Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

A series of negative moves by Japan concerning the Yasukuni Shrine blatantly provoke international justice and trample on human conscience; China is deeply outraged by such acts and strongly condemns them, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on Wednesday. 

Guo's remarks came in response to reports that, following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, she again made a monetary offering on Wednesday, while Minister in Charge of Economic Security Minoru Kiuchi, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Secretary-General Haruko Arimura, and multiple lawmakers visited the shrine.

Guo said that during World War II, Japanese militarism committed heinous crimes, bringing profound disasters to China, other Asian countries and the world. The Yasukuni Shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japan's wars of aggression and is, in effect, a "shrine for war criminals," enshrining Class-A war criminals directly responsible for wars of aggression, including war fanatic and chief war criminal Hideki Tojo, chief culprit of the aggression against China Kenji Doihara, perpetrator of the Nanjing Massacre Iwane Matsui, the one who ordered the attack on the Pearl Harbor Attack Osami Nagano, and the chief culprit responsible for the killing of countless anti-Japanese civilians on the Korean Peninsula Kuniaki Koiso, all of whom bore major responsibility for grave crimes against Asian and global populations.

Guo said the essence of the Yasukuni Shrine issue lies in whether Japan can correctly understand and deeply reflect on its history of militarist aggression, and whether it can draw lessons to avoid repeating past mistakes. This concerns the political foundation of China-Japan relations, Japan's national credibility, as well as the post-war international order, peace and justice. Japan's negative moves on the shrine show that it disregards concerns of the international community, ignores calls for justice at home and abroad, refuses to acknowledge its history of aggression, attempts to whitewash wars of aggression and Class-A war criminals, and challenges the conclusions of the Tokyo Trial and the post-war international order.

Guo said that recently, the Japanese government has shown a series of negative moves on issues related to China, the Taiwan question, WWII history, and military security, with frequent provocative and risky actions. Takaichi's erroneous remarks on Taiwan have seriously impacted China-Japan relations. Despite strong criticism and opposition from China and within Japan and the international community, certain Japanese politicians and right-wing forces have not shown remorse but have instead escalated their actions. The Chinese people, people of countries that suffered from Japanese aggression, and all peace-loving forces in the world will never accept this.

"This year marks the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Tokyo Trials. The trial determined the crimes of Japanese militarism and militarist elements in launching and carrying out wars of aggression, and upheld historical truth, international justice, and human dignity. Eighty years later, a new form of Japanese militarism is again showing its fangs, gathering momentum and posing a threat to world peace and stability. The international community must resolutely counter this and must never allow Japanese militarism to revive," Guo said.


Global Times