Japan's top government spokesperson said the country will stick to its post-war stance of observing international law and contributing to world peace.
Speaking to reporters, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was referring to a remark made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Wang said Japan, which lost a war 70 years ago, should not lose its sense again 70 years later.
Suga said moves by Japan in the post-war period have been democratic, adding that the country has protected human rights, observed the law and contributed to international peace. He said this will never change, according to Japan's (NHK WORLD) website.
Observers believe that the remark by the Chinese Foreign Minister was apparently aimed at pressuring Japan to adhere to past government statements.
In a statement in 1995, former prime minister, Tomiichi Murayama, expressed deep remorse and offered a heartfelt apology for Japan's past colonial rule and aggression in Asia.