The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Most Chinese people oppose Korea-Japan deal on wartime sex slaves

By KH디지털2

Published : Dec. 31, 2015 - 10:03

    • Link copied

Most Chinese people believe that Beijing should not accept conditions set by South Korea and Japan in possibly resolving the long-running grievance of Chinese victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, a survey by a state-run Chinese media showed Thursday.

The online survey, conducted by the Global Times, published by the People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, found that 95 percent of 10,686 respondents say the deal between South Korea and Japan on wartime sex slaves "can't" apply to China.

The remaining 5 percent say the deal "can" apply to possible talks between Japan and China in resolving the issue of Chinese victims who were forcibly mobilized at front-line Japanese military brothels during World War II.

Under the deal with South Korea announced on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe apologized to the Korean victims and Tokyo agreed to provide 1 billion yen (US$8.3 million) to a fund for the victims.

The deal, hailed by both South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Abe, paved the way for Seoul and Tokyo to solve one of their thorniest issues.

The deal was in line with diplomatic efforts by U.S. President Barack Obama to form a united front with South Korea and Japan against China's increasingly assertive behaviors and North Korea's defiant pursuit of missiles and nuclear weapons.

While the deal was welcomed in Washington, China's state-run media cast a wary eye on the deal, calling it insincere.

According to historians, up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also China and other parts of Asia, were coerced into sexual servitude at front-line Japanese brothels during World War II. (Yonhap)