(AP) - Japan's prime minister apologized Friday for his country's World War II aggression in Asia in a bid to defuse tensions with regional rival China, but a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said the apology needed to be backed up with action after Japanese lawmakers made a controversial visit to a war shrine. Just hours before Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi apologized, a Cabinet minister and more than 80 Japanese lawmakers visited a Tokyo shrine to Japan's war dead. China's Foreign Ministry expressed "strong dissatisfaction over the negative actions of some Japanese politicians" in visiting the Yasukuni Shrine, which also honor's Japan's executed war criminals. |
It's like me apologizing for American slavery. *Newsflash* My grandfather was born on a boat on the way over from Hungary. My mother's side were poor southern Delaware farmers and never owned slaves. Therefore, no apologies for my ancestors.
Everytime a POTUS visits the African continent, someone always asks, "Will this be the time they apologize for enslaving our people?" And each time, someone is disapointed. The POTUS usually talks about how tragic the practice of slave trading was in the history of Western civilization, but nothing more.
Muslims want the Vatican to apologize for the Crusades.
Now, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is apologizing for his country's "aggression in Asia."
Please. It's called "live and learn..."
I'll never hold the entire German people responsible for Nazi Germany, nor the Italians for Mussolini's reign, nor Serbia for igniting WWI nor the Romans for enslaving Spartans.
Deal with it.
Posted by Kyer at April 22, 2005 11:18 AM