. Educate your population about what happened but also teach that this is an old issue and that Japan is a different country than it was back then under a completely different system and that most likely the Japanese who are around today are not the same ones who committed those acts so long ago. If Xi Jinping seriously wants to have a good relationship with Japan, which I seriously doubt, then he will try to let things go for once. Drudging up the past is not going to help anyone but him and his corrupts government officials.

What should be fresh in the minds of the Chinese are the expansionist crimes that they commit today: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26806924

Ossan: "What I personally remember is irrelevant since I''m not the one making announcements about how we "Americans will never forget WWII"."

Actually, what you personally remember is irrelevant not because of your nationality, but because you claim that a person born after the fact cannot feel the suffering of things done before. So, when the remaining Hibakusha are dead Japan should stop talking about the atomic bombings and no one should DARE ever claim they feel the scars from it? THAT is why what you do or don't personally remember is irrelevant -- because of your bias.

"My point was that Xi is not old enough to know anything about WWII other than what the CCP propaganda minister controlled education system has ingrained into him."

Much like the white-washed system here.

"My late uncle was a 19 yeart old Marine on Guadalcanal. He had not one bad word to say about Japan or the Japanese as long as I remember."

Was he tortured, raped, and murdered or had those done to his loved ones? Or was he a soldier in the military who came to fight on the winning side? Pretty lame comparison, I'd say.

"Most of the world has moved on, put past conflicts behind them and are working together to deal with current threats, crises and problems. And that includes China's threat to peace in Asia and their export of air pollution."

And again, you let your own words undermine any of your points. "...export of air pollution" is a valid comment on the Chinese view of history? Wow.

Just like the holocaust is fresh in Jews family. I'm Jewish and the holocaust is fresh is my memory.

Nothing wrong with what Xi said.

Something is wrong with the people who constantly try to neglect, distort and deflect. That's Abe and his likes and the ignorant people who constantly try to find excuses and irrelevant comparatives to mitigate your atrocious past.

Shame on you. Your types are pathetic.

Well Mr Xi is a very funny guy. Was the statement an attempt for a career change to stand up comedy?

“We Chinese have long held the belief that we should not do onto others as we do not wish they do onto us ... China needs peace like humans need air and plants need water,” he said"

That may be true for many chinese citizens but for the government, not so much. If he says it together with the issue of not being able to put the war atrocities behind him then I guess it must be true, or maybe just rhetorics again.

highball7: "Something is wrong with the people who constantly try to neglect, distort and deflect. That's Abe and his likes and the ignorant people who constantly try to find excuses and irrelevant comparatives to mitigate your atrocious past."

For a change we are on the same page. I don't know about the whole "don't do unto others as we do not wish they do onto us" when it comes to China, but he's bang on when he talks about insincerity with Abe and many Japanese politicians, and I agree it is perfectly okay to commemorate an event after the fact, and your Holocaust example is an extremely apt one.

It's amazing to see people like Ossan who will proudly talk about relatives and their past doings, and I have no doubt he feels pride for their well-doings of long ago and sadness for their deaths, but insists Chinese cannot have an opinion on their relatives and or countrymen because they were not born at the time of the atrocities.

Talking about air pollution in China...it must be so unbearable that many Chinese are trying to breath fresh air in Sydney by buying like there 's no tomorrow Sydney real estate market. Where I am living , Chinese buying power has pushed up price from 700,000 to 900,000 AUD in matter of few months ! incredible. Young Australians can only shake their heads in disbelief as being pushed out of market.

Ossanamerica, "My late uncle was a 19 yeart old Marine on Guadalcanal. He had not one bad word to say about Japan or the Japanese as long as I remember. Most of the world has moved on, put past conflicts behind them and are working together to deal with current threats, crises and problems.'

My father was a WWII veteran who at 19 years old fought for Australia. He spent a full five years fighting in the middle east and the islands north of Australia. He was also a 'Rat of Tobruck'. He was blown up in a bren gun carrier by a land mine in the middle east and not expected to live. By some miracle he survived and when he recovered he was sent to fight again in the islands north of Australia against the Japanese, and he was shot in the buttocks diving into a trench while under enemy fire while fighting there. I never once heard him say one bad thing about the Germans or Japanese, and believe me as a boy, I did ask him lots of questions about the war. When I am home I make it a point to march in Sydney on ANZAC day with my fathers battalion (what is left of them). There are those that have bitter memories and no kind words for the Japanese after being POW's of the Japanese army. They say that they were the lucky one's as they eventually made it home. My father had a different point of view.

After WWII my father built a healthy respect for the Japanese through an Australian company that he worked for. That same company employed many immigrants while building the Snowy Mountains Hydro Scheme in Australia starting from 1948, including Germans, and they were heavily engaged in business with the Japanese including being the first Australian company to import and become the distributors for Toyota.

