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| Thread: China |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 3 4 5 · NEXT» |
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Consis
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posted February 19, 2005 09:54 PM |
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Edited By: Consis on 26 Mar 2005
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China
As an American is the creator of this thread, I must apologize for having such a limited view of the world. I am unable to see beyond the scope of my own citizenship for this topic. Please forgive me and I hope other Heroes Community members will offer their non-American views to help balance my American opinions.
I have been reading and learning a great deal about China and its role in the global scheme of things in relation to my own country. There was a time when I had openly presumed the next world war to be between China and my country. I had based my theories mostly on Taiwan and Japan and soon discovered how lacking my methods of research were. But now I am again led to wonder what the future holds for relations between China and my country. With President Bush in office and blatantly proclaiming to the world that he will spread his democracy and freedom where it is needed, I am left feeling extremely uneasy.
I once mentioned that Cuba was to the U.S. what Taiwan is to China(page 2 of Svarog's Cuba Libre thread). When I said this I was referring to the fact that Taiwan is in fact a democratic government. This is a stark contrast to the Chinese way of governing. The problem is that China claims Taiwan as its own. Taiwan is a small island home to roughly 22 million people. Most claim Toaist and Confucian(China's historic religious majority) beliefs. Not only is the Taiwanese democracy a political contradiction to modern-day China but so too is its large Confucian following. China is a communist state/country. The state-sponsored/supported Chinese communist party/CCP(only about 60 million) is actually extremely small in comparison to the rest of the country and largely opposes the ancient Confucian system of values and beliefs. In this regard, Taiwan could be seen as a political and social threat to modern-day China. It is heavily involved in free trade with the U.S.(world's largest opponent of communist doctrines), practices democracy, and upholds ancient Chinese popular religion.
Taiwanese history is inextricably linked to China. In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan. Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1946 constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades, the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the native population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist to the Democratic Progressive Party. The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship between Taiwan and China; specifically the question of eventual unification.
 http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/19/us.japan/index.html
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China views Taiwan as a renegade province that must be united with the mainland, by force if necessary. CIA Director Porter Goss told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that China's military buildup not only tilts the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait, it threatens U.S. forces in the region. The United States does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but has pledged to protect it and provide arms sales through the Taiwan Relations Act. Although U.S. policy recognizes Taiwan as part of China, the Bush administration has been increasingly concerned about China's threat to use force against Taiwan, should it move toward independence.
While China's main goal of expanding its military might is to intimidate Taiwan, it is also trying to demonstrate its power in the region and operating in areas where the United States has operations, which is not a good thing. Japan is also concerned about moves by China, such as a recent incursion into Japanese waters by a Chinese submarine. The talks come as the United States considers how to realign the nearly 50,000 U.S. forces in Japan.
Japanese involvment is extremely significant because this is the larger of two American democratic citadels located in the western pacific region; the smaller being South Korea of course.
I've found some interesting details about modern-day China. Here is a link to the C.I.A. world factbook of records detailing certain key facts about China. Please note that the link is American(see above disclaimer).
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html
There are thousands upon thousands of internet links to detail the increase of the Chinese economic productivity but HC threads get first pick. Here is a thread called "Chinese Rapid Economy" created by DrakeMaster2.
http://heroescommunity.com/viewthread.php3?FID=10&TID=11659
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Consis
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posted March 06, 2005 01:54 AM |
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Edited By: Consis on 5 Mar 2005
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Taiwan
Taiwan, the final bastion of Chinese democracy, will soon see the communist-run Chinese majority flex it's military might and overwhelming membership with new anti-secession laws to justify the use of force to uphold communism as the national form of governing. And what will the rest of the world do? Will we all sit and watch as the freedom of some 22.7 million people is taken by force? Will we watch as these now free peoples get brutally swung back under the boot of a communist-ran government? This is sad. China is a country of more than 1.2 billion people. I don't understand how a communist regime of only about 60 million can dominate such a vast expanse of people. Now we will see what the world will do while communist China makes plans to take back control of Taiwan. Soon the world will see a battlefield that will dwarf the Iraqi conflict and bring about yet again a renewed sense of global fear in communism.
