China Condemns Japan Minister's Remarks on Comfort Women
2005-7-12 20:38:43 CRIENGLISH.com
China has strongly condemned a speech from Japan's education minister on the subject of "comfort women", who were forced into prostitution by the Japanese military during the Second World War.
Japanese education minister Nakayama Nariaki cited an e-mail message from a Japanese woman in a speech, saying that the occupation of "comfort woman" was one that women from the invaded countries could do with pride.
The minister said he had been "moved" by such support from young people.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Liu Jianchao, spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, said that the comments by the Japanese education minister were seriously hurtful to victim countries.
Liu said the Japanese government should watch its officials' words and acknowledge their war history more honestly.
Japan admitted for the first time August 4, 1993, it had forced Asian women into working as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers.
Historians say 200,000 women, mostly Korean but also from China, the Philippines and Indonesia, were forced into prostitution.
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