A DRAFT OF JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE'S STATEMENT to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II includes the words "apology" and "aggression", Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday. The words appeared in a landmark statement by then prime minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995, who expressed "deep remorse" and rendered a "heartfelt apology" for Japan's wartime atrocities. Comments:

If Japan really wants to turn into "a country that is completely different from what it was in the first half of the 20th century", it is advisable that Tokyo acknowledge its mistakes of the past and reconfirm its commitment to regional peace and stability. Abe's upcoming statement offers a good opportunity for him to do this.

Xinhua News Agency, Aug 7