SOME Chinese shops have stopped selling selected Japanese goods to protest Tokyo's approval of a school history book that the Chinese government says distorts historical facts and whitewashes Japanese aggression during World War II.

Many Chinese fume at what they see as Japan's failure to own up to atrocities committed during the Japanese occupation of China from 1931 to 1945.

The China Chain Store & Franchise Association, the largest retail group in the country, had urged members to take some products made by Asahi Breweries Ltd and MSG maker Ajinomoto Co Inc off the shelves, the association said in a statement.

"Any Chinese customers with patriotic spirit and morality will understand and support us. Let's take action for our dignity and for our descendants," the association said in a statement.

Ajinomoto said on its website that it had not had anything to do with compiling the textbook. Asahi was not immediately available for comment.

The Chinese association has about 650 members in the country with retail sales last year of 400 billion yuan (US$48.33 billion), accounting for 10 per cent of the country's total retail sales of consumer goods.

It was not clear how many Chinese stores had stopped selling Japanese products, but one association official said the boycott campaign had begun in Shanghai - China's financial hub - and the northeastern city of Shenyang.

Qiao Zonghuai, a high-ranking official at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, summoned the Japanese Ambassador to China Koreshige Anami, immediately after its neighbour country approved the new edition of the history books on the afternoon of April 5. Qiao lodged a solemn representation over the issue.

"The textbook will be vehemently condemned by people from all Asian countries victimized by Japan, including the Chinese," said Qiao, who demanded the Japanese Government faithfully honour its solemn commitments regarding the issue of history and also called for urgent measures to be taken to offset the negative impact of the book's adoption.

On the same afternoon Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wang Yi delivered a representation over the textbook issue to the Japanese Government in Tokyo.

Echoing the government's strong opposition to the textbook, Chinese people from all walks of life also challenged the Japanese way of treating history.

"The just-approved textbooks would disrupt the international order and seriously undermine the confidence of Japan's Asian neighbours in regional peace and security," said Wang Xuan, a Chinese activist now leading a legal group to assist World War II victims suing Japan for damage inflicted by its germ warfare activities.

"It is even more ridiculous that the textbooks have held China accountable for the war," Wang said. "How could it be possible for a country to invite an invader or start a war on its own land?"

Chinese historians said that though some 120 revisions had been made to the new textbooks before they got official approval, "their nature of denying historical facts and beautifying invasion remains unchanged".

Apart from the oblivion or ambiguous narration of the notorious Nanjing Massacre in 1937, in which Japanese troops slaughtered more than 300,000 civilians and unarmed soldiers, the new edition of the history books also claimed the disputed Diaoyu Island to be "a part of Japanese territory", and said that Japan's colonial domination over Taiwan and its occupation of Northeast China through force was "engaged in the development of these areas".

The adoption of the new textbooks could also further fuel a spontaneous campaign by the Chinese public to block Japan's seeking of a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang pointed out at a press conference that "The textbook issue largely decides whether Japan can appropriately treat its militaristic history and instill in its young citizens a correct perception of history".

He also called on the Chinese public to express their sentiments and will "in a reasonable way", and pledged that China would protect the life and property of Japanese citizens and ensure the normal operation of Japanese ventures in the country.

(Agencies via Xinhua)