China-run newspaper welcomes ex-PM Hatoyama’s apology

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Cherrie Lou Billones in National with 15 Comments
China-run newspaper welcomes ex-PM Hatoyama’s apology

Former Japan prime minister Yukio Hatoyama made headlines when photos of his visit to the Nanjing Massacre Memorial, a wartime atrocity memorial, circulated across general publications in both Chinese and English languages. And even though he is no longer a member of the Diet, and is in fact currently in the opposition, the Chinese government-run newspaper Global Times seized on an apology he made during such visit.

Hatoyama was quoted by Global Times as saying, “I apologise for the crimes that Japanese soldiers committed during wartime.” At the same time, Sina, a Chinese web portal, said that according to Hatoyama, he felt responsible, as a Japanese, for all those atrocities. These words were welcomed by the nationalist Global Times. In its editorial, it said that Hatoyama’s words show that China still has friends. However, it continued that aside from not backing down as regards the disputed territory, they “can find more ways to deal with Japan.”

The Japanese government released a statement that the words of Hatoyama are clearly against the stand of the government and that it regrets the remarks made by former prime ministers of the country. Hatoyama was prime minister for only nine months when his Democratic Party of Japan ended a half a century rule in 2009.

[via Yahoo]
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  • WinTPu

    Goes to show there are still good Japanese people who are for peace. The Hatoyama administration was a victim of Pax Americana which hated him for promoting Asian cooperation over exclusive US submission. Events have proven him right. He is able to point out the ridiculous stand of Japan that “there is not dispute”, while Japan obviously is suffering heavily in thie dispute rather than China.

    • pete

      It is so hard for chinese to understand democracy. They never get things right.

      • Taiwanese

        You are totally wrong and irreverent. Taiwan Chinese understand democracy.

        • kkkids

          Absolutely right!
          Mr pete is always typing in that way wherever there’s a piece of news related to Chinese. It’s unable to communicate with him,for he’s a fanatic of anti-China organization .(sigh) And I have given up talking to him now.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AMMTMQL56HZP354PSMGIW7PSZE Bee

        Hitler was popular voted in the election as German Chancellor as well. So what the f**k has democracy got to do with the Japanese keeping the stolen war loot of Diaoyu Islands.

  • kkkids

    Thank you , Hatoyama! I really think you and your wife shoundn’t be the people to risk the insultment of “traitor” and suffer the mental torture by visiting the Nanjing massacre memorial hall. You and your wife are burdened with what the right should do. I will never forget a such upright man who sacrifice his reputation by mending the relationship of two countries. Yes, I will never forget that ! Thank you very much, Hatoyama!

  • pete

    To: Bee,

    Can chinese do something else other than swear? Don’t use F** words please. I don’t think you know what does F** mean. Question to you: How many chinese girls were married to white. Any white or black can have dozen girls fridens, if that lucky guy live in china, even he could be a homeless guy back to home. Just because they know F** better!

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_AMMTMQL56HZP354PSMGIW7PSZE Bee

      Sorry I am not a Chinese and I am not from China. What is swearing as compared to the Japanese brutal torturing of innocent civilians. Has Japan ever atone for their crimes. Word is cheap that they have apologized but behind they continue to worship their war crime criminals and whitewashed their history of their heinous crimes. Remember how the Japanese thugs gang-raped, tortured and killed the Empress of Korea during WW2. Remember, you japanese pigs. The Japanese should go to hell now.

  • Whirled Peas

    I think this website should establish a few ground rules.

    One — posters should be respectful and not use derogatory terms for various nationalities or ethnicities. It is possible to to get your point across without being insulting. Insulting other people just serves to hamper communication. Just because posters are anonymous does not mean you should forget the good manners your parents (hopefully) taught you.

    Two, avoid using curse words because those words do not add to the conversation. Understandably, when you feel you are right and others are blind, curse words come to mind and fingertips easily. But please, they are no substitute for rational discussion and only serve to distract and put people’s defenses up.

    Three, understand that there exist people in this world who are out to sow hate, distrust, and fear between people, and the Internet is their playground. They are conflict-seekers. Of course, not everyone who disagrees with your opinion is a troll, and posters should not accuse others of being a troll just because they don’t agree, BUT, do realize for example, that someone just posing as Japanese or Chinese may post something nasty and insulting about the other nationality just to get a defensive reaction or to fan the flames of fear between Japanese and Chinese. We all need to be savvy consumers of the wonderful things the Internet offers, as well as of its downside.

    • http://www.slashgear.com Ewdison Then

      I agree, we don’t like censorship aka heavy moderation to encourage intelligent dialog, but I hope everyone would calmly debate the issues rather than name calling.

  • pete

    People died in war, no matter the war between china and japan or the war inside of china between chinese. So many of chinese died in china last 60 years without war but disagree with gov. Why? Because so many people hate each other.

    I am new on this web and I did not know any japanese, just because so many chinese here hate Japanese. That is the only reason I jump in. I knew some of people here hate Japanese are taking money from chinese gov, some may not. There is not much difference between. They hate people and not educated.

    So, Bee, do you know what hell looks like? People living china are in hell. To people living in hell, they knew that air, food and water are better in than BJ.

    People living in BJ, not only has no goog air, water and food, but more importantly, they don’t have god.

    Lucky you not living in china, but you are living in hell because your heart, words and soul.

    • Taiwanese

      You are the uneducated person who spitted Vernon here. Japanese anti and hate China you called “democracy”. Chinese hate Japan you call their names. Don’t flatter yourself and jumb in your cesspool. Hehe.

    • World Citizen

      pete, have you been to China or at least watched some documentaries on China? I doubted that you do for you are so ignorant and think like a kid. You must have spend all of your time watching Japanese AV thus became Japanese sympathizer and think that all Japanese were as adorable as those AV girls. Giving them chance those right-wings Japanese who started the WW2 will cut your dick and eat it as sashimi.

  • pete

    Look, you chinese, don’t want call your self chinese, but use other faked name, just like when you walk in every chinese store in NY or LA, you can find 1000 of food prodicts named, packed and descriped in Japan or Korea, but if you look carefully, you can find a small letter “made in china”.

    Do you know why? Because even chinese hate chinese and do want eat anything made in china. Just like you, a CHINESE, don’t want call yourself chinese, but speak like chinese, act like chinese and swear like chinese.

    Just because too many of chinese like you people, the war between china and japan will break again. And, this time, without American, chinese will be beaten very badly.

  • Markov Chain

    people saying china suffered….that is past,,,now they are retaliating instead of making peace…they keep stirring things out on the sea and even the space with the US….these chinese are disgusting that they are even disgusted of themselves….all nationalities think these people are disgusting….