U.N. Secretary General defends attendance to China’s V-Day parade despite renewed Japanese concerns

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Monday expressed discomfort over U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's plan to attend a grand military parade in Beijing on September 3 to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggressions and the World Anti-Fascist War, according to Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun.

"We want to encourage member countries to look to the future and not to unnecessarily focus on particular events in the past," Suga said at a press conference on Monday.

Japan’s Permanent Mission to the UN also delivered Japanese government’s concerns over Ban’s attendance at the parade to the UN Secretariat in New York on August 27.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon responded to these concerns on his upcoming China visit. He said it is very important for the world community to learn from the past and move forward. “The whole world is now commemorating the 70th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War, most tragic in the history of human beings and at the same time the founding of the United Nations." He also added "It's important to look to the past, what kinds of lessons we have been learning, and how we can move ahead to a brighter future based on the lessons learned. That is the main purpose."

"I went to Poland in May, that's the place where the Second World War started, and I went to Ukraine, and then I participated in a big event which was held in Russia on May 9," he said.

The grand parade held by China on Sept. 3 is intended to commemorate history, cherish the memory of fallen revolutionary heroes, uphold peace and usher in the future, with no specific countries targeted, said Qu Rui, deputy director of the Office of the Parade Leading Team and deputy chief of the Operations Department of the General Staff Headquarters. 

This article was edited and translated from 《日称潘基文出席阅兵浪费精力》,source: Global Times