Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Express 'Remorse' to Asia on World War II Surrender Anniversary

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who last year caused a firestorm when he visited a controversial shrine that includes the names of convicted war criminals, promised he would express remorse for his country's role in World War II, TIME reported.

Abe is expected to issue a statement in August, which marks the 70th anniversary of the nation's surrender, according to the magazine.

"I would like to write of Japan's remorse over the war, its postwar history as a pacifist nation and how it will contribute to the Asia-Pacific region and the world," Abe noted at a Monday press conference, the Kyodo news agency noted.

The wording of the August statement is expected to be closely watched by China and South Korea, countries occupied by Japan during World War II, the Japan Times said. In Beijing and Seoul, there is particular concern over whether Abe will uphold the so-called Murayama statement, in which then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama had issued an apology in 1995.

With respect to the Murayama statement, Abe assured reporters on Monday that his government "has and will uphold statements issued by past administrations."

China, meanwhile, on Monday urged Japan to focus beyond words onto concrete steps to resolve outstanding disputes over World War II, the Japan Times reported.

"We hope Japan can match its words with its actions, honestly facing up to its history of aggression and sticking to its solemn statements and commitments made on the issue of history," said Hua Chunying, the spokeswoman for the People's Republic's foreign ministry.

On Aug. 15, 1995, which marked the 50th anniversary of the war's end, Murayama acknowledged that Japan had caused "tremendous damage and suffering" to the people of Asia and expressed "feelings of deep remorse" and a "heartfelt apology," the newspaper recalled.

Abe's visit to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in December threw his commitment to that apology in question; his move had drew sharp criticism not only from China and South Korea, but also from the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, according to CNN.