China on Friday slammed Japan's new Defense Minister Tomomi Inada for not acknowledging Tokyo's wartime aggression during World War 2, Reuters reported.          

Tomomi Inada, who was appointed as Japan's new defense minister earlier this week, ducked questions about Japan's past wartime aggressions during a press conference on Thursday.

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"l'm not in a position to express my personal opinion here," Inada said when asked about war crimes allegedly committed by Japan during World War 2.

In response, China's Defense Ministry issued a statement on its officials microblog account, expressing "indignation" over Inada's comment.

"Her open denial of the...facts is simply an attempt to cover up Japan's history of aggression and challenge the international order by reviving militarism," China's defense ministry said. "We must point out that facing up to history is the basis for resolving historical problems."

The ministry added that if history is not acknowledged, China-Japan diplomatic relations have no future.

Infamous Nanjing massacre of 1937    

China claims that aggression by Japanese troops in 1937 resulted in the death of three million Chinese citizens in Nanjing. However, Japan has shied away from acknowledging its alleged role in the massacre.

Some Japanese politicians and scholars openly claim that the Nanjing massacre never took place, while others claim that China is inflating the death toll to defame Japan.  

The legacy of World War 2 has cast a shadow on Japan-China relationship, while maritime disputes in the East China Sea and the South China Sea have equally hampered bilateral ties between both nations.   

Tomomi Inada Known as A Rightwing Nationalist    

Inada is known for her staunchly conservative views on security and foreign policy issues. She is one of the close confidants of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and firmly believes in amending Japan's post-war pacifist constitution.

Inada's nationalist views of japan's wartime history have made her a highly controversial figure in China as well as in South Korea and North Korea.

TagsTomomi Inada, china, Nanjing Massacre, China and Japan