Japan threatens suspension of its funding contribution to UNESCO

If proof were needed of the fine line separating heritage and politics, one need look no further than Japan's announcement this week that it may cut its funding to UNESCO after Chinese documents related to mass killings by Japanese troops in Nanjing in 1937 were included the UNESCO Memory of the WorldRegister.

As reported by Associated Press, Japanese authorities characterized the decision to include the documents as biased, citing a lack of transparency in the decision-making process and UNESCO's alleged failure to allow access to the Chinese documents.

Japan reportedly contributed 3.72 billion yen (aproximately USD31 million) to UNESCO in 2014, or 10.8 percent of its budget.