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BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
WW2: How the Nanjing massacre still haunts China-Japan relations
Japanese vlogger Hayato Kato's 1.9 million followers are used to his funny clips about exploring China, where he has been living for several on 26 July he surprised them with a sombre one. "I just watched a movie about the Nanjing Massacre," he said, referring to the Japanese army's six-week rampage through Nanjing in late 1937, which, by some estimates, killed more than 300,000 civilians and Chinese soldiers. Around 20,000 women were reportedly To Rights, or Nanjing Photo Studio, is a star-studded tale about a group of civilians who hide from Japanese troops in a photo studio. Already a box office hit, it is the first of a wave of Chinese movies about the horrors of Japanese occupation that are being released to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two. But a sense of unfinished history - often amplified by Beijing – persists, fuelling both memory and in Chinese on Douyin, China's domestic version of TikTok, Kato recounted scenes from the film: "People were lined up along the river and then the shootings began… A baby, the same age as my daughter, was crying in her mother's arms. A Japanese soldier rushed forward, grabbed her, and smashed her into the ground."He said he had seen many people on the Japanese internet denying the Nanjing Massacre had happened, including public figures, even politicians. "If we deny it, this will happen again," he continued, urging Japanese people to watch the movies and "Iearn about the dark side of their history".The video quickly became one of his most popular, with more than 670,000 likes in just two the comments are less positive. The top-liked one quotes what has already become an iconic line from the movie, uttered by a Chinese civilian to a Japanese soldier: "We are not friends. We never were." For China, Japan's brutal military campaign and occupation are among the darkest chapters of its past – and the massacre in Nanjing, then the capital, an even deeper wound. What has made it fester is the belief that Japan has never fully owned up to its atrocities in places it occupied – not just China, but also Korea, what was then Malaya, Philippines, Indonesia. One of the most painful points of contention involves "comfort women" - the approximately 200,000 women who were raped and forced to work in Japanese military brothels. To this day, the survivors are still fighting for an apology and his video, Kato seems to acknowledge that it's not a subject of conversation in Japan: "Unfortunately these anti-Japanese war movies are not shown in Japan publicly, and Japanese people are not interested to watch them."When the Japanese Emperor announced on 15 August that he would surrender, his country had already paid a terrible cost – more than 100,000 had been killed in bombing raids on Tokyo, before two atom bombs devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan's defeat, however, was welcomed in large parts of Asia, where the Imperial Japanese Army had claimed million of lives. For them, 15 August carries both freedom and lingering trauma – in Korea the day is called 'gwangbokjeol', which translates to the return of light."While the military war has ended, the history war continues," says Professor Gi-Wook Shin, of Stanford University, explaining the two sides remember those years differently, and those differences add to the tension. While the Chinese see Japanese aggression as a defining, and devastating, moment in their past, Japanese history focuses on its own victimhood - the destruction caused by the atom bombs and post-war recovery."People I know in Japan don't really talk about it," says a Chinese man who has been living in Japan for 15 years, and wished to remain anonymous."They see it as something in the past, and the country doesn't really commemorate it - because they also view themselves as victims."He calls himself a patriot, but he says that hasn't made things difficult for him personally because their reluctance to talk about it means they "avoid such sensitive topics"."Some believe the Japanese army went to help China build a new order - with conflicts occurring in that process. Of course, there are also those who acknowledge that it was, in fact, an invasion." China fought Japan for eight years, from Manchuria in the north-east to Chongqing in the south-west. Estimates of those killed range from 10 to 20 million. The Japanese government says around 480,000 of its soldiers died in that years have been well-documented in award-winning literature and films – they were also the subject of Nobel laureate Mo Yan's period is now being revisited under a regime that holds patriotism as central to its ambitions: "national rejuvenation" is how Xi Jinping describes his Chinese dream. While the Party heavily censors its own history, from the Tiananmen Square massacre to more recent crackdowns, it encourages remembering a more distant past – with an outside even revised the date the war with Japan started – the Chinese government now counts the first incursions into Manchuria in 1931, which makes it a 14-year war, rather than eight years of full-fledged him, Beijing has also been commemorating the end of World War Two on a bigger scale. On 3 September, the day Japan formally surrendered, there will be a major military parade in Tiananmen in September, a highly-anticipated new release will focus on the notorious Unit 731, a branch of the Japanese Army that conducted lethal human experiments in occupied Manchuria. The date of release – 18 September – is the day Japan attempted its first invasion of is apart from Dongji Rescue, a film inspired by the real-life efforts of Chinese fishermen who saved hundreds of British prisoners of war during Japanese raids; and Mountains and Rivers Bearing Witness, a documentary from a state-owned studio about Chinese resistance. And they seem to be striking a nerve."That one generation fought a war on behalf of three, and endured suffering for three. Salute to the martyrs," a popular RedNote post on Nanjing Photo Studio reads."We are not friends...", the now-famous line from the movie, "is not just a line" between the two main characters, says a popular review that has been liked by more than 10,000 users on is "also from millions of ordinary Chinese people to Japan. They've never issued a sincere apology, they are still worshipping [the war criminals], they are rewriting history – no-one will treat them as friends", the comment says, referring to some Japanese right-wing figures' dismissive has issued apologies, but many Chinese people believe they are not profuse enough."Japan keeps sending a conflicting message," Prof Shin says, referring to instances where leaders have contradicted each other in their statements on Japan's wartime years, in Chinese history classes, students have been shown a photo of former West German Chancellor Willy Brandt kneeling before a memorial to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1970. The Chinese expect a similar gesture from wasn't always the case, though. When Japan surrendered in 1945, the turbulence in China did not end. For the next three years, the Nationalist Kuomintang – then the ruling government and the main source of Chinese resistance against Japan – fought a civil war against Mao Zedong's Communist Party war ended with Mao's victory and the Kuomintang's retreat to Taiwan. Mao, whose priority was to build a communist nation, avoided focusing on Japanese war crimes. Commemorations celebrated the Party's victory and criticised the Kuomintang. He also needed Japan's support on the international stage. Tokyo, in fact, was one of the first major powers to recognise his wasn't until the 1980s - after Mao's death - that the Japanese occupation returned to haunt the relationship between Beijing and Tokyo. By then, Japan was a wealthy Western ally with a booming economy. Revisions to Japanese textbooks began to spark controversy, with China and South Korea accusing Japan of whitewashing its wartime atrocities. China had just begun to open up, and South Korea was in transition from military rule to Chinese leaders moved away from Mao – and his destructive legacy – the trauma of what happened under Japanese attack became a unifying narrative for the Communist Party, says Yinan He, associate professor of international relations at Lehigh University in the US."After the Cultural Revolution, Chinese people for the large part were disillusioned by communism," she told the BBC. "Since communism lost its appeal, you need nationalism. And Japan is [an] easy target because that's the most recent external [aggressor]."She describes a "choreographed representation of the past", where commemorations of 1945 often downplay the contributions of the US and the Kuomintang, and are accompanied by growing scrutiny of Japan's official stance on its wartime actions. What hasn't helped is the denial of war crimes - prominent right-wing Japanese don't accept the Nanjing massacre ever happened, or that Japanese soldiers forced so many women into sexual slavery - and recent visits by officials to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honours Japan's war dead, including convicted war hostility between China and Japan has spilled over into everyday lives as nationalism online peaks - Chinese and Japanese people have been attacked in each other's countries. A Japanese schoolboy was killed in Shenzhen last economic rise and assertiveness in the region and beyond has changed the dynamic between the two countries again. It has surpassed Japan as a global power. The best time to seek closure – the 1970s, when the countries were closer - has passed, Prof He says."They simply said, let's forget about that, let's set that aside. They've never dealt with the history – and now the problem has come back to haunt them again."
Newsweek
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Alliance Flexes Missile Strike Capability Amid China Threat
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States and its Pacific ally, Australia, staged a show of force demonstrating their long-range strike capabilities through a missile test and the deployment of a rocket system. Both events took place during the ongoing multinational Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025—the largest and most-sophisticated warfighting exercise ever conducted in Australia. Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment via email. Why It Matters China has claimed sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, overlapping the territorial claims of other regional countries and often leading to standoffs and clashes between their maritime forces. There have been growing concerns over Chinese military presence and activities throughout the Indo-Pacific. What To Know The Chinese military—operator of the world's largest naval force by hull count—has been expanding its reach beyond East Asia, including a dual aircraft carrier mission in the broader Western Pacific in June and a circumnavigation of Australia between February and March. Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 has previously featured live-fire anti-ship missile activities conducted by the Japanese Army, the Canadian Navy, and a U.S. land-based missile system, showcasing the capabilities of the U.S. and its allies in countering China's naval buildup. A photo released by the Australian military shows an Australian Army High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) fired a Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) from the Mount Bundey Training Area in the Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. An Australian High Mobility Artillery Rocket System fires a Precision Strike Missile from the Mount Bundey Training Area in the Northern Territory, Australia, during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 on July 25, 2025. An Australian High Mobility Artillery Rocket System fires a Precision Strike Missile from the Mount Bundey Training Area in the Northern Territory, Australia, during Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 on July 25, 2025. Australian Defense Department The Friday live-fire event marked the first time the PrSM was test-fired in Australia, the country's Defense Department said. The missile—which has a maximum range of more than 310 miles—is central to strengthening Australia's land and maritime strike capabilities. "The test conducted today was two years ahead of schedule and followed the delivery of the first PrSM a year ahead of schedule," according to the Australian military. The missile—codeveloped with the U. S.—is expected to be upgraded to extend its range to over 621 miles. Australia also received its first HIMARS—a truck-mounted launcher capable of carrying up to two rounds of PrSM—two months ahead of schedule. The South Pacific country has ordered 42 HIMARS launchers, with the first batch arriving from the U.S. in April. Meanwhile, the U.S. Army deployed its HIMARS launchers for the Australia-hosted war game, including one sent to Christmas Island—an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, located 932 miles west of the mainland—for a simulated launch conducted on July 22. The HIMARS deployment—officially known as HIMARS Rapid Infiltration—demonstrated the ability to rapidly deploy and employ land-based, long-range precision fires by airlifting the launcher to a forward airfield, thereby extending the range of the munition it launched. A United States High Mobility Artillery Rocket System conducts a simulated launch on Australia's Christmas Island as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 on July 22, 2025. A United States High Mobility Artillery Rocket System conducts a simulated launch on Australia's Christmas Island as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 on July 22, 2025. Australian Defense Department The deployment of the HIMARS—which can hit both land and maritime targets—follows the transit of a Chinese three-ship naval task group near Christmas Island earlier this year. The remote island, which lies closer to Indonesia than to mainland Australia, is "very strategically positioned" in the Indian Ocean, and the Australian military needs to be able to operate there, said Commodore Peter Leavy, who oversaw the HIMARS deployment. What People Are Saying Australian Minister for Defense IndustryPat Conroy said in a press release on Friday: "From delivering HIMARS ahead of schedule to delivering and testing PrSM ahead of schedule, the Albanese Government is modernizing the Australian Army at speed. This successful launch is a significant milestone in the Government's plan to deliver a twenty-five-fold increase to Army's long-range strike capability." Australia's Defense Department said in a press release on Friday: "[HIMARS Rapid Infiltration] brings deterrence through the unpredictable appearance of land-based, long-range precision fires against land and maritime targets, and is an essential element of littoral warfare, which the Australian Army is now deeply focused on through the enhancement of its forces and capabilities." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025 will include additional live-fire missile drills before it concludes.
CNN
22-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Japanese World War II warship discovered
