Commentary: For a better future, Abe must learn WWII history well

On July 26, 1945, China, the United States and Britain declared the Potsdam Proclamation, which accelerated the end of World War II (WWII), and along with the Cairo Declaration, constitutes the cornerstone of the post-war international order.

The historic document urged Japan to surrender unconditionally and demanded it follow the Cairo Declaration published in 1943, which states that "The Three Allies are fighting this war to restrain and punish the aggression of Japan."

The Potsdam Proclamation, a banner of justice and an ultimatum issued to the world's Fascist forces, is a world-recognized document. However,Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a self-proclaimed international law expert, claimed that he was unfamiliar with it while talking glibly about "rule of law" on maritime security on several occasions.

Abe's refusal to recognize the rule of the Potsdam Proclamation exposes his right-wing administration's attempts to deny Japan's history of aggression during WWII and break the hard-won post-war international order.

Such a posture came as no surprise as the Japanese prime minister has gotten used to putting on such farces.

From the reinterpretation of the pacifist Constitution for the right to collective self-defense to the forced passage of controversial security bills, from the accusation of China's lawful reclamation of the Diaoyu Islands to the visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, the behaviors of the Japanese right-wingers led by Abe betrayed their intention to shake off post-war restrictions and make Japan a military power in the region.

Consequences of such acts are dangerous as they could lead the country down a road of no return, forever losing the trust and respect of its neighbors, and even the whole world.

Abe should know what pupils at primary school know. That is, history cannot be reversed. History is an objective existence and a mirror, and only by facing history squarely like Germany does can one have a future.

History should not be recklessly tampered with. Any comments or actions seeking to deny or glorify the history of fascist aggression will not be accepted by the Chinese people and the forces of justice elsewhere.

Admitting its history of aggression and reflecting on its responsibility for war is a precondition for Japan to reconcile with its Asian neighbors that suffered its atrocities enormously in WWII.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the world's anti-Fascist war and the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Abe should behave scrupulously on historical issues. Otherwise, he will have to swallow the bitter consequences that might be incurred. Endi