China strongly criticised Japan at the United Nations and called on it to engage in deep self-reflection regarding its war crimes during World War II. According to the Chinese representative, Japan still bears responsibility for its past and must respect the post-war international order and its political commitments, including its position on the Taiwan issue.
Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations Fu Cong spoke at the plenary session of the UN General Assembly, which was held on the occasion of the first International Day for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. He pointed out that even after the formal end of colonial empires, the world had not completely freed itself from the shadow of colonialism and its consequences.
According to Fu Cong, it is necessary to consistently reject any statements or actions that question or undermine the post-war international order. He recalled that this day should lead the international community to remember the suffering caused by colonialism, to accelerate the process of decolonisation and to definitively end all its forms.
In his speech, he emphasised that the history of the global anti-fascist war clearly shows that peace cannot be taken for granted and must be actively protected. He also recalled the Nuremberg trials and the Far East trials, which punished the main perpetrators of aggressive wars after the war. In his view, the justice of these tribunals is unshakeable and cannot be questioned.
Fu Cong recalled the brutal history of Japanese aggression in China, on the Korean Peninsula and in Southeast Asia. He paid particular attention to Taiwan, where, according to him, Japanese occupiers killed more than 650,000 inhabitants, forcibly conscripted approximately 200,000 young people into the army, forced more than 2,000 women to become so-called comfort women, and occupied approximately 70% of the island's territory. The occupation also included the plundering of natural resources, including coal and gold mines.
He described this period as the darkest chapter in Taiwan's history and called on the international community to resolutely defend the results of the Chinese people's war against Japanese aggression and the overall victory of the world anti-fascist war. He warned against denying or distorting history, reviving militarism and repeating the tragedies of the past.
According to the Chinese diplomat, any attempts to disrupt the post-war international order could lead to instability and enormous suffering for all of humanity at a time when the world shares a common future.
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