The memory of the Nanjing Massacre has been a stumbling block in Sino-Japanese relations since the early 1970s . Bilateral exchanges on trade , culture and education have increased greatly since the two countries normalized their bilateral relations and Japan became China 's most important trading partner . Trade between the two nations is worth over $ 200 billion annually . Despite this , many Chinese people still have a strong sense of mistrust and animosity toward Japan that originates from the memory of Japanese war crimes such as the Nanjing Massacre . This sense of mistrust is strengthened by the belief that Japan is unwilling to admit to and apologize for the atrocities
Japanese war crimes
Japanese war crimes
Nanjing Massacre