I am hoping the United States of America will offer sanctuary to all Taiwanese who ask for it. It is the least we could do. But to those who would stay and fight for their home and their strong ties to ancient Chinese legacy, I can only hope for them. I will hope that the Chinese people rise up against their own government to take back their own country. I will hope for their children and their homes. I will hope for their survival in the face of overwhelming odds. They need a miracle.
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Roses Are RedAnd So Am I
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Consis
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posted March 06, 2005 06:37 PM |
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Bush Will Back Down...methinks
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"Any practice of putting Taiwan directly or indirectly into the scope of Japan/U.S. security cooperation constitutes an encroachment on China's sovereignty and interference in internal affairs".
~Li Zhaoxing: Foreign Minister to China
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Svarog
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posted March 07, 2005 12:17 AM |
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As I understand your reasoning, there are two reasons responsible for the conflict of interests between China and Taiwan: religion and political system. You’re largely off track with the first one. (It isnt enough only to look up in an encyclopedia under the section “major religions” and than design your own theories.) Religion has always been of little significance in Chinese political matters, and none at all after the communist revolution. The same can be said about Taiwan. Confucianism itself doesn’t strive aggressively to achieve political influence (like Christianity and Islam). Its marely a system of philosophy which has more cultural significance in daily Chinese life for example, and many of its teachings are still present in Chinese culture even though the official Communist practice shuns all religious practices (but does allow them legally). Bottomline, neither China sees Taiwan as religious threat, nor does Taiwan intend to claim such a role.
Before I talk about the opposition of political systems in China and Taiwan, allow me to say that referring to Taiwan and China as separate entities (espcially historically) is wrong, since Taiwan was an integral part of China until the Revolution when Chang Kai Shek established an independent capitalist regime there with massive help from the US (it is here when Taiwanese path branches out from the Chinese). So, its not a separate country, and its disputable whether China has the right to return the island under Chinese control or not.
Now, its very misleading to assume a hateful opposition between Chinese Communism and Taiwanese democracy. You speak all the time about Chinese Communism as a regime that should be violently torn down, like its some form of freaking Stalinism. Truth of the matter is that it allows for much freedom and the situation is improving daily. Chinese economy model is a revised socialist one, and it enjoys a sturdy general support among the population. A huge black spot is the lack of any direct democratic practice, but it’s a Chinese internal matter, not American one!
What irks the Chinese is the largly symbolical significence of Taiwan as a dissident island, which defies Chinese power thanks to American support. And its shameful for a world power to cant control its territory (since Taiwan is considered native territory by the central authorities) and even more degrading that its thanks to another world superpower. Its more the stubborn claim for independence by the Taiwanese and the obvious US influence there that is annoying, not the different political system, which the Chinese proved they can tolerate, as was the case with Hong Kong, only if Taiwan agreed to give up its sovereignity. Unfortunately they wont, as they have a bully of their own who’s willing to stood up for a territory which belongs to a foreign country. I’m not saying I justify Chinese millitary intervention in Taiwan, but to think that it would be an act of enslaving and taking away freedom by an evil communist regime is totally misinformed paranoic propagandistic crap, if i’m entirely honest with words.
And as a last note – 60 million is the number of members of the Chinese communist party (which makes it biggest party membership in the world), not the number of its supporters, which I assure you is above 50% (which is, what, 500 million is the case of China). How could you believe in the first place that only 60 mllion were in support of the current regime and it still stayed in power? That speaks a lot about the wrong image you have about China. I hope this post will give you that different perspective you were looking for in the beginning of the thread.
See you in Beijing in 2008. 
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The meek shall inherit the earth, but NOT its mineral rights.
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Consis
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posted March 07, 2005 12:52 AM |
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Edited By: Consis on 6 Mar 2005
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Taiwan Is A Democracy
I still disagree with your analysis Svarog. I will fight the Chinese Communist Party in any way that I can. Taiwan is a democracy not run by a communist faction. Because of this they are able to have freedom of religion and press. They also have free trade laws that keep their economy strong.
There is so much about China that I do not know. But I do know that no democracy means no freedom. This also means women have little or no rights. This majority communist party is responsible for the law limiting the number of girl children people can have. It is also responsible for the law of imprisoning for run-away children: if you are a child living in an abusive house and you run away, your parents and family will be thrown in jail, and property seized until you return. They also allow "family employees" to be treated as property. That's human slavery any way you slice it.
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Svarog
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posted March 07, 2005 03:59 AM |
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But I do know that no democracy means no freedom. This also means women have little or no rights.
