U.N. chief rebuffs Japanese concern over his attendance at China military parade

BEIJING, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has brushed aside the Japanese complaints over his attendance at this week's huge military parade in Beijing marking the end of World War II, saying the U.N. is an "impartial body." 

China displayed its fast-growing military capabilities during the Thursday military parade with leaders such as South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Russian President Vladimir Putin watching the event. Most Western leaders snubbed the military parade. 

Japanese media had reported that the Tokyo government lodged its complaint over Ban's attendance at the Chinese military parade, saying the U.N. should remain neutral.

In an interview with China's state-run broadcaster CCTV that aired on Saturday, Ban said, "I have taken note of that kind of concerns expressed by a certain member state." 

"I made it quite clear, publicly, that it is important to learn from the past. If you do not learn from the past correctly, it will be difficult to move ahead in the right direction," Ban said. 

"So, learning from the past and also looking for a better future. That is a main purpose of my visit to China this time," Ban said. 

"There is some misperception that the U.N. Secretary-General or U.N. organization is a neutral body," Ban said. "It cannot be a neutral body in a sense. It is an impartial body." 

Many Western leaders skipped the military parade amid China's increasingly assertive military actions in disputed seas, including the South China Sea.