You just remind me of that Iris Chang( author of rape of nanking ) on national TV,she represents people with the attitude like you're exhibiting.
Here's what how the discussion went between Iris Chang & Japan Amb. on BBC ,word by word:
Iris Chang :
Can the ambassador say on national TV ,today,live,that he personally is profoundly sorry for the rape of Nanking and other war crimes against china?.
Jpn amb
: We do recognize violence and cruelty has been committed by the members of the Japanese military,and we are very sorry for that,and we understand that the memory for those suffered last long and I personally think that this is a burden that the Japanese people will have to carry for a long time. ..
The news anchor asked did yo hear the apology?
Iris Chang(frantically ) :
I don't know.I didn't hear an apology,did you hear an apology? I didn't hear a word of apology ,and if he said that genuinely I personally am sorry for what the Japanese military did during ww2,I would have considered that an apology,I think that would have been a great step in right direction.
But again there are these worlds such as regret,remorse & unfortunate things happen*** and it's because of these types of worlds and the vagueness of the expression that the Chinese people are infuriated.
:
:
Admittedly,the ambassador isn't the most charismatic and struggling in a foreign language ,but he does literally say "
we are very sorry " on national TV as Chang demanded.Here at no part mentioned the term "
regret,remorse & unfortunate things happen" as she suggested,it is as if she's not listening,as if she doesn't want to hear anything but equivocation from the ambassador.
She represents people who still say Japan hadn't apologized or didn't even pay any reparation, though even in direct monetary value,japan paid 35 billion USD till date as aid to China ,and after adjustment to current currency value, it's well over 50 billion USD. Japan not just funded in a monetary basis but directly shared technology and taught knowhow about developing local industries,Chinese banking,industry standard,and various other policies standard are direct replica of Japan similar to that of Korea,which is nation build from the scratch from Japanese aid and Japan blueprint.
Regarding your "Did Japan accept the return of the islands it took away from China after the first Sino-Japanese war? ".
My question is ,did China even considered Senkaku islands , or even brought it up during the April 1895 peace treaty negotiations after first Sino-Japanese war?
View attachment 761102
A report on Japan submitted to the Qing government by in 1889 by Premier Li Hongzhang, who soon represented China in the April 1895 peace talks with Japan. The report titled You li Riben tu jing (Maps, Figures and Depiction of Japan based on field research), explicitly listed the Senkakus as Japanese territory.
You li Riben tu jing, written by a Qing official and submitted in 1889 to the court was approved and published --ahead of the Japanese cabinet decision to annex the Senkakus in 1895,recognizes the Senkakus as being Japanese territory .
PS: Both China & Japan are far more capable than Russia,none of them are scared of anything when push comes to shove.Japan has much more competent human resource and far advanced technologically and economically than Russia,it's just about avoiding needless war and provocation,Japan simply has got much more to lose than Russia which is in tatters.