China: "Japan's Textbooks Evade Historical Responsibility... Far-Right Forces Mislead the Public"

China Strongly Protests Japan’s 2027 School Textbooks
"Obscuring Facts and Evading Historical Responsibility Through Wordplay"
"South Korea Also Lodges Stern Protest... Sparking Outrage in the International Community"

The Chinese government has issued a strong protest against Japan's new textbooks.

The flags of China and Japan to aid in the understanding of the article. Photo by AP Yonhap News Agency

According to Yonhap News on the 25th, China’s foreign ministry criticized Japan’s new textbooks for denying the forced nature of mobilization for conscripted labor and military sexual slavery during the Japanese occupation and for asserting sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyu Dao in China). The ministry stated, "Japan is evading its historical responsibility."

On this day, Lin Jian, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, pointed out regarding the 2027 school year textbooks finalized by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology the previous day, "Obscuring facts and diluting or evading historical responsibility through wordplay during the textbook review process is a habitual tactic by Japan to deny and distort the history of its aggression."

He added, "China expresses strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition and has already lodged a stern protest with Japan. The forced mobilization of comfort women and forced labor are grave crimes against humanity committed by Japanese militarism. These are internationally recognized historical facts, and the evidence is solid and cannot be changed." It is known that when China protests through diplomatic channels, it uses the expression "lodged a stern protest."

Regarding the claim of sovereignty over Diaoyu Dao, he emphasized, "Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands have always been inherent territory of China, and China holds indisputable sovereignty over them. Any attempt to undermine China’s territorial sovereignty will be futile."

On the 25th, at the Northeast Asian History Foundation in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, during an urgent analysis seminar for experts on high school textbooks that passed the 2026 certification, a part of a textbook printed with Dokdo labeled as "Takeshima" was displayed. Yonhap News Agency

Spokesperson Lin also mentioned that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs had protested Japan’s claim of sovereignty over Dokdo and the distortion of historical facts about Japanese colonial aggression in the related textbooks the previous day. He said, "We note that South Korea has also lodged a serious protest over Japan’s textbook issue," adding, "This demonstrates that the historical distortion by Japan's far-right forces is misleading the public and provoking caution and anger in the international community, including Asian countries."

He further warned, "China urges Japan to face up to and reflect on its history of aggression, clearly distance itself from militarism, and ensure that younger generations learn the historical truth. Otherwise, Japan will face even greater loss of trust among Asian countries and the international community."

Starting next spring, Japanese high school students will use textbooks such as Japanese History Inquiry, World History Inquiry, Politics and Economics, and Geography Inquiry, which have strengthened descriptions denying the forced nature of conscripted labor and comfort women mobilization during the Japanese occupation. The textbooks also describe Diaoyu Dao as inherent Japanese territory. Regarding Dokdo, expressions such as "Japan’s inherent territory," "incorporated into Shimane Prefecture in 1905," and "illegally occupied by Korea" are repeated.

In response, on the 24th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a spokesperson statement, saying, "We strongly protest the Japanese government’s approval of high school textbooks that distort historical facts in favor of a Japan-centric view of history, and we urge immediate correction."

The statement further stressed, "For the future-oriented development of Korea-Japan relations, a correct historical understanding among future generations must be the foundation. We hope the Japanese government will face up to history and show greater responsibility in historical education."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.