Publishers from China, Japan and South Korea have gathered in Beijing to launch the Chinese version of a new textbook that seeks to set the record straight on the region's history. The book is seen as a response to attempts by right-wingers in Japan to gloss over the country's wartime atrocities.

Two weeks after its Korean and Japanese versions were released, the new history textbook now has a Chinese edition.

The book covers the history of China, South Korea and Japan between 1840, the beginning of China's occupation by western powers, and the end of the Second World War in 1945.

Secretary General of China Society of Social Studies Xie Shouguang said, "This book provides the young people of the three countries with the historical facts. It tells them that it is not right to look at history through narrow nationalism."

In April, a high school history textbook published in Japan that critics say tried to gloss over the country's war-time atrocities drew a furious response from China and South Korea. (FILE-OUT)

After three years' joint efforts, dozens of researchers from the three countries have now put the new book together. Packed with numerous photos, it's seen as an effective counter-attack to Japan's right-wingers.

Vice Secretary General of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences He Bingmeng said, "Now that the book has the joint compilation of Japanese researchers, Japanese people will see the historical details and material as all true and factual. This is helpful for them to know that part of history."

Experts have accused the Japanese government of trying to keep its citizens from learning about its war-time crimes.

But despite the pressure, one small Japanese company decided to publish 20,000 copies of the work as an add-on book in middle schools. To its surprise, the book became an immediate hit.

Koubunken Co., Ltd Umeda Masaki said, "Japanese citizens want to know the real history. This is their wish, and so this book has been long expected."

In China and South Korea, tens of thousands of prints are now available as extra-curricular material. Its English edition is expected as early as next year.

Researchers say the book will still be limited as to how much influence it will have in Japan. The key to letting Japanese people know the truth, they say, lies in the Japanese government's attitude towards history.

(CCTV.cm June 11, 2005)