The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Japan should avoid trying to move on from the country's historic brutality without sincere and deep reflection.

During his visit to Pearl Harbor, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered no apology for his nation's past war crimes. Instead, he called for reconciliation.

"We've noticed related reports. I also noticed that some media like the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal have used the keyword 'smart' instead of 'sincere' in their reports and commentary," said Hua Chunying, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"The reconciliation between the perpetrators and the victims must be and can only be built on the basis of sincere and deep reflection of the perpetrators on their past. Only such reconciliation is authentic and trustworthy and can last long and be strong."

"For the Asian victim countries, it's more beneficial to the future to see a sincere and deep reflection from the perpetrators once than watch smart shows, no matter how many times it is made."