Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks at Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima during a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the atomic bomb attack on the city, Aug 6, 2023.[Photo/Agencies]

If Japan wants to reconcile with China over wartime history, it should look to the example set by Germany, a senior Chinese scholar of Japan studies told China Daily.

中國的一位日本問題專家向《中國日報》表示，如果日本希望在二戰問題上與中國和解，就該像德國學習。

Li Wei, director of the Institute of Japan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, estimated that "it will be a long process" before the ultimate goal is reached, and people should understand the importance of this issue.

中國社會科學院日本研究所所長李薇認為，在此問題上，最終目標的達成還需要“一個很長的過程，而這個問題的重要性應得到各方認同。

A report by an advisory panel of former senior officials and experts that was delivered to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Aug 6 noted that Japan has yet to realize "complete reconciliation with China and South Korea".

8月6日，一個由前政府官員與專家組成的顧問機構向日本首相安倍提交了一份報告。報告稱，日本尚需與“中韓達成真正意義上的和解。

"Recently, the Japanese government seems to have realized that the issue of reconciliation has become a major burden for its diplomacy, and it is seeking wordings and approaches that will resolve the issue once and for all," Li observed.

李薇說：“近日，日本政府似乎已經意識到和解問題已成為其外交工作的主要負擔。日本不斷地尋找合適的措辭和方法，希望可以一勞永逸地解決此問題。

She recalled being asked by Japanese diplomats and media about "how many official apologies are enough for China's forgiveness".

李薇回憶到曾被日本外交官員和媒體詰問“日本要公開道歉多少次才能得到中方的原諒。

That raises the question of a hypothetical bottom line or lwest threshold, "which suggests that Japan is seeking a marginal effect with the lowest cost in diplomacy. It is seeking resolutions at the technical level, rather than a complete transformation at the spiritual level. In this regard, there is an obvious gap between Germany and Japan," she said.

這就令人想到日本設定的底線是什么。李薇說：“日本似乎只愿意用最少的付出獲取外交上的成功。日本在解決此問題的功夫只愿意花在技巧層面，而非誠心做出改變。如此看來，德日大不相同。

Germany's efforts to face up to its Nazi past "have been relentless in the past decades", and Germany has therefore regained the respect of the victimized countries and become a backbone of the European Union and world affairs, Li said.

李薇說，在過去數十年中，德國在面對其納粹歷史問題上的態度一直十分鮮明，因此，德國重新獲得了各受害國家的尊重并成為歐盟及國際事務中的重要力量。

Postwar German chancellors have consistently reflected and apologized on various occasions about the war, which ended 70 years ago. It is a process with no end and it shows the courage and wisdom of a political power," Li said.

她說，戰后，許多德國總理在很多場合都對那場70年前結束了的戰爭進行了反思和道歉。這種過程本身就沒有終結時刻。德國的做法體現了德國領導人的勇氣與睿智。

Japan has not demonstrated such an ambition and self-awareness, Li said.

她說，日本尚未表現出這樣的決心和自我認識。

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in June that the Japanese leader must choose between two options: continuing to stay in the shadow of history or "achieving a real reconciliation with all countries, especially those invaded and hurt by Japan".

6月，外交部部長王毅說，日本領導人面臨兩個選擇：仍然停留在歷史陰影中，還是真正同各國特別是曾經被日本侵略和傷害過的國家實現和解。

Li also raised questions about Japan's ongoing legislative campaign to get radical security bills passed and change the country's defense policy.

李薇還談到日本近日強行修改憲法以通過安保法案，以改變其防衛政策的做法。

She observed that Japan is making a shift in its security and defense policies along with the rise of right-wing voices, and "there is a growing tolerance over words and actions of right-wingers among the Japanese community".

她指出，日本在安保方面的政策伴隨著右翼勢力的崛起，“在日本，人們對右翼勢力言行的忍耐程度越來越大。

"Japan is once again taking its military forces into the realm of world affairs without achieving transformation of its national belief in regard to the recognition of history," she said.

她還說，“日本尚未正視歷史或改變其歷史觀，卻又一次將軍事力量帶入國際舞臺。

Dealing with that is "a realistic and important issue for the international community, especially East Asian countries such as China", Li said.

