In China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) an academic
history book on the Japanese invasion of a number of Asian
countries during WWII has become a best seller. ?
More than 110,000 copies have been sold in China, 70,000 in
Japan and 50,000 in the ROK.
Rong Weimu, a Chinese editor on the non-governmental editorial
board, said Tuesday in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that
sales in both Japan and the ROK were impressive considering the
book was a historical publication.
"Many local education authorities in Japan and the ROK have
listed the book as supplementary reading to textbooks," said Rong,
who is also a senior researcher at the Institute of Contemporary
History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The book, titled The Contemporary and Modern History of
Three East Asian Countries, details the atrocities committed
by Japanese invaders in China and Korea. The publication aims to
counter the holocaust-denying textbooks published by
ultra-nationalistic press in Japan.
"In editing the history book," Rong said, "scholars from the
three countries shared the same basic historical views although
they had some minor differences relating to their cultural
backgrounds and research methodologies."
The editorial board has now published a revised edition of the
book which corrects 200 minor errors.
Work on the book stared in 2002 after a history symposium in
Nanjing where one of the world's worst war atrocities occurred. In
1937 Japanese soldiers began a bloody rampage in which they made
sport of raping and murdering. They killed 300,000 Nanjing
residents.
Rong said an English version of the book is under
consideration.?
(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2006)