Original sentence: As a result of Japanese nationalist efforts to deny or minimize the scale of the crimes committed, the massacre remains a stumbling block in Sino-Japanese relations as well as Japanese relations with other Asia-Pacific nations such as Korea, Australia and the Philippines
Edited sentence: As a result of ongoing Japanese nationalist efforts to deny, explain away or minimize the scale of the atrocities, the massacre remains a stumbling block in Sino-Japanese relations as well as Japanese relations with other Asia-Pacific nations such as Korea, Australia and the Philippines