China urges Japan to acknowledge its aggressive past

BEIJING, May 7. /TASS/. China has urged Japan to acknowledge its aggressive past as the world marks 70 years since the end of World War II, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

"We hope Japan will hear an appeal of the international community and will sincerely acknowledge its aggressive past," said Hua Chunying, referring to an appeal to the Japanese authorities signed by 187 scientists from China, South Korea, the United States and other countries.

"Japan has yet to look into the past and its action, achieve trust from the international community," the diplomat noted.

China says it lost 35 million lives during Japanese aggression of 1937-1945. According to it, Japanese chemical weapons used against Chinese troops and civilians could still be found in the country.