But if Asia is to move beyond its past, the victims of Japan’s wartime aggression must recognize that the Japan of 2015 is not the Japan of 1931, 1941, or even 1945, and that, as many Asian leaders have realized over the years, forgiveness benefits everyone. In 1998, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung responded positively to a statement by former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.
但如果亚洲要超越历史恩怨，日本战时侵略的受害者就必须承认2015年的日本不是1931、1941乃至1945年的日本，并且，如许多亚洲领导人在过去几年中所认识到的，原谅可以给所有人带来好处。1998年，韩国总统金大中对前日本首相小渊惠三的讲话予以积极回应。印度尼西亚、菲律宾、越南和其他国家也是如此，现在它们都欢迎日本与盟国携手保护地区安全的承诺。