MONTREUX, Switzerland, Jan. 23 -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi denounced Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's defense of his visit to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine on Thursday, describing it as futile and only serving to expose Abe's erroneous perception of history.

"In China, there is an old saying: the more one tries to hide, the more one is exposed," said Wang, who is currently attending the international conference on Syria in Montreux, Switzerland.

"Abe's argument only suggests that he is still obstinately sticking to an erroneous historical perception which goes against both the conscience of human beings and the generally acknowledged truth on the world," he said.

Even today, Wang noted, the Yasukuni Shrine still represents the notion that the aggression of Japan in World War II was "just", the Pacific War Japan launched was "self-defense" and the trial at the Far East International Military Tribunal was "illegitimate", as well as honoring 14 Class-A war criminals.

He said the real intention of Abe, who disregarded objections from other countries to visit the shrine and pay tribute, is to justify the aggression of Japan and beautify the war criminals.

"This is unacceptable to anyone with conscience and any country with a sense of justice," he said, "Historical lessons should be learned. We call on the international community to work together and put an end to such behavior, which attempts to take the history on a retrograding path."

On December 26, 2013, Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine to show respect to the dead Japanese militants, which sparked strong protests from China and South Korea, as well as international criticism.