Ministry Minutes | China condemns Japanese leaders' Yasukuni Shrine offerings, visits

China on Monday condemned Japanese leaders' visits and offerings to the Yasukuni Shrine, lodged strong protests and urged Tokyo to confront its wartime history, reject militarism and earn the trust of Asian neighbors.

Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a routine press briefing in Beijing. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sent ritual and cash offerings to the Yasukuni war shrine on October 17 and 19. Several Japanese government officials, politicians from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and members of the Diet also visited the war shrine recently.

"China firmly opposes and strongly condemns the negative moves of Japan, and has lodged serious and strong protests with the Japanese side," Mao stressed.

"The Yasukuni Shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarists' war of aggression," Mao said. "The shrine honors 14 convicted Class-A war criminals responsible for Japan's aggression."

Japanese leaders and politicians, despite knowing this quite well, still pay respect to the war shrine, Mao said. "This reveals their deep-seated wrong view on historical issues and malicious intention to erase the criminal record of those war criminals, reverse the verdict on aggression and clear the path for remilitarization."

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trials, Mao said.

"We once again call upon Japan to recognize history, repent for historical crimes, stop the retrogressive moves on historical issues, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community with concrete actions," she said.