Commentary: Historical revisionist Abe not qualified to talk about rule of law

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tried to seize every opportunity at a just-concluded Group of Seven (G7) summit in Germany to preach his fallacious theory on "principles of international law" and "rule of law" on maritime security.

As a brazen historical revisionist, Abe is not qualified to talk about the rule of law, as his remarks and acts have exposed his ignorance of both international and domestic laws.

On various occasions during the two-day summit, which was mainly focused on the Ukraine crisis and climate change, Abe dressed himself up as a law expert

Following Abe's remarks at a news conference after the conclusion of the G7 summit on Monday, Japanese people cast the first stone toward their prime minister, who they said paid lip service to "rule of law" abroad while pushing for "war legislation" in violation of the country's constitution.

On Tuesday, former Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama and former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono criticized Abe for trying to brutally ram the unconstitutional security-related bills by provoking a sense of crisis such as overstating the "China threat."

Murayama, who apologized in a 1995 statement for the damage and pains militarist Japan inflicted upon its Asian neighbors during WWII, said Abe's doctrine of "proactive pacifism" will revise Japan's real pacifism nature.

A latest poll conducted by Japan's Kyodo News showed that about 81.4 percent of Japanese people thought the government's explanations about the security-related bills are "not sufficient," saying the security legislation, if passed, will increase the risk of the Self-Defense Forces getting dragged into war.

As for international law, Abe's knowledge is little more than an illiterate.

During a Diet questioning last month, Abe said he did not notice the part in the Potsdam Proclamation, which called for Japan's unconditional surrender, adding that accepting the declaration was a way that Japan ended the war.

As everyone knows, China, the United States and Britain declared the Potsdam Proclamation on July 26, 1945, demanding Japan surrender and follow the 1943 Cairo Declaration.

The two documents not only constituted the cornerstone of the post-war international order, but also laid a foundation for the UN Charter and the establishment of the world order body.

Abe, as Japan's prime minister, should at least have the knowledge that such documents, which safeguard the post-war order and had been accepted by his country at the time, should be recognized and strictly observed.

Abe's way of thinking on "rule of law" is totally beyond comprehension, as he talked glibly about international law on an international occasion while claiming that he was not familiar with the Potsdam Proclamation at home.

It is clear that his remarks at the G7 summit aimed to digress from the main topics of discussion and preach about South China Sea disputes and the so-called Chinese attempts to change the status quo by force.

In fact, China has always shown commitment to solving maritime disputes through negotiations and consultation directly with concerned parties, basing on respect to historical facts and international law.

Abe should stop his dangerous acts that will undermine Japan's domestic legal system and the post-war international order, so as to maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world. Endi