Japanese militarism on rise, says Russian veteran

Japan's recent illegal moves to "purchase" China's Diaoyu Islands show militarism is on the rise in that country, according to a Russian war veteran.

Vasili Ivanov, deputy head of the Russia-China Friendship Society's Central Office, told Xinhua that Japan's refusal to recognize China's sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands, which was stipulated in post-war documents, showed a "resurrection of the samurai."

The 91-year-old, who fought Japanese troops in northeast China during World War II, said some Japanese, especially right-wingers, did not recognize the country's unconditional and voluntary surrender in the war.

"Japan's refusal to recognize the war results means they will demand the return of all they had before the war -- lands, islands they illegally occupied and lost," Ivanov said.

"All their escapades, including the recent one against China, are meant to confirm their right to these lands," he said.

"We, along with other participants in the war against Japan, are categorically against the return of Japanese militarism," the veteran said.

Ivanov said the Diaoyu Islands had never belonged to Japan and China was recognized as the rightful owner by binding post-war legal documents, such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation.

The two documents stipulated Japan should return all the territories taken from China, including Taiwan and its surrounding islands, he said.

However, under agreements with the United States, Japan illegally occupied the Diaoyu Islands and now even tried to claim them.

Japan might go further with its territorial ambitions, keeping its relations with China, Russia, South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on edge, the veteran warned.

He urged closer cooperation among those countries in opposing Tokyo's rising militaristic ambitions.

"Leaders (of those countries) ought to give due rebuff to the Japanese ultra-right forces. They should tell the ultra-right wingers this is it -- all is settled and recognized by the whole world. No changes can be made now," Ivanov said.

The Japanese right wingers should know their farces would come to naught, the veteran said.