The Nanking Massacre was a brutal campaign of violence, rape and looting carried out by Japanese forces against the Chinese city of Nanking in 1937. An estimated 200,000 people were killed during this period. In 1995, then-Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama issued an apology for Japan's actions during World War II but it did not specifically mention the Nanking Massacre nor did it offer any reparations or compensation to its victims or their families. This lack of acknowledgement has led to a widening rift between China and Japan which has prevented meaningful dialogue from taking place over issues such as trade agreements or diplomatic negotiations over territorial disputes in East Asia. There have been increasing calls from international organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch calling on Japan to make a formal apology for its actions during World War II including specifically acknowledging its role in perpetrating crimes against humanity at Nanjing/Nanking.