The Chinese embassy in Australia has accused Japan's ambassador to Canberra, Shingo Yamagami, of making 'nasty remarks' about China and glorifying Japanese war crimes at a diplomatic function. In a statement, the embassy claimed that China's ambassador, Cheng Jingye, responded by 'excoriating' Mr Yamagami at the event.
However, Japan's embassy has firmly denied that Mr Yamagami ever praised Japan's World War II legacy and insisted that the two ambassadors never engaged in a verbal confrontation. The Japanese embassy told the ABC it did not know which function the Chinese embassy was referring to.
The diplomatic stoush was triggered by a statement posted to the Chinese embassy's website 10 days ago, which accused Mr Yamagami of attempting to 'whitewash, and even beautify, the brutal aggression and atrocities by the Japanese militarists in World War II.' The statement also said that Mr Yamagami's offer to invite the Chinese ambassador for dinner was politely declined.
The Chinese embassy released the statement a day after Mr Yamagami gave a speech to the National Press Club, praising Australia's policies on China. The embassy called the speech 'nasty' and accused the ambassador of pining for the days of imperial Japan. However, it is unclear which event the Chinese embassy is referring to, as Ambassador Cheng did not attend the National Press Club speech.
The Japanese embassy suggested that the alleged confrontation may have occurred at a Holocaust memorial event hosted by the Israeli embassy in April, where both ambassadors spoke. A spokesperson for the Japanese embassy said Mr Yamagami spoke only about the Holocaust and made no references to the war in Asia or Japan's military conquests in World War II.
The attack on the Japanese ambassador comes amid broader deterioration of ties between Japan and China, with fresh tensions over territorial disputes and human rights issues. Several Chinese diplomats have embraced a more confrontational tone, sometimes labelled 'Wolf Warrior diplomacy,' partly in response to surging nationalism back home.
