China urges Japan not to return to path of militarism

China urges Japan not to go down the path of militarism again, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday when commenting U.S. President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to Hiroshima, Japan.

"We hope that by inviting other countries' leaders to Hiroshima, Japan will show the world that it will never again follow the path of militarism which has inflicted grave suffering on its own people, the people of its neighbors and the rest of the world," said spokesman Lu Kang at a daily press briefing.

The two atomic bombs the United States dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki before the end of WWII crushed the illusions of Japanese militarists on making a last stand, and caused massive civilian casualties, said Lu.

Japanese civilians who suffered in the nuclear bombings deserve our sympathy, he added.

"An important lesson we have learned from WWII is that we should take history as a mirror, prevent the tragedy of war from happening again, and firmly uphold the post-war international order," Lu said.

The White House said Tuesday that Obama will visit Hiroshima later this month, but will not apologize for the nuclear attacks. Endi