China "strongly dissatisfied" with Japanese court in sex slavery suit

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in Beijing Friday that China is "strongly dissatisfied" with the rejection of a Japanese court on the compensation suit by wartime Chinese sex slaves.

The Japanese Tokyo High Court recently rejected a compensation claim by two Chinese women who were forced to be sex slaves by Japanese soldiers during World War Two. The reference used by the court was a treaty signed by the Japanese government and the Taiwan Authority in 1952, which is "illegal and invalid," said Liu.

The treaty in question was abolished following the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic relations. Liu called the court's citation of this treaty a "rude violation" of norms of international relations.

"We are asking the leaders of Japan and the legal department tostrictly abide by the Sino-Japanese joint communique and fulfill its promise on the Taiwan issue," Liu stressed.

"Sex slavery was one of the serious crimes of Japan during World War Two. The Japanese government should shoulder the responsibility and deal with the issue sincerely and carefully," Liu said.

Source: Xinhua