Japan and China have had a long history of conflict and tension. In 1995, Japan's Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama issued an official statement apologizing for the country’s wartime actions in China. However, some have argued that this was not a formal apology as it did not include any specific references to individual acts of violence or atrocities committed by Japanese forces in China during the War. In 2014, current Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued an official statement expressing “deep remorse” over his country’s wartime actions in China but stopped short of issuing a formal apology as demanded by some Chinese citizens and officials. If a formal apology were issued from Japan towards its wartime actions in China, it could potentially open up new avenues for dialogue between both countries going forward and help create better understanding between them.