After the war my father had many good friends that included Japanese and Germans. The only comments I can remember him making about the war was that when he was looking down the rifle barrel at Japanese and German men the same age as him, was that he knew that neither of them really knew why they were fighting each other. He also said that the west may have won the war, but the Japanese had in reality won overall. When I asked what he meant, he pointed out the TV, his car, our radio. They were all made in Japan. He had the ability to move on, even after all that he endured during WWII. Maybe your uncle was the same? Many of my fathers friends also fought in WWII and I never heard any bad stories. They buried their bad memories in the past. I now live and work in China for a Chinese company in a remote area of China. My wife is a Chinese national and her father was a prominent figure in the Chinese Government so I have a reasonable understanding of the current situation in China. Chinese people and the Chinese authorities have treated me well and the Chinese people that work for me are also treated well by the Chinese government. I have lots of friends her in many walks of life an they don't have many complaints. There are a lot of misnomers out there about China and the Chinese government. Not many of them are true. Life here is very free. There is no win for anyone in the current situation without compromise by both the Chinese and Japanese governments. I also don't believe from what I have seen that the majority of Chinese people are anti Japan, in fact, quite the opposite.

You are correct when you say "Most of the world has moved on, put past conflicts behind them and are working together to deal with current threats, crises and problems.' We all need to be reminded some times that it is a 2 way street. People that constantly bash one side or the other just for the sake of bias or prejudice do not contribute to an end of the problem. Sometimes it takes a long hard look in the mirror to find the root of the problem.

AustralianexpatinchinaMar. 30, 2014 - 11:07PM JST

In all honesty I care as much about your family history regarding WWII as you care about mine. The fact is that nations need to move on. In democratic countries not only have the nations moved on but the people themselves have done so. In a totalitarian state like China, where it is officially against the law to express an opinion counter to that of the government, and where forced "patriotic education" classes are taught in schools to keep WWII hatred alive, this isn't happening. And it breeds not just hatred but regional instability and is a detriment to the entire human race. You can go ahead and keep defending a neo-fascist country like China, the rest of us would like to move on and live in peace and prosperity.

For the Japanese people who make little of China's and Korea's grievances; perhaps they should allow both China and Korea to do the same to their population and then see if they are as happy as they are now.

Abe govt is the one breeding the hatred between China/Japan & Korea/Japan by persistently denying wrongdoings and atrocities committed on her neighbors in WWII. Even US, its buddy said it is regretful for Abe's stance and statements no these issues.

Abe's leading his country in the wrong paths in foreign relations like those in pre-WWII. Very regretful indeed.

This is a no win situation for both countries and their people if Japan and China go on fighting each other in the coming years. The world no.2 and no.3 economy will both suffer. On the other hand, if they can somehow be friends, there is no other combination in the world can block their advance. For people who really love their countries in Japan and in China. Please think hard on this suggestion as it will mean life and death for these two countries and their people in the future,

W. Chan

Chinese people will never forget how japan tortured and slaughtered Chinese people 1931-1945. The Nanjing Massacre, the Unit 731 bio-chem human tests, the Comfort Women, and the 35 millions innocent Chinese civilians who were slaughtered by the beast like nasty japanese soldiers.

In the old days, I watched the movies and TV drama in Hong Kong about how japanese soldiers tortured and slaughtered Chinese people during the japanese invasion, now, we have Youtube to constantly remind us of japan's cruelty.

Now, japan even wants to claim China's Diaoyu Islands. Japan's GREED will eventually destroy the entire japan, sooner or later.

you have youtube to constantly remind you of Japan's cruelty? You are joking right? You open the front page of youtube and its covered in Chinese propaganda? I should hope not.

If Diaoyu island should go to anyone other than Japan, it should go to the people of Taiwan.

If you want greed, just look in the mirror.

Now, japan even wants to claim China's Diaoyu Islands.

The islands belong to Japan. China is trying to claim them. There is an argument as to whether or not they are trying to reclaim them, but there is no denying that Japan currently owns them.

Faye FayeMar. 31, 2014 - 09:27AM JST

In the old days, I watched the movies and TV drama in Hong Kong about how japanese soldiers tortured and slaughtered Chinese people during the japanese invasion, now, we have Youtube to constantly remind us of japan's cruelty.

Movies are movies. TV dramas are TV dramas. The problem is people tend to confuse reality and fiction. Calling fiction fiction is not denying reality.

@Faye Faye - Your attitude is exactly the reason why there can be no peace. I doubt that a million apologies would ever change your mind, because it sounds like you have been programmed to hate the Japanese and I find that sad.

Well, that was 70 years ago. I mean think about it, you are trying to punish a group of people who were mostly not even born yet. Today's Japan is quite a different one than the one that you have been taught to hate and those men who did such barbaric things are mostly pushing up daisies. So your unforgiving attitude is now detrimental, at best.

Chinese people will never forget how japan tortured and slaughtered Chinese people 1931-1945. The Nanjing Massacre, the Unit 731 bio-chem human tests, the Comfort Women, and the 35 millions innocent Chinese civilians who were slaughtered by the beast like nasty japanese soldiers.

This attitude is exactly the reason why there can be no peace. Well, that was 70 years ago. I mean think about it, you are trying to punish a group of people who were mostly not even born yet. Today's Japan is quite a different one than the one that you have been taught to hate and those men who did such barbaric things are mostly pushing up daisies.

@Faye Faye

Here, try not to forget/overview this neither.

1) http://johnib.wordpress.com/tag/brp-sierra-madre/

2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987%E2%80%9389_Tibetan_unrest

3) http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Photos-of-the-massacre-in-Tibet-11805.html