(Yonhap) -- China voiced support on Wednesday for recent remarks by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who called for "deep introspection" by some Japanese leaders on their country's wartime atrocities, saying they should own up to history.

   Ban had made the remarks in Seoul early this week over moves by Japan to revise its pacifist constitution, prompting Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga to question the comments.

   In a statement, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said his government "positively assessed" the remarks by Ban.

   "Demanding that Japan own up to its history of invasion and deeply reflect on their actions is the common voice of the international community," Hong said in the Chinese-language statement.

   Both South Korea and China suffered from Japan's brutal occupation during World War II.

   The diplomatic standoff between China and Japan over a set of islands, known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan, has become increasingly acrimonious over the past year.

   Relations between South Korea and Japan have also remained icy due to Japan's repeated claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo and its unrepentant attitude on its wartime crimes.