Both are far from truth. Democracy is a method of electing leaders. once the leaders are there, they determine how much freedom there will be.
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This majority communist party is responsible for the law limiting the number of girl children people can have.
theres no law limiting the number of girls children. theres a one-child policy, which is due to overpopulation. and if u ask me globally thats a huge sacrifice on bahlf of the chinese people.
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It is also responsible for the law of imprisoning for run-away children: if you are a child living in an abusive house and you run away, your parents and family will be thrown in jail, and property seized until you return.
First time i hear abot smth like that. i think u misunderstood smth. care to offer links?
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They also allow "family employees" to be treated as property. That's human slavery any way you slice it.
If anywhere employees are treated as property, thats capitalism.
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The meek shall inherit the earth, but NOT its mineral rights.
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Vlaad
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posted March 07, 2005 02:45 PM |
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This also means women have little or no rights.
It's a common misconception; in fact, communism has brought sexual equality to lots of countries.
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terje_the_ma...
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posted March 07, 2005 09:37 PM |
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Truth of the matter is that it allows for much freedom and the situation is improving daily. Chinese economy model is a revised socialist one, and it enjoys a sturdy general support among the population.
A few weeks ago, I went to hear a speech made by the Chinese democracy activist Wei Jingsheng (http://www.weijingsheng.org/), who told some rather interesting things about China.
In China, there are thousands of multi-millionaires (from now on referred to as "the rich people). However, the social differences are immense, and the rich people huddle their homes together in their own kinds of ghettos. Wei Jingsheng told us that in most Chinese cities, work is scarce, so the poor majority of the Chinese population are “forced” to work as servants for the rich people in the Chinese equivalent of the Hamptons.
Now, these poor people live in very humble conditions, and when they go to work for the rich people, it must appear to them as if they’re travelling into another world. The rich people have become rich by setting themselves up as subcontractors to big American corporations, who use the Chinese countryside as their own private sweatshop (to exaggerate slightly). So these poor people travel from their own neighbourhoods, into the richer neighbourhoods.
And what do they see? Before they leave their own areas, they can observe the poorest Chinese living on the streets. They see their sisters, their girlfriends, their younger brothers, forced into prostitution because there is no other way to make enough money to survive. They see dilapidated tenement buildings, filled to the rim and more with people. They see children begging on the streets.
And then they enter the rich neighbourhoods. Bentleys. Penthouses. Green lawns. Garbage cans overflowing with stuff so expensive that the poor people wouldn’t have been able to buy it if they’d worked their entire lives. And that’s just outside…
Then, at night after long, hard and lousily paid hours, they return to their poor neighbourhoods again. And this goes on and on and on, for days, for weeks, for months, for years.
To put things short, Wei Jingsheng suggested to possibility of a Socialist revolution in Communist China.
I may have exaggerated some here, to get my point through, but indulge me in this, will you? 
So, to my next point. In the quote in the beginning of my post, Svarog mentioned the revised socialist economy of China. Now, I’m far from an expert on this (as if you hadn’t noticed  ), but wasn’t the original Maoist economic system just a standard Socialist one, just with a free market for agricultural products?
And isn’t much of China’s current economic prosperity a result of the sweatshop industries in the rural southern provinces, where attempts at setting up unions are crushed (see, Consis; China and the US have something in common!  ), pregnant female workers are fired, workers are forced to work for an extremely low minimum wage for extremely long hours, where the workers are drugged down during work hours in order to keep them going all night, and such things?
Like I said, I’m no expert on all this, but this is nonetheless the image I’ve obtained by reading various articles about the conditions of working people in China…
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"Sometimes I think everyone's just pretending to be brave, and none of us really are. Maybe pretending to be brave is how you get brave, I don't know."
- Grenn, A Storm of Swords.
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Svarog
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posted March 08, 2005 02:27 AM |
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Excellent post terje.
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In the quote in the beginning of my post, Svarog mentioned the revised socialist economy of China. Now, I’m far from an expert on this (as if you hadn’t noticed ), but wasn’t the original Maoist economic system just a standard Socialist one, just with a free market for agricultural products?
The Maoist was translated Soviet one, yes, but China has experienced a profound economic reform since then.
