Wang Yi: Only by facing history can we prevent from straying into the wrong path again.

On August 15, 2025, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs, clarified China's position on historical issues during a joint press conference after the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting. Wang Yi said, "I also want to clarify China's position on this day. 80 years ago today, Japan was defeated in the war, accepted the Potsdam Declaration, and announced an unconditional surrender. The aggressive war launched by Japanese militarists back then brought deep disasters to the Chinese and Asian peoples, as well as great harm to the Japanese people themselves. International documents such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration clearly defined Japan's war responsibility, demanding Japan to return the territories it stole from China, including Taiwan. This is an indisputable victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and an important component of the post-war international order. However, to this day, some forces in Japan are still trying to whitewash aggression, deny aggression, distort history, and even resurrect convicted war criminals, which is despicable and self-defeating. It challenges the United Nations Charter, the post-war international order, human conscience, and all victorious nations. Only by facing history can we earn respect; only by learning from history can we pave the way for the future; only by remembering the past can we prevent future mistakes. We urge Japan to make the right choice."