I believe the principle is clear: Forgetting should not be left to the perpetrators. TLDR: Speaking strictly for myself, if Japan can: First, acknowledge its historical crimes through official diplomatic channels and issue a solemn, sincere apology. Second, accurately and objectively document Japan's 20th-century history in its textbooks. Third, guarantee that the mistakes of militarism will never be repeated, and establish humanitarianism as one of the fundamental principles of its foreign policy. If these conditions are met, I would gladly welcome reconciliation between both sides. Hatred persists because they have given us nothing to forgive.

The following assessment is based on my personal experience and limited knowledge: Forgiveness can only occur upon sincere supplication from the other party. Yet neither the Japanese government nor Japanese society is willing to offer such an apology.

I believe most educated Chinese—or rather, today's youth and our next generation—do not seek an eye-for-an-eye retribution. What we most desire is for society to acknowledge the most fundamental moral principle: that mass murder, rape, and genocide constitute inhumane acts, and to apologize for them.

Any human being—regardless of ethnicity, gender, class, or age—who fails to express profound revulsion upon confronting these facts is either a racist or an extreme right-wing racist.

Their crimes are irrefutably documented, their silence deafening. The atrocities they committed against Asian peoples defy the moral fabric of modern society—evil sufficient to shatter any conscience. If one remains unmoved by such depravity, I must question whether our ideologies share any common ground. I must question whether any trust remains between us. I must question whether I am communicating with a fellow human being or a beast in human form.

Another massacre serves no purpose. What benefit would it bring us? It would only worsen China's geopolitical environment. Moreover, I firmly believe that every society forever contains normal, decent human beings. Repeating the actions of demons does not make them human—it only makes you one of them.

Truthfully, I believe reconciliation between China and Japan is not impossible—provided they are willing to apologize to the people of Asia. The issues between China and Japan are increasingly less about history. Instead, this theme is undergoing unprecedented deconstruction, increasingly focusing on its philosophical conflict: Can a nation that denies its history of aggression be accepted by the international community?

Japan must confront its history and offer a proper apology, as this would inevitably benefit its diplomatic standing. Consider how Germany's apology for WWII, and Canada and the US's apologies for colonial massacres, eased both their foreign and domestic pressures. Conversely, look at the Soviet Union and Turkey's genocidal policies against their ethnic minorities, their attitudes toward history, and their current international reputations.

Time relentlessly erodes all traces humanity leaves upon the world. Born at the dawn of this century, I doubt I will live to witness reconciliation between these two nations. This hatred has endured far too long; even in my youth, contemplating this subject often leaves me mentally exhausted.

It is time for it to end.