In short, the economy is diveded between state-owned companies and foreign sweatshops, where the capitalist exploitation you described occurs. The market is partially free, with some industry sectors controlled.
Since state-owned companies are in urban areas, there is a huge segment of the population in rural areas living on the very edge. This is why the Chinese "opened up" for foreign capital. Expectedly, the enforcement of labour laws is weak (its not only an effective weakness but also lack of willingness by the authorities); it has to be, if they want to keep the Western capital and champion investment, which truly is maybe the main engine of Chinese economic miracle. State-owned companies still work on the level (though naturally with less profit than foreign ones) and provide very favourable conditions (standard working time, pension and health insurance, paid free working days), almost royal, compared to Chinese Nikie shoe factories.
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The meek shall inherit the earth, but NOT its mineral rights.
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Consis
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posted March 14, 2005 05:48 AM |
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Step 1: Legalize Brutality
Chinese Congress Passes Taiwan Bill
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/03/13/china.npc.law/index.html
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China's top legislative body has approved a resolution that authorizes Beijing to use military force to prevent Taiwan from declaring its independence. The law allows China's State Council and the Central Military Commission to move against any formal secession attempt by Taiwan as a last resort, should chances for peaceful reunification "be completely exhausted." The law also declares that the status of Taiwan "is China's internal affair, which subjects to no interference by any outside forces."
My country's president, George W. Bush, has pledged to defend Taiwan against any Chinese attack. My country is also Taiwan's largest supporter and main supplier of military arms and equipment. I once worried over the threat of an impending war between China and the U.S.. I then researched until I found reasonable evidence to support the contrary. Upon learning of my country's historic relations and current general populace opinion of China, I quickly gained a new perspective; holding strong that war between our two countries is not only contrary but also futile for both sides.
But now these circumstances do not bode well for my new opinion. I still hold to my opinion of no war but I can't ignore the facts.
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Roses Are RedAnd So Am I
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terje_the_ma...
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posted March 14, 2005 07:49 PM |
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Though it's folly to use military force to prevent Taiwan from declaring independence, I see their point. After all, the way they see it, Taiwan is still a part of China. If they hadn't done anything, it'd been like the USA hadn't attacked the Confederates...
I guess the Taiwanese doesn't agree to that, though...
Besides, it's probaby just a deterrent piece of legislation...
Btw, I saw an article in a newspaper today, about China and its relation to South America.
It seems that while the US has been busy elsewhere, China has taken the opportunity to create bonds to South American governments, both for militant, economical and political reasons.
The most prominent political cause they've begun "promoting" in SA, is that the SA countries should stop having diplomatic ties to Taiwan. It's especially countries in Central America and the Caribbean that has such connections.
In addition has China and Brazil forged some kind of an alliance in the WTO, an alliance that Argentina, India and South Africa is also parts of occasionally. While China supports the Brazilian demand to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Brazil supports the Chinese entry into the Inter American Development Bank.
China has also decided to send some of their police officers to Haiti to aid the Brazil-led UN force there.
As for the military cooperation, has China increased their arms sales to countries of Latin America; countries that up until now have been under an export prohibition for advanced military technology and war planes. These countries have been in need of weapons ever since the US reduced their military support to these countries.
Also, Chinese military delegations have begun visiting the continent more and more frequently.
One of the reasons the Chinese have been able to do this, is that the US has decreasing civil and military aid to those countries in the region that demanded that also American soldiers must be under the jurisdiction of the ICC in Haag. Other reasons are the US weapons embargo, that's affected even close allies such as Chile, and the political changes the region has seen in the last years.
When it comes to the economic cooperation, it mostly consists of China securing its raw material supply. To make transport of various raw materials easier, China have made massive investments in South American infrastructure, such as roads, ports and railways. These investments have now reached $50 billion a year.
According to Michelle Billig, an analysist for the energy group PIRA in New York, this strategy was initiated 7-8 years ago.
The export of copper, soya and iron ore from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru helped raise Latin America's sales to China by 45%, to $21.7 billion last year. The trade between China and South America has been more than quadrupled in the last four years, and it's likely that it'll increase even more when their joint project of iron ore and aluminium get started.
EDIT: Corrected some numbers; it was $21,7 BILLION, not $21,7 MILLION...
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"Sometimes I think everyone's just pretending to be brave, and none of us really are. Maybe pretending to be brave is how you get brave, I don't know."
