China urges Japan to responsibly deal with comfort women issue

BEIJING -- A Foreign Ministry spokesman on Thursday urged Japan to deal with comfort women issue responsibly.

The conscription of "comfort women" was a grave crime against humanity committed by the Japanese military during World War II, said spokesman Lu Kang at a daily press briefing.

According to Japanese media reports, surviving "comfort women" from the Republic of Korea (ROK), the Philippines, Indonesia and East Timor called on the Japanese government last Friday to make a formal apology and offer compensation to victims, while rejecting a December agreement between Japan and the ROK that was intended to permanently settle the issue.

One agreement can not completely settle the issue, they said, calling for a solution acceptable to all victims in all countries.

They also demanded that the matter be included in Japanese textbooks and that the victims be compensated.

China has taken note of those reports, said Lu, adding that China's position on the issue is clear and consistent. "We have always urged the Japanese side to face up to and reflect on its history of aggression, draw lessons from history, deal with relevant issues with a responsible attitude and win trust from its Asian neighbors and the international community."

Lu hoped that the Japanese side would teach its citizens accurate history, ensure they have a comprehensive and objective understanding of the history and never allow the tragedies to repeat.