Chinese Vice-FM Summons Japanese Ambassador Over Japanese PM's Shrine Visit

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, April 22, 2002

Chinese Vice-FM Summons Japanese Ambassador Over Japanese PM's Shrine Visit

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi (L) follows a shinto priest during his visit to the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo Sunday (April 21). The Shinto shrine honors 14 Class-A war criminals along with the 2.47 million Japanese who have died in wars since the mid-19th century.
Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Koreshige Anami Sunday, to express China's strong objection to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine.

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Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing summoned the Japanese Ambassador to China, Koreshige Anami, Sunday in Beijing, to lodge a serious presentation with the Japanese side over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine on Sunday morning.

Li said the Japanese leader had visited the shrine again, in defiance of the strong opposition from the people of Japan's neighboring countries following his previous visit. To revisit the shrine, Li added, was an erroneous action which hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and was detrimental to Sino-Japanese relations.

The Chinese side expressed its strong dissatisfaction over and firm opposition to Japan's action, Li noted.

Li said that the Yasukuni Shrine used to be the spiritual prop for the Japanese military before their invasion of other countries during the Second World War, and it now enshrines the memorial tablets of 14 Class-A war criminals including the executed Hideki Tojo, who perpetrated monstrous crimes in China and other countries during World War II.

How the Japanese leader treats the issue of the Yasukuni Shrine shows the attitude the Japanese government holds towards the war of aggression, and will determine whether or not Japan continues on the road to peaceful development, said Li.

Li further noted that the Chinese side has always opposed Japanese leaders visiting the shrine in any way or at any time, proceeding from the overall situation of maintaining peace and justice as well as China-Japan relations.

According to Li, China was the biggest victim of the war of aggression launched by Japanese militarists. Japan clearly indicated in the Joint Statement that it felt deeply sorry about the severe harm done to the Chinese people during World War II and had expressed deep remorse.

In 1995, the Japanese Prime Minister, speaking upon the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, expressed that the Japanese side admitted to and recognized its crimes during the invasion and colonial control of its Asian neighbors, and expressed deep remorse and apologized profoundly. Since then, subsequent Japanese cabinets have all held similar official stances upon this issue.

Koizumi himself delivered a speech at the Memorial Hall of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression near the Lugou Bridge (Marco Polo Bridge) during his visit to China last October,in which he admitted the aggression, said he had thought deeply about the aggression carried out during the war and expressed heartfelt sorrow and apologized.

Today the Japanese side once again took an erroneous action and went back on its promise. This is unacceptable to common sense, oriental reasoning and morality, and international obligations, said Li.

Li said as human society enters the 21st century, peace, development and cooperation have become the tide of the time. Japanese leaders should know that the Japanese people who suffered from wars will not allow their country to ever go down the militarist road again.

Li said that the Chinese people and all Asian people will never forget the massacres made by the Japanese militarists in China's Nanjing, as well as in various places of Asia, nor will people forget the Japanese militarists' brutalities in the Pacific islands. He stressed that the true history will not be forgotten, neglected or betrayed.

Noting that Japan wants to step out of the shadow of history as soon as possible and play its role in the international community, Li said that at present the most urgent matter for the international community is to safeguard world peace and stability. "If the leader of a nation fails to take a correct attitude towards the war of aggression and past war criminals, how can he win the trust of the people all over the world?" Li said.

Li pointed that China always attached great importance to developing friendly ties with Japan, and has made unremitting efforts towards this. However, the Japanese side has repeatedly made troubles on major issues concerning the political basis of the Sino-Japanese relations, hurting the feeling of the Chinese people, obstructing and endangering the bilateral ties. Japanese leaders should adopt a proper approach to its own mistakes and take responsibility for them, Li said.

The vice minister said that "using history as a mirror and looking forward to the future" is the most valuable experience for the development of bilateral relations. The Japanese side should take seriously China's solemn stance and great concern on the matter, and take concrete and effective measures to eliminate the adverse influences and prevent similar events from occurring in the future.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue also noted that China strongly opposes the paying of homage at Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese leaders in any form and at any time.

"The action can only hurt Japan's own image, making it even more difficult for Japan to win the trust of the people of Asian countries on the question of history, " she said.

South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry spokesman also issued a statement, expressing "strong regret" over the visit.

Japanese leaders' visits to Yasukuni Shrine have long been condemned by its Asian neighbors, who suffered under brutal Japanese aggression during World War II.

The visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese leaders also draw strong protest by peace-loving groups and organizations in Japan.

Japanese government used the Yasukuni Shrine to promote nationalism and aggression against neighboring countries during World War II.

Japanese PM Visits Yasukuni Shrine

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a surprise visit to Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo on Sunday morning, causing strong protests from neighboring countries.

Koizumi entered the Shinto Shrine at around 9:39 a.m. (local time), which honors 14 Class-A war criminals along with the 2.47 million Japanese war dead since the mid-19th century.

Koizumi later told reporters that he will not visit the shrine again this August. He also didn't attend Yasukuni Shrine's three-day spring peace festival, which began Sunday afternoon.

The Japanese prime minister last visit the shrine on August 13 last year, two days before the 56th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, drawing strong protests and condemnation from neighboring countries.

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