On the 80th anniversary of Japan’s WWII surrender, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a powerful message: ‘Learn from history to earn respect.’ Speaking after a regional diplomatic meeting, Wang emphasized that confronting the past is key to shaping a peaceful future.
📜 ‘A series of international instruments, including the Cairo Declaration and Potsdam Proclamation, clearly defined Japan’s responsibility,’ Wang stated, reaffirming that territories like the island of Taiwan were legally returned to China through these agreements.
🔥 The minister criticized what he called ‘forces in Japan’ still glorifying wartime aggression and distorting historical facts. ‘Such actions challenge human conscience,’ he warned, comparing historical denial to ‘rewriting the rules of a game everyone agreed to play.’
💡 Wang outlined three principles for Japan: 1️⃣ Face history squarely 2️⃣ Learn from past mistakes 3️⃣ Avoid repeating dangerous paths
🌱 The speech comes as Asia navigates complex geopolitics, with younger generations seeking both economic cooperation and ethical leadership. As Wang put it: ‘Only by remembering the past can we avoid wrong turns.’
