A DOCUMENTARY aired by Japan's public broadcaster NHK on Sunday showing the atrocities inflicted by Unit 731, a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit of the Japanese army, on Chinese during World War II has triggered calls for deeper reflection on the country's wartime past. Beijing News commented on Thursday:

The documentary, dubbed The Truth of Harbin Unit 731, marks a praiseworthy move to teach Japanese rightists a history lesson. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that China appreciates the courage of Japanese people with vision revealing the truth, while hoping Japan will take seriously the calls for justice.

It is praiseworthy that the largest, most influential broadcaster in Japan did not shy away from presenting the country's war crimes two days before the 72nd anniversary of the end of World War II. Many of its China-related documentaries, estimated at over 2,000, have been biased and misleading, particularly after Shinzo Abe returned to power as prime minister in 2012.