People in Nanjing visit Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders. Photo: Xinhua
A Japanese politician's blunt denial of Nanjing Massacre that claimed the lives of 300,000 people sparked the ire of the Chinese public on February 20.
The mayor of Nagoya, Takashi Kawamura, said the Nanjing Massacre "probably never happened" on February 20 while meeting with a delegation from Nanjing, a city that witnessed the mass murder, genocide and rape following the Japanese invasion of the city in 1937.
The Chinese government and society have expressed their protest of this denial in recent two days. At the same time, Internet users have accused Nanjing authorities of being slow in responding to the denial.
◆Web fury targets Nanjing officials
The Nanjing city government defended its officials Tuesday after Internet users accused local authorities of being slow in responding to Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura's denial of the Nanjing Massacre.- Global Times, Feb 22.
◆Nanjing suspends official contact with Nagoya
Southern Chinese city Nanjing said it will suspend official exchanges with Japanese city Nagoya following its mayor's denial of the Nanjing Massacre, a spokesman of the foreign affairs office of the Nanjing municipal government said. - Xinhua, Feb 22.
◆Nanjing Massacre denial stirs public anger
A Japanese politician's blunt denial of a massacre that claimed the lives of 300,000 people has sparked the ire of the Chinese public. - Xinhua, Feb 22.
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◆Mayor of Nagoya, Kawamura Takashi, whose father was in Nanjing in 1945, said on February 20 that he believes only "conventional acts of combat" took place there, not the mass murders and rapes cited in history books.
◆"Why were people in Nanjing kind to Japanese soldiers only eight years after the incident?" Kawamura asked, referring to his father's memories of the event. "I can go to Nanjing and attend a debate on the history of the city, if necessary."
◆According to Kyodo News, in September 2009, Kawamura told the Nagoya Municipal Assembly he had doubts about the death toll of the Nanjing Massacre.
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Delegation of Nanjing Government
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◆"The delegation, led by Liu Zhiwei, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Nanjing Municipal Committee (CPCNMC), responded to Kawamura's claims during their talks Monday in Nagoya," Chen Hua, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the CPCNMC's Publicity Department, told the Global Times on February 21.
◆Kyodo News reported that Liu did not challenge Kawamura's view at the meeting and "shook hands with the mayor while exchanging gifts with him."
◆"The historical facts of the Nanjing Massacre have been solidly proven. The claim by Kawamura is extremely irresponsible. We hope the mayor can admit the historical facts and draw lessons from the past," The delegarion said on official Weibo on February 21
◆“We made an opposed response immediately. However, the Japanese media only reported the words of Kawamura Takashi, and ignored our response,” The delegarion said on official Weibo on February 21.
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Nanjing Government
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◆Nanjing suspends official contact with Nagoya
Southern Chinese city Nanjing said it will suspend official exchanges with the Japanese city of Nagoya following its mayor's denial of the Nanjing Massacre, a spokesman of the foreign affairs office of the Nanjing municipal government said on February 21.
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China's Foreign Ministry
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◆China's Foreign Ministry:
China's foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei rebutted Kawamura's comments, saying there is irrefutable evidence proving the Nanjing Massacre took place.
◆Chinese Embassy in Japan:
The Chinese Embassy in Japan showed its objection toward Kawamura Takashi on February 21, saying that it was hasty behavior for Kawamura to express his opinion of the Nanjing Massacre which stems from personal experience.
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Nagoya Government
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◆Kawamura Takashi refused to apologize to Nanjing, and said that he didn't plan to withdraw his comments from February 20.
◆After talks on February 20, officials in Nagoya explained to a Nanjing delegation repeatedly that the mayor's remarks were made in a personal capacity and did not represent the city.
◆The Nagoya government received 64 phone calls and messages from the residents through the evening of February 21. 42 of them showed support to Kawamura Takashi.
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Nanjing Society
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◆Zhu Chengshan, head of the Memorial Hall of the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders:
Zhu slammed Kawamura's remarks as "nonsense."
In a public letter, Zhu wrote that Kawamura's irresponsible claims showed a major disrespect for history, which will mislead young people in Japan and damage ties between the two sides.
◆Liu Jiangyong, a professor at the Institute of International Studies at Tsinghua University:
Kawamura's claims reflected problems in Japan's political sphere in terms of facing up to history and taking responsibility.
Kawamura's remarks indicated his political tendency toward Japan's right-wing groups, which deny the Nanjing Massacre and promote textbooks that gloss over the country's war atrocities.
If officials in Tokyo fail to address Beijing's concerns over right-wing extremism in Japan, bilateral exchanges between the two sides will be damaged.
◆Xiao Shuqin, an 84-year-old woman who witnessed Japanese invaders slaughter seven members of her family:
I cannot understand why some people like to distort the truth. I forgive the invasion, but it does not mean history should be denied.
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Internet Votes:
Voices:
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The mayor of Nagoya must apologize. He denied the Nanjing Massacre when meeting with a delegation from the Nanjing government, which is a shame to the people of Nanjing. If he doesn’t apologize, China can carry out sanctions against him. At the same time, all Chinese tourist groups should refuse to travel to Nagoya. If we insist upon our opinions, Kawamura will apologize to us.
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Zheng Yuanjie,
the "King of
Children's Stories"
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I think both Kawamura and Liu Zhiwei are not qualified to run a city. Kawamura has ignored the history and the friendship between the two cities. He wasn't even aware of the basic politeness that is necessary to treat guests. Liu Zhiwei didn't pound the table and stand up to stop the visit when he heard the words. Where are his principles? I suggest that Nanjing terminate its sister city relationship with its Nagoya and establish one with Sendai.
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The response from the Nanjing government seemed a little late, allowing Japanese media to take advantage of the delay. Some Chinese officials have little knowledge of diplomacy. To avoid making mistakes, they choose to react afterward. Following this routine has caused them to lose their initiative.
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@就叫韩十三: I'm speechless over Liu Zhiwei's behavior. He should step down. Does he know what the bottom line is? Or maybe he doesn't know there is a bottom line at all.
@lengziyan200: There is no room to negotiate anything involving state sovereignty and national dignity. Such an official who doesn't preserve national interests should step down.
@微博新人34508659: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should take a clear-cut stance and release the results of how they handle this senior official from Nanjing in order to show the government's great attention over this incident and require those officials who visit Japan in the future to take this incident as a warning.
@纵一苇所如: It's not worth developing a relationship with this Japanese mayor. Refuting him at that moment is what any Chinese person with a conscience would have done.