CRI听力:Japan Releases Review Results of New Textbooks

Japan's Ministry of Education Ministry has released a review of new textbooks to be used in junior high schools next school year.

The new text books include revised expressions about Japan's war-time past.

The new texts include changes to the language surrounding the Nanjing Massacre, which critics say softens the impact of what the Japanese army did.

The textbooks also change previous language connected to territorial disputes and the use of sex slaves, or so-called "comfort women", by the Japanese Military during the war.

Yang Bojiang is the deputy director of the Institute of Japanese Studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"An important revision connected to the 'comfort women' issue is an addition that states there is no evidence that these women were 'forced'. That's very close to the official stance of Prime Minister Abe's administration."

Yang Bojiang also says the timing of the review by the Japanese Education Ministry should also be noted.

"This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII and Japan's defeat in the war. The Japanese government wants to take a pre-emptive move so that they will not lose the moral ground. But I believe such efforts will be in vain."

Japan's relations with China and South Korea continue to be frayed over both territorial and historical disputes.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to release a new statement connected to Japan's wartime past to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the war, which many critics believe will include a watering-down of Japanese atrocities.