Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Tokyo's
Yasukuni Shrine on New Year's Day has provoked strong indignation
from China.
On New Year's Day, Koizumi visited the Yasukuni Shrine in his
capacity as Japan's prime minister, his fourth in three years to a
place that honors Class-A war criminals, whose hands were stained
with the blood of the people of China and other Asian
countries.
Most of the Chinese media Friday carried reports on Koizumi's
shrine visit and Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi's solemn
representations to the Japanese government, saying that it was a
perfidious act by Koizumi in defiance of opposition in Japan and
from other Asian countries, and has undermined the political basis
for Sino-Japanese ties.
Many Internet surfers also lodged strong criticisms and
condemnations. In a forum run by Xinhuanet, over 300 comments were
posted within a day.
Koizumi's repeated visits to the shrine ran counter to the
commitment made by the Japanese government and Koizumi himself to
reflect on Japan's war past and it is only natural that they have
provoked strong opposition and indignation of the people of China
and other Asian countries, according to the comments.
"Koizumi's shrine visit in defiance of world opinion has
seriously hurt the people of China and other Asian countries who
were victimized by the Japanese war of aggression," said Zhang
Qiang, manager of Beijing Hantang Wenqiang Culture Company.
Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi Thursday lodged solemn
representations over Koizumi's shrine visit and condemned the act
when he summoned the charge d'affaires ad interim of Japan to China
to an interview.
The government's solemn representations have spoken for all
Chinese people, said Zhang Qiang.
Ms. Duan, former deputy curator of a museum commemorating those
killed in Nanjing Massacre in east China's Jiangsu Province, said
Nanjing people had not recovered yet from the massacre, in which
the Japanese aggressors killed over 300,000 Chinese.
Koizumi's shrine visit meant defiance and threat to the Chinese
people and has severely hurt Chinese people's feelings, Duan
said.
Wang Yanfei, a graduate student from Nanjing Normal University,
said her classmates were shocked by Koizumi's visit to the
shrine.
"Koizumi cast a shadow over Sino-Japanese relations at the
beginning of the new year," said Wang.
The Japanese Prime Minister's repeated shrine visits showed the
right wing was gaining ground in Japan, which would threaten peace
in Asia, said Wang.
Zhang Heng, a company clerk in the Beijing Economic Development
Zone, said Koizumi's defense for his act was unreasonable, adding
that Koizumi's repeated wrongdoing would only arouse disgust among
the Chinese people.
"We can not tolerate the Japanese leader's shrine visit at any
time, because his act hurt Chinese people's feelings and impaired
the basis of Sino-Japanese ties," said Zhao Ping, from Fuzhou in
east China's Fujian Province.
Feng Zhaokui, a researcher at the Japanese Research Institute of
the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Koizumi's shrine visit
was "irrational". "The shrine visit and Japan's plan to send troops
overseas give a dangerous hint to Asian counties," said Feng.
The Chinese people strongly urged the Japanese leaders to heed
the just calls of the people of China and other Asian countries and
eliminate the pernicious influence of the shrine visit.
Mr. Qian, from Beijing, said the mutual trust between China and
many other countries was strengthened last year while Sino-
Japanese ties were still deadlocked. The reason was that the
Japanese side had not sincerely reflected on their past and this
shrine visit has further undermined mutual trust, said Qian.
"If Japanese leaders persist in their wrongdoing, they are sure
to lose their credibility among the people of China, other Asian
countries and the world as a whole and will eventually harm Japan'
s own interests," said Qian.
Wang Shaopu, a professor with the Shanghai Academy of Social
Sciences, said, "We should not only urge Koizumi to stop his shrine
visits, but also need to consider how to prevent further
development of new nationalism in Japan," said Wang.
This is an important issue concerning the future of Japan, East
Asia and the whole world, said the professor.
(Xinhua News Agency January 3, 2004)