Chinese too forgiving of a people?

[DetunedRadio]

In the western world, the Nanjing Massacre is known as the pinnacle of Japanese atrocities in China.

Yet, the numbers who died there were only 300,000. The Japanese killed as many as 7-13 million chinese during the war.

Most of these were in the chinese countryside where there was no international media and no official way of counting atrocities.

As you know, most of China's population were countryside folk. The Japanese may have committed huge atrocities in Nanjing but what went on at the countryside must have surpassed it greatly.

Most of the reason why the Nanjing Massacre is well known outside of Asia is because western media was in the city during the massacre and there were a number of westerners living in the city at the time.

But no western witnessed the atrocities that went on in the countryside.

Anyway, the point is, after the war, many Japanese were stranded in China. Perhaps as many as a million.

Were the Chinese too forgiving of them? Most of them were let go and released back to Japan.

Also, a number of Japanese orphans were left behind in China as a result of the confusion during the latter days of the war.

Many of these orphans were raised by Chinese parents.

Should China have kept some of the Japanese stranded in China and used them for manual labor to help rebuild the country?

[Goldfish]

Some Japanese did stay on in China after the war, willingly and unwillingly. Some joined the Nationalist or Communist forces as mercenaries or because they agreed with the ideology of one side or the other (more so in the case of Communists). Also, since both sides used massive amounts of captured Japanese equipment after the war, especially technical equipment like radio, aircraft, etc., some technical personnel were forced to remain behind to operate the equipment or train Chinese to operate it.

However, the Allies, mainly the U.S. was eager to repatriate the Japanese as quickly as possible in order to rebuild Japan. Those suspected of war crimes were turned over to the Nationalist government when caught (it was U.S. policy that Japanese should surrender to U.S. or Nationalist Chinese personnel only, not to Communist troops). Some of these were tried and executed by the Nationalists and some of those caught in Japan (and elsewhere) and accused of crimes in China were also executed (usually either by the Americans or British). However, those accused of war crimes in Communist areas (i.e. the "Three Alls" campaigns) were often released by the Nationalists (and even wined and dined in some cases).

After the Nationalist government fled to Taiwan (which occurred while the Tokyo trials were still going on), they stopped prosecution of Japanese war criminals, largely in hopes that Japan would not recognize the People's Republic of China and would support the Nationalists in Taiwan. The Communists also stopped prosecuting war criminals (with the exception of Chinese members of Japanese puppet regimes like Manchukuo) after 1949 for the same reason and out of hope that Japan could be convinced to help China rebuild. Also, the Communists attempted to convert many Japanese to communism and then repatriate them in hopes that they would "spread the word" in Japan. Some did, but largely the plan was a failure. The U.S. stopped prosecution of Japanese war criminals after the Korean War broke out and they realized that they would need Japan as a strategic ally in Asia.

As Japan grew in economic importance after the war, both Nationalists and Communists continued to court them. Japan officially switched its recognition to the PRC in 1979 (the same year as the U.S.) and this resulted in a wave of anti-Japanese sentiment. Iris Chang's The Rape of Nanking awoke many in Asia and the West to the crimes that occurred in China during the war and this resulted in a lot of tension between Japan and China.

There is also, interestingly, a strong desire by many Chinese not to focus to much on Japanese atrocities. This is because they don't want to see themselves constantly portrayed as victims and would rather concentrate on the resistance to Japan rather than war crimes.

So, in the long run, it was the Americans and Chinese (both Nationalists and Communists) who let the Japanese off the hook and continue to do so.

[Larso]

The Chinese seem less forgiving when they demand Japanese apologies for war crimes every year or so - whenever a political edge is needed. Seems to be enough Chinese students to protest out side the embassey or attack Japanese owned shops at these times as well......

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

The People's Repulic of China armed forces is getting stronger. There is already reports of Chinese aircraft flying over Japan's aerospace. The Japanese Self Defense Air Force could only retaliate if the Chinese open fire first. Relationships between China and Japan had already been soured.

Edward

[Panzerfaust XxX]

Gentlemen,

The People's Repulic of China armed forces is getting stronger. There is already reports of Chinese aircraft flying over Japan's aerospace. The Japanese Self Defense Air Force could only retaliate if the Chinese open fire first. Relationships between China and Japan had already been soured.

Edward

Yes the PLA is becoming stronger by the day. I don't think they will go after Japan however (although anything can and does happen!)...

[Tycoon2002]

I just hope the Chinese would never forget what Japan did to their country as well as the other big proprotion of the earth in which they performed their crimes: The Japanes literally turned rape and murder into an art form.

People might say the Japanese are pacifists now - The reason they are 'Pacifists' is because their racist invasion came to a halt.

[Robert Rojas]

Greetings to both citizen Tycoon 2002 and the community as a whole. Well sir, in reference to your posting of Friday - January 27, 2006 - 7:38pm, old Uncle Bob was wondering just how long the contemporary citizenry of Dai Nihon will have to wear sackcloth for the excesses of their former colonial past. The Second World War in Asia and in Oceania ended some sixty years ago and I personally fail to see the repetitious necessity to browbeat successive generations over events of which they had no control. Finally, from an anecdotal perspective anyway, what would lead you to believe that the present generation of Japanese is disingenuous over the philosophy of pacifism? Old yours truly is VERY curious where you are coming from in respect to this matter. Well, that's my initial two cents or pence worth on this clearly contentious subject - FOR NOW ANYWAY. In anycase, I would like to bid you a copacetic day over in merry old England. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN - not to mention everybody else.

