BEIJING • A daily with close ties to the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) yesterday slammed Japan for marking the atomic bombing of Hiroshima without highlighting its own wartime aggression.

The Global Times, which is published under the CCP's official People's Daily newspaper, said in an editorial that it was "understandable" for Japan to commemorate the bombing.

"But it must be pointed out that the ceremony directs people's attention only to the fact that Japan is a victim of atomic bombing, but turns a blind eye to the reason why," the English-language editorial said. "Ceremonies like this water down the fact that Japan was also a perpetrator of war crimes. This shows how adept Japan is at scheming and calculating."

The daily also criticised Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wants Japan to play a bigger role in supporting its key ally, the United States, on defence issues, and is pushing landmark legislation through Parliament to allow it to do so. "Abe wants to normalise the status of his country, but without a full retrospection over Japan's war crimes," it said.

China is itself gearing up to commemorate Japan's World War II defeat, and is planning a massive military parade through central Beijing.

China says more than 20 million of its citizens died as a result of Japan's invasion, occupation and atrocities.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE