Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying. Photo: VCG

After Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga sent offering to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on Sunday - the 76th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II - and some Japanese senior politicians recently visited the shrine, China expressed firm opposition against the moves and lodged solemn representations with Japan.

Both Chinese Embassy in Japan and Chinese Foreign Ministry on Sunday published similar announcements condemning Japan's moves.

The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Japan said that Yasukuni Shrine is a spiritual tool and important symbol for Japanese militarists to launch a war of aggression and it still enshrines 14 Class-A convicted war criminals from WWII.

China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to Japan's negative moves on the Yasukuni Shrine issue and has lodged solemn representations with Japan, said the spokesperson.

The essence of the Yasukuni Shrine issue is whether the Japanese government can correctly understand and treat its history of aggression, whether it can respect the feelings of the people of the victimized Asian countries, and whether it can honor its commitments on historical issues, the spokesperson added.

Japan's negative moves once again reflect its wrong attitude toward its history of aggression, and once again prove that some Japanese always try to conceal and deny the crimes of aggression.

History cannot be forgotten and the crimes of aggression cannot be covered up, said the spokesperson.

China urges Japan to draw lessons from history, to face up and reflect upon its history of aggression, to listen to the just voices of the international community, to completely draw a line from militarism, and to take concrete actions to win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community, said the spokesperson.

Yasukuni shrine File photo: CNSPhoto

China's condemnations came after three members of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's Cabinet visited the Yasukuni Shrine as the country marked the 76th anniversary of the end of WWII on Sunday while Suga sent an offering. 

According to Japanese media outlet Mainichi Shimbun, Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe also made a trip to the shrine on Sunday, telling reporters that he "paid respects to those who gave their lives for our country."

China and South Korea strongly protested two other Japanese Cabinet members' - Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and economic and fiscal policy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura - visiting Yasukuni on Friday.

Hua Chunying, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Sunday that 76 years ago, the Chinese people, together with the people of the rest of the world, defeated the Japanese militarist invaders and fascism, and won a great victory of justice over evil, light over darkness and progress over reaction. This historic moment should never be forgotten by the international community.

What some Japanese politicians have done on the Yasukuni Shrine issue is not only a violation of historical justice, but also a serious injury to the feelings of the people of victimized Asian countries including China, once again reflecting Japan's wrong attitude toward its history of aggression, Hua said.

Hua urged Japan to honor its commitment of reflecting on its history of aggression, be cautious in words and deeds on Yasukuni Shrine and other historical issues and completely disown militarism.

Global Times