Best Regards From The Colonies,
Uncle Bob

[Tycoon2002]

Greetings to both citizen Tycoon 2002 and the community as a whole. Well sir, in reference to your posting of Friday - January 27, 2006 - 7:38pm, old Uncle Bob was wondering just how long the contemporary citizenry of Dai Nihon will have to wear sackcloth for the excesses of their former colonial past. The Second World War in Asia and in Oceania ended some sixty years ago and I personally fail to see the repetitious necessity to browbeat successive generations over events of which they had no control. Finally, from an anecdotal perspective anyway, what would lead you to believe that the present generation of Japanese is disingenuous over the philosophy of pacifism? Old yours truly is VERY curious where you are coming from in respect to this matter. Well, that's my initial two cents or pence worth on this clearly contentious subject - FOR NOW ANYWAY. In anycase, I would like to bid you a copacetic day over in merry old England. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN - not to mention everybody else.

Best Regards From The Colonies,
Uncle Bob

Thanks for your greetings.

I believe the Japanese goverment does not face up to its past. Just recently a Japanese reporter (Ill try and find/ post the link) has denied that murders happened on the Bataan death march! And it was the malaria that killed the American and Fillipino POWS on the march and not the Japanese guards themselves. It resulted in Lester Tenney - Author of 'My hitch in hell' and Bataan death march survivor to write a complaint to the Japanese goverment allowing people to deny such crimes. What would happen if Germany whitewashed the holocaust? There'd be outrage through out the west Ill tell you that

The normal Japanese are of course innocent of what the actrocious behaviour their fore fathers had commited but they fail to realise the extent of what pure evil the past generation did - Not only the Asians suffered, I have suffered as well and even though most people think of them are Pacifists - I disagree as Japanese nationlism is on the rise and still regard Chinese, Koreans and Whites as 3rd class people, and who knows what their plans are in the future. Thats why we need China to watch over them as now the Chinese have an army that matches the United States so if the Japanese want to make one more sweep through the pacific.....they'll be in for a rude suprise.

[79seconds]

In eastern morality, real man is brave enough to admit what he had done.

[Geddy]

Thats why we need China to watch over them as now the Chinese have an army that matches the United States so if the Japanese want to make one more sweep through the pacific.....they'll be in for a rude suprise.

Give me a break! Let me guess the nationality of the poster of this comment.......

Perhaps our chinese friend should consider that right now China is threatening to invade and destroy Taiwan, an independent country to all but the Chinese, if they declare the obvious i.e. independence. Hypocryte!

What we see here is evil nationalism at its worst.

[Giovanni Acuto]

Hopefully in years to come the Chinese people will also forgive the so-called democratic west for propping up the present communist dictatorship with ma$$ive investments of capital and technology.

[asiaticus]

In eastern morality, real man is brave enough to admit what he had done.

Thats a real man anywhere.

[Achtung Panzer!]

The reason why Chinese in China are still particularly bitter with Japan is that 60 years after the war, the Japanese have never extended an apology to the nations that suffered under the brutality of Japanese rule during World War Two. The Japanese refusal to apologises have made moving on from the war pretty difficult, Chinese especially those living overseas, would like to move on from this episode. However, it is the Japanese which refuses to let the old wound heal by their stuborness and in certain episodes, provocation (Yasukuni Shrine visit). The Japanese should take a leaf out from the Germans, which fully faced the full extend of the atrotcities committed by their government and is unreserved in their apologies 60 years after the end of World War Two. The Germans with their European neighbours have partially moved on from the ghost of the war and Germany enjoys status as a vital memeber of the EU which opinons are greatly respected in the EU and have achieved full European integration with their neighbours. As compared to the Japanese, which is still greatly suspected by their neigbours (China and S.Korea) and instead of integration,have annual disagreement over the issue of World War 2 in Japan. S.Korea have a long time ban Japanese culture from being imported into their country although this have been lifted for quite a few years now...however, as long as the Japanese refuses to apologise for their conduct, integration for the three major powers of Eastern Asia would be a long time to come....a pipe dream as compared to the reality of the E.U in Europe

[Achtung Panzer!]

Thats why we need China to watch over them as now the Chinese have an army that matches the United States so if the Japanese want to make one more sweep through the pacific.....they'll be in for a rude suprise.

Give me a break! Let me guess the nationality of the poster of this comment.......

Perhaps our chinese friend should consider that right now China is threatening to invade and destroy Taiwan, an independent country to all but the Chinese, if they declare the obvious i.e. independence. Hypocryte!

What we see here is evil nationalism at its worst.

Hmmm....i did not know that there was only 25 countries outside of China....if u consider the 25 countries that recognises Taiwan (ROC) as an independent countries as the only countries that make up our civilization as compared to the rest of civilization that cite Taiwan as part of China....then i tink your statement make sense....other than that...i tink what u wrote have no background to it but a pure cynical political statement...

[Achtung Panzer!]

Gentlemen,

The People's Repulic of China armed forces is getting stronger. There is already reports of Chinese aircraft flying over Japan's aerospace. The Japanese Self Defense Air Force could only retaliate if the Chinese open fire first. Relationships between China and Japan had already been soured.

Edward

Yes the PLA is becoming stronger by the day. I don't think they will go after Japan however (although anything can and does happen!)...

As compare to the US which have an annual defence budget of 400+billion USD...i tink the Chinese are not relli a worry..we shd worry more bout the US...haha