On the 70^th anniversary of the historic Potsdam Declaration that led to the surrender of Japanese forces in the Second World War, Chinese scholars have questioned the militaristic policies of the Japanese government.

The Potsdam Declaration was published on July 26, 1945 by the U.S., China and Britain. The document not only led to the withdrawal of Japanese forces, but also defined Japan's territorial limits and set the nation on a path of peaceful development.

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"The time has come for Japan to decide whether she will continue to be controlled by those self-willed militaristic advisers whose unintelligent calculations have brought the Empire of Japan to the threshold of annihilation, or whether she will follow the path of reason," the Potsdam Declaration reads.

Chinese state media have accused Japanese right-wingers, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Liberal Democratic Party, of attempting to alter the country's "purely defensive" militaristic outlook.

"From the reinterpretation of the pacifist Constitution for the right to collective self-defense last July to the passage of controversial security bills earlier this month...Japan has been expanding its military outreach and boosting its military capacity, not simply for self-defense purposes," China state broadcaster CCTV wrote.

Lawmakers in Japan's Lower House recently approved a series of security bills that would allow the country's military to fight abroad to defend her allies. There have been several protests in Japan over the security bills. China and South Korea have also voiced concerns about the controversial legislation.

Recently, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying asked if "Japan is going to give up its exclusively defense-oriented policy or change the path of peaceful development that has long been pursued."

Japanese officials, who say the bills are not targeting any particular country, have defended their militaristic outlook as being necessary to deal with the country's current challenges.

China is set to mark the 70^th anniversary of her victory over Japanese forces this September. Japan has reportedly been extended an official invitation to the event. At this point, it is unclear if the invitation will be honored.

China has repeatedly demanded an official apology from Japan for the country's atrocities during the Second World War. But, Abe, who has admitted wrongdoing, has fallen short of rendering an official apology. Recently, he denied having knowledge of the details of the Potsdam Declaration when asked if Japan was wrong to have started World War II.

"Like I said before, accepting the Potsdam Declaration was Japan's way of ending the war," Abe explained to legislators in the Diet. "After the war, Japan started pursuing the path of peaceful development."

TagsPotsdam Declaration, Potsdam Declaration Japan, Potsdam Declaration 70th Anniversary, China Japan World War II, Japan security bill, Japan Security Bills