Editor,
I wrote a letter memorializing Chinese fighters and martyrs on the 60th anniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
Why am I still hearing about a war that should have ended 60 years ago?
Individuals and nations alike need to be honest with each other. It is common knowledge that the war, triggered by the Japanese army 60 years ago, was an enormous disaster. China lost 35 million people and up to US$600 billion. In the Nanjing Massacre alone, more than 300,000 people were killed.
Many Japanese, including top political leaders, do not acknowledge the horrible crimes committed by their soldiers.
Despite fierce opposition from China and other Asian countries in recent years, some Japanese continue to do many inappropriate things, such as praying at the Yasukuni Shrine, and glossing over the comfort women issue in textbooks. This hurts the feelings of Chinese people.
A nation that doesn't seem to regret its crimes will always keep its neighbours on high alert. It is barely possible to establish mutual trust. This will only improve if Japan fully owns up to its mistakes.
I am an English teacher in a high school, and I always tell my students the following: We must remember the past, but never carry its burdens into the future. We must cherish the present, and we can never progress if we hold onto the past. We want to live in peace in the future, and keep the friendship between our two countries forever.
Zheng Yueqing, Shanxi Province
(China Daily 09/12/2005 page4)
