The Foreign Ministry reacted strongly yesterday to remarks made by a senior Japanese official concerning wartime "comfort women."

In a speech on Sunday, Nariaki Nakayama, the Japanese education minister, quoted an e-mail contesting use of the term "comfort women" in relation to the women forced into sexual slavery by Japanese forces during World War II.

Nakayama took about 10 minutes to read the e-mail he said was from a Japanese graduate student in her 20s studying overseas. The e-mail says "the victimized women in Asia should be proud of being comfort women." "She is thinking about the matter seriously. I am grateful for it," Nakayama said.

The speech echoed comments made by the same minister last month when he told a town meeting in Shizuoka Prefecture there was originally no such term as "comfort women," so it was good the "incorrect" description had been removed from revised history textbooks.

In a regular press conference yesterday Liu Jianchao stressed the enforced sexual slavery of "comfort women" was a serious crime committed by the Japanese militarists during World War II, and a historical fact that could not be denied.

He said the overt denial of this part of history by Nakayama, a Japanese cabinet member, "seriously hurt the feelings of the peoples of the victim countries".

Liu added that this year marks the 60th anniversary of the world Anti-Fascist War and urged the Japanese side to face history honestly with remorse and properly deal with its past, including the issue of "comfort women."

The term "comfort women" is a euphemism used to describe women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during Japan's war of aggression against its Asian neighbours before and during World War II.

Nakayama's remarks have been strongly criticized and protested by China, the Republic of Korea and other Asian countries whose women were forced to serve as "comfort women" for the Japanese army during the war.

Sudan situation

Meanwhile, spokesman Liu said China congratulates Sudan on taking a major step into a new period of peace and development.

Liu made the remark in response to a question about China's comment on the latest development of the situation in Sudan.

The transit constitution took effect in Sudan on July 9, while the new leaders of Sudan took their positions at a swearing-in ceremony. The new leaders of Sudan include President Omar Hassan Ahmed El-Bashir, First Vice-President John Garang and Second Vice-President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha.

Editor: Yan