China urges Japan to reflect on its history of aggression

China hopes Japan can "listen to the call for justice from home and abroad, correctly understand and deeply reflect on its history of aggression and militarism," a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday.

A 110-minute documentary detailing the atrocities of the Japanese military's Unit 731 during the World War II is aired on Japanese national broadcaster NHK, January 21, 2018. [Photo: huanqiu.com]

Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a routine press briefing when commenting on Japan's public broadcaster NHK airing a documentary about Unit 731 Sunday night.

Unit 731 was a Japanese germ warfare unit that committed atrocities during the occupation of northeast China from 1935 to 1945. 

"The relevant historical evidence is ironclad and undeniable," the spokesperson said. "We appreciate those Japanese who have the courage to expose and face the truth of history, and hope Japan can listen to the call for justice and earnestly respect the feelings of the people of China and other victim countries in Asia."

The photo shows a secret cell in Harbin where human experiments were conducted by the Japanese military's Unit 731 during World War II. [Photo: huanqiu.com]

The 110-minute documentary, which aired on January 21, 2018 on Japan's public broadcaster NHK, detailed the human experiments and biological warfare research conducted by Unit 731, which was headquartered in northeast China's Heilongjiang.

The documentary also includes voice recordings and details from hearings when members of Unit 731 were tried at the Khabarovsk War Crime Trials in 1949.

"Unit 731 - How Human Experiments Were Conducted" details some of the human experiments, including forcing victims to eat melons laced with typhoid bacteria, as well as testing on other biological agents.

The documentary also tells how medical students from Japanese universities like Tokyo University and Kyoto University were conscripted into Unit 731 to conduct research on biological warfare, and were warned not to reveal anything about the human experiments.

This documentary is the second aired by NHK detailing the atrocities of Unit 731.

The first one, "The Truth of Harbin Unit 731," aired in August, 2017.