- Grenn, A Storm of Swords.
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rychenroller
Promising
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posted March 17, 2005 04:49 AM |
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The UD wont flex any military muscle against China...they are still the "great unknown in the world power stakes. Whatever action the US takes, will probably be an underestimate of Chinese military prowess.
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Myctteakyshd
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Consis
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posted March 26, 2005 05:13 PM |
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I Don't Know The Future
I raise my children with books and stories of the Flying Tigers and the principles of democracy. Only through the right to vote does a peoples' true strength and beauty come forth. Taiwan must be free to inspire the rest of China to conduct free elections. If war comes to Taiwan then I will show my support for them by voting for a president sympathetic to Taiwanese freedom. I will also attend rallies for freedom of Taiwanese democracy. I will write letters to my Congressmen and women explaining my concern for these free people. Taiwan must be free to inspire China in my opinion. We cannot simply stand by and watch them become yet another victim of communist rule. If they ask for our support then we should give it to them. I believe the Japanese would also support Taiwanese freedom of democracy.
While I support Taiwanese freedom, I do not support Taiwan's independence from China. I believe there should be no seperation. These people are of China's own history and legacy. I also believe that while they are geographically seperate, they remain fundamentally connected to the heart of many democratic supporters in China who are forced into silence. Taiwan inspires religious tolerance, free elections, and good trading relations with foreign economies. I believe this helps maintain a good atmosphere of regional stability and sovereign recognition from other countries, global economic competitors, and civil rights organizations.
I say let them be free. Let Taiwan stay the deep hereditary and spiritual connection that they have long held with all of China.
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Roses Are RedAnd So Am I
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terje_the_ma...
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posted March 28, 2005 09:34 PM |
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Taiwan must be free to inspire the rest of China to conduct free elections. If war comes to Taiwan then I will show my support for them by voting for a president sympathetic to Taiwanese freedom.
Are you willing to start World War III just so that the Taiwanese Chinese people can live "free(-r than in China)"?
I hope I've misunderstood you here Consis. Though I believe that there are causes worth both fighting and making sacrifices for, I do not think that risking the fate and well-being of the entire world to save Taiwan from Chinese "intervention" is entirely proportional...
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and good trading relations with foreign economies.
Tell me, how does this differ from China? Are you saying that China doesn't have good trading relations with foreign economies?
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"Sometimes I think everyone's just pretending to be brave, and none of us really are. Maybe pretending to be brave is how you get brave, I don't know."
- Grenn, A Storm of Swords.
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Consis
Honorable
Legendary Hero
Of Ruby
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posted March 29, 2005 12:07 AM |
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Edited By: Consis on 6 Apr 2005
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General Concepts
You haven't misunderstood me. China has only recently started coming out of its shell with allowing more economic reforms to take place. The CCP is considered to be ruling with great political/military overbearance however. Most any political opposition is quickly stamped out of existence by the current government. This includes religious organizations that are seen as a threat to the communist way of life.
The American equivalent would be as such:
(Equivical Hypothesizing)
1. American government would directly impose its full military strength against smaller political/religious groups that posed a perceived threat such as the green party, KKK, Evangelicals, Satanists, Wickas, etc....
2. American government would use it's full military force against Cuba; occupying the island and redistributing all of its former trade relations with Brazil, Mexico, etc to now serve the American economic greater good.
3. American government declaring capitalism to be the national state-sponsored religion.
These are some of the things that China has done that America does not do. One could argue even further with our past relations in Vietnam and North Korea but I don't think people really want to talk about that right now.
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Roses Are RedAnd So Am I
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Asmodean
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Heroine at the weekend.
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posted April 10, 2005 12:46 PM |
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Link and other comments removed.
CBDuke, please refrain from posting links like that.
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To err is human, to arr is pirate.
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CB_Duke
Hired Hero
Gamer
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posted April 11, 2005 06:51 PM |
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Hmm, do you think that link was very unpleasant? May I post link where are the same things but there are about brutal treatment with animals only? There is some dishes prepared with bear pad it goes without saying that pad slices on live animal.
PS: I just asking.
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Wolfman
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posted April 11, 2005 07:45 PM |
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I don't see why you shouldn't really, but why would you want to? Doesn't fit the topic as far as I can tell.
