The Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe has pledged that his country will no longer resort to war during an interview on Monday, June 15.  However, China and South Korea want Abe to specifically express his country's remorse with regards to the atrocities Japan committed during the Second World War.

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Asia One reported that the Japanese leader told his audience during a Phoenix TV interview that Japan will not repeat the same mistake it did seven decades ago by waging war against other countries. 

According to China Daily, despite some national security proposals currently making their way in the Japanese Diet, Abe does not think it there is a possibility that Japan and China will resort to armed confrontation.

After PM Abe's interview, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang held a media conference in Beijing saying that the government has "noted" what Abe said in the interview.  However, Lu urged the Japanese leader to adopt the "correct attitude" in dealing with Japan's wartime past.

August 15 is the anniversary of the end of World War II and the Japanese Prime Minister is expected to publicly express his country's regret over its actions during that period and Japan's promise to adhere to peaceful means in its foreign policy in the future.

Prominent conservative elements in Japanese society, however, are reportedly urging Abe to avoid uttering certain words like "aggression".

Deputy Director on Japanese Studies, Yang Bojiang, said that while Japan is now a peace-loving country, the Japanese should not forget the part they played during the war.

An editorial in South Korea's newspaper JoongAng IIbo said that the content of Abe's upcoming apology speech is quite vague for now.  The editorial is theorizing that the Japanese leader would simply gloss over human rights violation committed by the Japanese military during the war.

For what it is worth, the South Korean editorial may have some basis. A recent article in The Diplomat describes Abe as a leader, who would like the current and future Japanese generations to feel good about their country's economic and technological accomplishment, and who don't have to say sorry for the military aggressions committed by the previous generation many years ago.

TagsChina-Japan relations, Sino-Japanese War, China-Japan Dispute, World War II anniversary, Japanese War Crimes, China demands apology from Japan over WWII