她說，“對于東亞各國而言，尤其是中國，如何處理這些問題將是中國外交工作中具有現實意義的重要任務。

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks at Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima during a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the atomic bomb attack on the city, Aug 6, 2023.[Photo/Agencies]

If Japan wants to reconcile with China over wartime history, it should look to the example set by Germany, a senior Chinese scholar of Japan studies told China Daily.

中國的一位日本問題專家向《中國日報》表示，如果日本希望在二戰問題上與中國和解，就該像德國學習。

Li Wei, director of the Institute of Japan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, estimated that "it will be a long process" before the ultimate goal is reached, and people should understand the importance of this issue.

中國社會科學院日本研究所所長李薇認為，在此問題上，最終目標的達成還需要“一個很長的過程，而這個問題的重要性應得到各方認同。

A report by an advisory panel of former senior officials and experts that was delivered to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Aug 6 noted that Japan has yet to realize "complete reconciliation with China and South Korea".

8月6日，一個由前政府官員與專家組成的顧問機構向日本首相安倍提交了一份報告。報告稱，日本尚需與“中韓達成真正意義上的和解。

"Recently, the Japanese government seems to have realized that the issue of reconciliation has become a major burden for its diplomacy, and it is seeking wordings and approaches that will resolve the issue once and for all," Li observed.

李薇說：“近日，日本政府似乎已經意識到和解問題已成為其外交工作的主要負擔。日本不斷地尋找合適的措辭和方法，希望可以一勞永逸地解決此問題。

She recalled being asked by Japanese diplomats and media about "how many official apologies are enough for China's forgiveness".

李薇回憶到曾被日本外交官員和媒體詰問“日本要公開道歉多少次才能得到中方的原諒。

That raises the question of a hypothetical bottom line or lwest threshold, "which suggests that Japan is seeking a marginal effect with the lowest cost in diplomacy. It is seeking resolutions at the technical level, rather than a complete transformation at the spiritual level. In this regard, there is an obvious gap between Germany and Japan," she said.

這就令人想到日本設定的底線是什么。李薇說：“日本似乎只愿意用最少的付出獲取外交上的成功。日本在解決此問題的功夫只愿意花在技巧層面，而非誠心做出改變。如此看來，德日大不相同。

Germany's efforts to face up to its Nazi past "have been relentless in the past decades", and Germany has therefore regained the respect of the victimized countries and become a backbone of the European Union and world affairs, Li said.

李薇說，在過去數十年中，德國在面對其納粹歷史問題上的態度一直十分鮮明，因此，德國重新獲得了各受害國家的尊重并成為歐盟及國際事務中的重要力量。

Postwar German chancellors have consistently reflected and apologized on various occasions about the war, which ended 70 years ago. It is a process with no end and it shows the courage and wisdom of a political power," Li said.

她說，戰后，許多德國總理在很多場合都對那場70年前結束了的戰爭進行了反思和道歉。這種過程本身就沒有終結時刻。德國的做法體現了德國領導人的勇氣與睿智。

Japan has not demonstrated such an ambition and self-awareness, Li said.

她說，日本尚未表現出這樣的決心和自我認識。

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in June that the Japanese leader must choose between two options: continuing to stay in the shadow of history or "achieving a real reconciliation with all countries, especially those invaded and hurt by Japan".

6月，外交部部長王毅說，日本領導人面臨兩個選擇：仍然停留在歷史陰影中，還是真正同各國特別是曾經被日本侵略和傷害過的國家實現和解。

Li also raised questions about Japan's ongoing legislative campaign to get radical security bills passed and change the country's defense policy.

李薇還談到日本近日強行修改憲法以通過安保法案，以改變其防衛政策的做法。

She observed that Japan is making a shift in its security and defense policies along with the rise of right-wing voices, and "there is a growing tolerance over words and actions of right-wingers among the Japanese community".

她指出，日本在安保方面的政策伴隨著右翼勢力的崛起，“在日本，人們對右翼勢力言行的忍耐程度越來越大。

"Japan is once again taking its military forces into the realm of world affairs without achieving transformation of its national belief in regard to the recognition of history," she said.

她還說，“日本尚未正視歷史或改變其歷史觀，卻又一次將軍事力量帶入國際舞臺。

Dealing with that is "a realistic and important issue for the international community, especially East Asian countries such as China", Li said.

她說，“對于東亞各國而言，尤其是中國，如何處理這些問題將是中國外交工作中具有現實意義的重要任務。