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.
译文如下：
新德里, 印度 --中国的 premier 有对～说日本"勇敢的面对历史,"而当字的一个战争在周末内在庞大的抗议之后慢慢地煮沸，一位最高的日本官员有呼叫中国 "容易受惊的"。
在数万华人在星期六喜爱街道之後 , 公文在星期二来和星期日,生气的在新日本的历史订购他们对～说不及格承认日本的第二次世界大战残暴的范围。
抗议 -- 当当三个华人在贝尔格勒(南斯拉夫首都) 被杀的时候群众在美国驻北京大使馆外面重整旗鼓的时候 , 自从 1999 以後最大的是哪一 -- 也对准日本变成一个长备的联合国安全理事会成员的企图 。
在二个前任对手之间的最近火焰中，中国的 Premier Wen Jiabao 在星期二在新德里告诉记者日本必须 "方形地勇敢的面对历史" 而且抗议应该给东京理由为一个长备的会议位子再想它的竞标。
" 来自亚洲的人们强壮的反应深入地应该使日本的政府有和极深的反映,"路透社新闻机构引述他所说。
" 只有一个在亚洲和世界中尊敬历史, 负起对～的责任过去的历史而且结束赢得人的信赖国家自由自在的能负起国际的社区比较很棒的职责,"他继续说。
意见是在五力量的精华俱乐部中对日本的全体会员的反对派用 长备的安全理事会状态约会的最直接的。 中国已经是一个成员,连同美国，俄国，英国和法国一起。
在星期二日本人贸易部长 Shoichi Nakagawa 之上说他到处是关心的日本公司上的中国情绪的冲击,一个天在 Junichiro Koizumi 之后称抗议为 "可叹的" 而且催促了华人保护国家的市民。
"是的, 我是。。。他们是一个正在尝试变成市场经济的国家，而且我们需要他们带一个适当的回应,"Nakagawa 告诉一个记者会。
"它是一个容易受惊的国家"。
日本的领袖如此远有对中国道歉在比自二个国家以后的 17 场合不少之上在 1972 年回复了外交的关系,依照经济学者全球的议程。
但是进入天然气领域的日本水和探险之内在海底之下在教科书上的丑闻由于在争论的岛上最近的冲突在中国海洋东部中只有有恶化疾病-意志中国的潜水艇的侵入,增加对火加燃料。
'开着的激怒'
1,000 华人在主要的城市中审视在一个电话中中国的独立社会的调查学会的民意调查, 几乎全部说教科书移动是一个侮辱, 由于最大多数的叙述它是 "开着的激怒,"路透社报告。
抗议是稀罕的在中国,由于政府保存任何的公众聚集上的紧缰绳而且禁止最大多数的示范。
但是当中国的政府有催促抗议者保持平静的,而且避免极端分子行为的时候,它这些反日本的示范有是宽容的,带对於历史的 "有责任的态度" 的敦促东京。
抗议看见数万抗议者要求日本的产品一次杯葛, 燃的旗子和呼喊反日本的呐喊声。
东京有为被抗议者引起, 而且要求的损害要求从北京来的道歉和酬劳中国的主管当局在中国保护日本人。
紧张能被在最後一个世纪内向后地追踪到日本军事的活动。 日本在 1931 年侵入了东北九省, 而且占领了中国的各种不同的部份直到 1945.
特别地，华人下 1937 年代置于地面说东京游戏 "南京大屠杀." 当那座城市落到日本的帝王军队的时候,数万平民和战俘被杀。
强迫来自亚洲的中国和其他的部份女人为它的军人变成性别奴隶的日本 WWII 练习也有很多的怨恨。
那些女人的一些诉愿为酬劳有被东京的高等法院拒绝。