Japanese World War II warship discovered The first known images of the Japanese World War II era warship, the Teruzuki, have been released by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The ship was discovered by scientists off the coast of the Soloman Islands. Teruzuki was sunk in December 1942 by American patrol boats while it was on a mission to resupply the Japanese Army. 01:16 - Source: CNN Vertical World News 17 videos Japanese World War II warship discovered The first known images of the Japanese World War II era warship, the Teruzuki, have been released by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The ship was discovered by scientists off the coast of the Soloman Islands. Teruzuki was sunk in December 1942 by American patrol boats while it was on a mission to resupply the Japanese Army. 01:16 - Source: CNN China cracks down on fake "Lafufu" Labubus Fake Labubu plush toys, dubbed "Lafufu," have gained popularity due to shortages of the original dolls made by China's Pop Mart. 02:05 - Source: CNN Child flees Israeli strike on Gaza refugee camp Video shows a child running away as Israeli munitions struck near a UNRWA school in Bureij Refugee Camp behind her. 00:36 - Source: CNN Jair Bolsonaro denies coup charges as police raid home Police in Brazil raided the home of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and enforced a ruling from the country's Supreme Court that Bolsonaro wear an electronic ankle tag. Bolsonaro is being accused of plotting to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election. 01:17 - Source: CNN Taiwan conducts 10-day military drill The Taiwanese government is preparing for a war they hope will never happen. For the first time this year, Taiwan combined two major civil defense exercises, with the drills lasting ten days. These drills have included urban combat, mass casualty simulations, emergency supply drops and cyber defense that could be enacted if an invasion was to occur. CNN's Senior International Correspondent, Will Ripley, reports. 01:44 - Source: CNN Surgeon shows humanitarian crisis in Gaza's hospitals A surgeon working in southern Gaza says babies are arriving at hospital so malnourished that 'skin and bones doesn't do it justice.' He also describes what appears to be a disturbing pattern in the gunshot wounds of children arriving from food distribution sites. CNN's Nada Bashir reports. 02:55 - Source: CNN Brazil's Lula tells Christiane Amanpour: Trump 'Was not elected to be emperor of the world' Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview it was 'a surprise' to see President Donald Trump's letter posted to Truth Social, threatening Brazil with a crippling tariff of 50% starting August 1st. Lula says that he initially thought the letter was 'fake news.' Watch the full 'Amanpour' interview on CNN. 01:33 - Source: CNN Gaza's only Catholic church hit by Israeli strike Gaza's only Catholic church was struck by an Israeli tank, killing three and injuring many more, church officials said. It became internationally recognized after reports emerged that the late Pope Francis used to call the church daily. CNN's Nada Bashir reports 00:53 - Source: CNN Prince Harry recreates his mother's historic landmine walk Following in his mother's footsteps, Prince Harry visited Angola's minefields just as Princess Diana did 28 years ago. The Duke of Sussex was in Angola with The Halo Trust as part of the group's efforts to clear landmines. 00:39 - Source: CNN Massive fire destroys Tomorrowland's main stage Tomorrowland's main stage went up in flames just days ahead of the festival's opening in Boom, Belgium. 00:38 - Source: CNN How Trump's image is changing inside Russia Once hailed as a pro-Kremlin figure, President Donald Trump's image is changing inside Russia. It comes after Trump vowed further sanctions on the country if a peace agreement with Ukraine is not reached in 50 days. CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent is on the ground in Moscow with the analysis. 01:41 - Source: CNN Who are the armed groups clashing in Syria? Dozens were killed in Syria this week after clashes between government loyalists and Druze militias in the southern city of Suwayda, prompting Syrian forces to intervene. That, in turn, triggered renewed Israeli airstrikes. 01:57 - Source: CNN Syrian anchor takes cover from airstrike live on TV An airstrike on the Syrian Ministry of Defense was captured live on Syria TV, forcing the anchor to take cover. Israel has been carrying out airstrikes on Syria as part of its commitment to protect the Druze, an Arab minority at the center of clashes with government loyalists. 00:30 - Source: CNN Video shows machine gun fire near Gaza aid site A video from social media shows machine gun fire spraying the ground near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza as crowds of Palestinians lie on the ground for safety. Although the source of the gunfire is not seen in the video, multiple eyewitnesses say it shows the Israeli military opening fire on Palestinians as they waited for food on Saturday. In a statement, the IDF said, 'The details of the video are under review.' 01:02 - Source: CNN Analysis: Moscow's reaction to Trump's 50-day peace deadline President Donald Trump has vowed further sanctions on Russia if a peace deal is not reached in 50 days. CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent breaks down the Russian reaction and perspective on Monday's announcement from Moscow. 01:13 - Source: CNN Trump attends FIFA Club World Cup final CNN's Patrick Snell reports on President Trump's visit to MetLife Stadium for the FIFA Club World Cup Final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. 00:52 - Source: CNN Top Russian diplomat is in North Korea. What does this mean? Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in North Korea for a three-day visit. CNN's Will Ripley explains why this could be a sign of deepening relations between Moscow and Pyongyang. 01:16 - Source: CNN
CNN
21-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Japanese World War II warship discovered
