August 15 not a day for Japanese politicians to play petty tricks

August 15 is a special and sensitive day for China-Japan relations and also a day that China must be on alert.

On Aug. 15, 1945, Japan, which launched the barbaric invasion and brought much misery to China and other Asian countries declared their unconditional surrender. Whether Japan should reflect on its dishonorable period of history or continue to enlarge the wound of the Asian people should have been answered a long time ago. Unfortunately, some Japanese politicians still stick to the wrong outlook on history and play petty tricks on cardinal issues of right and wrong.

People noticed that the Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said on Aug. 10 that he and members of his cabinet will obey the principle of not officially visiting the Yasukuni Shrine. However, on the same day, the Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Yuichiro Hata declared that he would pay a visit to the Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15 as an individual. The Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission of Japan Jin Matsubara also implied that he may visit the shrine as well.

The Yasukuni Shrine contains memorials for 14 war criminals of the Second World War. It is out of question to have a place calling back the “souls” of war criminals. What does visiting the Yasukuni Shrine mean? Does “visiting it unofficially” and “visiting it officially” have any difference if they distort history and trample the truth so brazenly? Who will believe the nonsense of “visiting it as an individual?”

If the government of a country wants to be respected and trusted by the international community, it must take sincerity and integrity as its foundation. If it allows its cabinet members to keep crossing political and moral bottom lines, how can it expect to have any prestige?

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