Aquino compares China to Nazi "totally unacceptable": Chinese Ambassador

China's top diplomat to the Philippines voiced on Friday great discontentment over Philippine President Benigno Aquino III's recent remarks likening China to Nazi Germany, saying, "It's totally unacceptable."

"Such comment made by Philippine president seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people," Chinese ambassador Zhao Jianhua told Chinese media here on Friday, saying it confuses right and wrong.

Aquino made a veiled comparison between China and Nazi Germany' s expansionism before the World War II with regard to the two countries' territorial disputes in the South China Sea and called on the United States to play a role in stopping China's rising might in his speech during the Japan tour on Wednesday. His previous similar attack on China was made in an interview with the New York Times last year.

Zhao said, "Japanese fascist committed towering crimes to people both in China and the Philippines during the World War II. The Chinese people will never forget the atrocities by Japanese soldiers, and the Filipino people should not forget it either."

He expects the Philippine side to understand the history correctly, and think over who had brought sufferings to the Filipinos.

"It's an irresponsible act to compare China, an ally of the Philippines during the World War II, to Nazi Germany," Zhao said.

The diplomat expects the Philippine side would not apply double standards and return to the negotiation table with courage and wisdom.

"China always sticks to the principle of solving disputes with political and diplomatic means. This principle will not change, and the door of negotiations is always open," Zhao said.

Reminding the coming Tuesday will be the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines, Zhao expressed the hope that the two countries could make concerted efforts to restore bilateral relations and promote development in economic and trade, tourism and etc. Endi