Upholding historical truth: China’s ambassador to Belarus comments on 80th anniversary of Tokyo Trials

Ambassador Zhang Wenchuan. File photo

MINSK, 3 May (BelTA) - China is ready to jointly defend the victorious outcomes of World War II together with Belarus, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Belarus Zhang Wenchuan told BelTA.

The head of the diplomatic mission noted: “Exactly 80 years ago, on 3 May 1946, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (also known as the Tokyo Trials for Japanese war criminals held in Tokyo from 3 May 1946 to 12 November 1948) opened in Tokyo. Judges from 11 countries, including China, the USSR, the USA, Great Britain, France, and India, jointly began the international judicial process against Japanese Class A war criminals guilty of aggression against China during World War II.”

“Over the course of more than two years, the tribunal held over 800 sessions, heard testimony from more than 400 witnesses, accepted written statements from over 700 individuals, and examined more than 4,300 pieces of physical evidence. In the end, all the defendants were found guilty of the crimes they had committed and sentenced to death or other penalties,” the Chinese ambassador said.

“At virtually the same time, judges from the USSR, the USA, Great Britain, and France were conducting a trial of the main Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg, Germany,” the head of the diplomatic mission continued. “Based on irrefutable facts, they handed down sentences to many key war criminals, a significant number of whom had committed grave crimes against the Belarusian people.”

Ambassador Zhang Wenchuan emphasized that the Tokyo and Nuremberg trials initiated accountability for war crimes based on international law, upholding historical truth, international justice, and human dignity.

“This was not merely a trial of the victorious nations over the defeated, but a great judgment of peace over war, of civilization over barbarism, of justice over evil. It was a trial that was both legal and political, one worthy of eternal memory. At the same time, the Tokyo Trials also had obvious shortcomings. For example, the Japanese supreme commanders were not brought to justice, no charges were brought regarding the widespread use of bacteriological and chemical weapons by the Japanese army, and the sentences handed down earlier were not fully carried out. As a result, after the war, Japan never seriously repented or reexamined its history and external aggression, creating fertile ground for the resurgence of Japanese militarism,” the head of the Chinese diplomatic mission stated.

The ambassador also noted: “In recent years, Japan’s security policy has been continuously shifting towards offensiveness, expansion, and threat. Recently, a new form of militarism has emerged in Japan: some politicians and right-wing forces are seeking to restore military ranks and designations from the World War II era, openly honoring war criminals and attempting to accelerate Japan’s ‘remilitarization’ through the reorganization of the military industry. This already poses a serious threat to international peace and security. The international community must remain highly vigilant and jointly oppose this.”

Ambassador Zhang Wenchuan emphasized that the peoples of China and Belarus endured enormous sacrifices, and through unwavering will and heroic struggle, defeated fascism, regained national independence, and made tremendous contributions to the cause of human progress.

The Chinese side is ready, together with the Belarusian side, to defend the victorious outcomes of World War II, the post-war international order, international justice and fairness, and to make unremitting efforts to ensure peace, stability and prosperity throughout the world,” the Chinese ambassador said.