Abe's apology widely seen as lacking sincerity

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday issued his statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, leaving many Chinese underwhelmed and calling for real action rather than just allusions of regret.

In the statement, Abe mentioned that previous cabinets had apologized for Japan's wartime past, but side-stepped offering his own.

He also said that Japan must not allow its future generations to "be predestined to apologize."

Ma Sanyi, 90, a war veteran from Hunan Province, central China, said: "We should watch Abe's actions rather than just listening to his words."

"The Japanese government should admit their false stance on the Diaoyu Islands, refrain from visiting the Yasukuni Shrine and stop revising textbooks to gloss over history," Ma said.

Seventy-years have passed, and "it is time for Japan to show some real sincerity and improve relationships with its neighbors," Ma said.

Zhou Xiaofu, 57, daughter of a former air force pilot who died in the anti-Japanese war, expressed her worries over Abe's statement that Japan's younger generations should not have to apologize.

"People who made mistakes may want to forget about what they have done, but for the Chinese, especially those with loved ones killed by the Japanese, the past will never be forgotten," Zhou said.

"The Japanese government should not make such statements. It hurts," she added.

Zhu Chengshan, curator of the Chinese memorial hall of the victims of the Nanjing Massacre, believes that Abe's statement was made only under pressure from both home and abroad.

"It lacks Abe's own introspection of aggression, and it is far from the Murayama Statement." Zhu said.

In the 1995 landmark Murayama Statement, then prime minister Tomiichi Murayama directly stated that: "Following a mistaken national policy, [Japan] through its colonial rule and aggression, caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations."

"Japan should have given a clear account of the nature of the aggression war launched by Japanese militarists and its responsibility, offered sincere apologies to people of countries that suffered in the war," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

Only through adopting correct view and proper attitude toward the history will the foundations for improved relations between Japan and other Asian countries be strong, she said.

"Abe should learn from Germany, or former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who knelt in front of a memorial stone during his visit to the Seodaemun Prison History Hall in Seoul," Zhu said.

"I hope Abe could visit our memorial hall some day," he said.