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Consis
Honorable
Legendary Hero
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posted April 11, 2005 09:26 PM |
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Edited By: Consis on 11 Apr 2005
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It's Distasteful and Unnecessary
I think he's simply feeding ignorant stereotypes about the Chinese culture/people. It's an advertisement of a particularly smutty side to a historically magnificent people and their land. This is the sort of thing that local commoners might read in a "smut-magazine".
The point is 'dubious characters' exist within every walk of life; America is no different. But those people don't represent the image of their true nationality. If you want to see American scum then simply turn on television and watch a few episodes of "Jerry Springer" or pick up a magazine like the "National Enquirer".
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Roses Are RedAnd So Am I
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Wolfman
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posted April 12, 2005 03:14 PM |
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Japan: China is 'scary country'
NEW DELHI, India -- China's premier has told Japan to "face up to history," while a top Japanese official has called China "scary" as a war of words simmers following massive protests in the weekend.
The missives on Tuesday came after tens of thousands of Chinese took to the streets on Saturday and Sunday, angry at a new Japanese history book they say fails to admit the extent of Japan's World War II atrocities.
The protests -- which were the largest since 1999 when crowds rallied outside the U.S. Embassy in Beijing when three Chinese were killed in Belgrade -- also targeted Japan's bid to become a permanent U.N. Security Council member.
In the latest flare-up between the two former rivals, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday that Japan must "face up to history squarely" and that the protests should give Tokyo reason to rethink its bid for a permanent council seat.
"The strong responses from the Asian people should make the Japanese government have deep and profound reflections," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.
"Only a country that respects history, takes responsibility for past history and wins over the trust of the people in Asia and the world at large can take greater responsibility in the international community," he added.
The comments were the most direct to date of opposition to Japanese membership in the elite club of five powers with permanent Security Council status. China already is a member, along with the United States, Russia, Britain and France.
On Tuesday Japanese Trade Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said he was concerned about the impact of the Chinese sentiment on Japanese companies, one day after Junichiro Koizumi called the protests "regrettable" and urged the Chinese to protect the nation's citizens.
"Yes, I'm worried ... they're a country that's trying to become a market economy and we need them to take a proper response," Nakagawa told a news conference.
"It's a scary country."
Japan's leaders have so far apologized to China on no fewer than 17 occasions since the two nations restored diplomatic ties in 1972, according to The Economist Global Agenda.
But the scandal over textbooks has only exacerbated ill-will, with recent clashes over disputed islands in the East China Sea, the incursion of a Chinese submarine into Japanese waters and exploration of natural gas fields beneath the seabed, adding fuel to the fire.
'Open provocation'
Of 1,000 Chinese in major cities surveyed in a telephone poll by the independent Social Survey Institute of China, nearly all said the textbook move was an insult, with most saying it was "open provocation," Reuters reported.
Protests are rare in China, with the government keeping a tight rein on any public gatherings and banning most demonstrations.
But while China's government has urged protesters to remain calm, and avoid extremist behavior, it has been tolerant of these anti-Japanese demonstrations, urging Tokyo to take a "responsible attitude" towards history.
The protests saw tens of thousands of protesters call for a boycott of Japanese products, burning flags and shouting anti-Japanese slogans.
Tokyo has demanded an apology and compensation from Beijing for the damage caused by protesters, and demanded that Chinese authorities protect Japanese in China.
The tensions can be traced back to Japan's military campaigns in the last century. Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, and occupied various parts of China until 1945.
In particular, Chinese say Tokyo plays down 1937's "Nanjing massacre." When that city fell to the Japanese Imperial Army, tens of thousands of civilians and prisoners of war were killed.
There is also much resentment of Japan's WWII practice of forcing women from China and other parts of Asia to become sex slaves for its soldiers.
Several appeals by those women for compensation have been rejected by Tokyo's high court.
CNN correspondent Tara Duffy contributed to this report.
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In the latest flare-up between the two former rivals, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday that Japan must "face up to history squarely" and that the protests should give Tokyo reason to rethink its bid for a permanent council seat.
Is this a joke? Coming from China who doesn't acknowledge the Tiananmen Square Massacre they tell Japan to face up to history. And if they don't they should rethink their bid for permanent membership in the UN.
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"Only a country that respects history, takes responsibility for past history...can take greater responsibility in the international community," he added.
I guess I just don't understand some people.
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