Japan PM expresses 'utmost grief' over war but no fresh apology
Source: Reuters
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday expressed "utmost grief" for the "immeasurable damage and suffering" Japan inflicted in World War Two, but said that future generations of Japanese should not have to keep apologizing for the mistakes of the past.
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In an initial reaction, a commentary by China's official Xinhua news agency said the "tuned-down apology is not of much help to eliminating Tokyo's trust deficit".
It added: "Instead of offering an unambiguous apology, Abe's statement is rife with rhetorical twists like 'maintain our position of apology', dead giveaways of his deep-rooted historical revisionism, which has haunted Japan's neighborhood relations."
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South Korea said it would respond after reviewing Abe's remarks, but its foreign minister said Japan's sincere actions were "more important than anything", the South Korean Foreign Ministry said, suggesting that words alone weren't enough.
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Abe's statement comes as he pushes for a more robust defense policy through measures domestic critics say violate Japan's pacifist constitution. Public doubts about the bills have triggered a slide in Abe's ratings to below 40 percent.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/14/us-ww2-anniversary-abe-idUSKCN0QJ02R20150814
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