Japanese World War II warship discovered The first known images of the Japanese World War II era warship, the Teruzuki, have been released by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The ship was discovered by scientists off the coast of the Soloman Islands. Teruzuki was sunk in December 1942 by American patrol boats while it was on a mission to resupply the Japanese Army. 01:16 - Source: CNN Vertical World News 17 videos Japanese World War II warship discovered The first known images of the Japanese World War II era warship, the Teruzuki, have been released by the Ocean Exploration Trust. The ship was discovered by scientists off the coast of the Soloman Islands. Teruzuki was sunk in December 1942 by American patrol boats while it was on a mission to resupply the Japanese Army. 01:16 - Source: CNN China cracks down on fake "Lafufu" Labubus Fake Labubu plush toys, dubbed "Lafufu," have gained popularity due to shortages of the original dolls made by China's Pop Mart. 02:05 - Source: CNN Child flees Israeli strike on Gaza refugee camp Video shows a child running away as Israeli munitions struck near a UNRWA school in Bureij Refugee Camp behind her. 00:36 - Source: CNN Jair Bolsonaro denies coup charges as police raid home Police in Brazil raided the home of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and enforced a ruling from the country's Supreme Court that Bolsonaro wear an electronic ankle tag. Bolsonaro is being accused of plotting to overturn the results of the 2022 presidential election. 01:17 - Source: CNN Taiwan conducts 10-day military drill The Taiwanese government is preparing for a war they hope will never happen. For the first time this year, Taiwan combined two major civil defense exercises, with the drills lasting ten days. These drills have included urban combat, mass casualty simulations, emergency supply drops and cyber defense that could be enacted if an invasion was to occur. CNN's Senior International Correspondent, Will Ripley, reports. 01:44 - Source: CNN Surgeon shows humanitarian crisis in Gaza's hospitals A surgeon working in southern Gaza says babies are arriving at hospital so malnourished that 'skin and bones doesn't do it justice.' He also describes what appears to be a disturbing pattern in the gunshot wounds of children arriving from food distribution sites. CNN's Nada Bashir reports. 02:55 - Source: CNN Brazil's Lula tells Christiane Amanpour: Trump 'Was not elected to be emperor of the world' Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva tells CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview it was 'a surprise' to see President Donald Trump's letter posted to Truth Social, threatening Brazil with a crippling tariff of 50% starting August 1st. Lula says that he initially thought the letter was 'fake news.' Watch the full 'Amanpour' interview on CNN. 01:33 - Source: CNN Gaza's only Catholic church hit by Israeli strike Gaza's only Catholic church was struck by an Israeli tank, killing three and injuring many more, church officials said. It became internationally recognized after reports emerged that the late Pope Francis used to call the church daily. CNN's Nada Bashir reports 00:53 - Source: CNN Prince Harry recreates his mother's historic landmine walk Following in his mother's footsteps, Prince Harry visited Angola's minefields just as Princess Diana did 28 years ago. The Duke of Sussex was in Angola with The Halo Trust as part of the group's efforts to clear landmines. 00:39 - Source: CNN Massive fire destroys Tomorrowland's main stage Tomorrowland's main stage went up in flames just days ahead of the festival's opening in Boom, Belgium. 00:38 - Source: CNN How Trump's image is changing inside Russia Once hailed as a pro-Kremlin figure, President Donald Trump's image is changing inside Russia. It comes after Trump vowed further sanctions on the country if a peace agreement with Ukraine is not reached in 50 days. CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent is on the ground in Moscow with the analysis. 01:41 - Source: CNN Who are the armed groups clashing in Syria? Dozens were killed in Syria this week after clashes between government loyalists and Druze militias in the southern city of Suwayda, prompting Syrian forces to intervene. That, in turn, triggered renewed Israeli airstrikes. 01:57 - Source: CNN Syrian anchor takes cover from airstrike live on TV An airstrike on the Syrian Ministry of Defense was captured live on Syria TV, forcing the anchor to take cover. Israel has been carrying out airstrikes on Syria as part of its commitment to protect the Druze, an Arab minority at the center of clashes with government loyalists. 00:30 - Source: CNN Video shows machine gun fire near Gaza aid site A video from social media shows machine gun fire spraying the ground near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza as crowds of Palestinians lie on the ground for safety. Although the source of the gunfire is not seen in the video, multiple eyewitnesses say it shows the Israeli military opening fire on Palestinians as they waited for food on Saturday. In a statement, the IDF said, 'The details of the video are under review.' 01:02 - Source: CNN Analysis: Moscow's reaction to Trump's 50-day peace deadline President Donald Trump has vowed further sanctions on Russia if a peace deal is not reached in 50 days. CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent breaks down the Russian reaction and perspective on Monday's announcement from Moscow. 01:13 - Source: CNN Trump attends FIFA Club World Cup final CNN's Patrick Snell reports on President Trump's visit to MetLife Stadium for the FIFA Club World Cup Final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. 00:52 - Source: CNN Top Russian diplomat is in North Korea. What does this mean? Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in North Korea for a three-day visit. CNN's Will Ripley explains why this could be a sign of deepening relations between Moscow and Pyongyang. 01:16 - Source: CNN
Washington Post
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Japan starts deploying Osprey fleet at a new base to beef up southwestern defense
HIROSHIMA, Japan — The Japanese army on Wednesday began deploying its fleet of V-22 Ospreys on a newly-opened, permanent base in southwestern Japan, the country's latest move to beef up its defense amid growing tension in the region. The first of the fleet of 17 Ospreys safely arrived at its new home base of Camp Saga, Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force said Wednesday.
