Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao Thursday made a comment on some Japanese cabinet members' decision to visit the Yasukuni Shrine, a bastion of the wartime government-sponsored Shintoism and symbol of militarism in Japan before and during World War II.
Zhu said that paying homage to the shrine concerns whether or not a correct attitude is adopted towards the history of aggression committed by Japanese militarists in the past, which constitutes the core of the matter.
The shrine houses the memorial tablets of 14 class-A war criminals, including wartime Prime Minister Hideki Tojo.
According to the spokesman, Japan's attitude towards visit to the Yasukuni Shrine directly concerns the feelings of the Asian people, including the Chinese people, who were victimized by Japanese militarism, and also affects the relations between Japan and other countries concerned.
Zhu urged the Japanese side to proceed from the perspective of deep introspection with a correct attitude towards history, and handle the matter in a cautious manner, so as to win the trust of the Asian people and maintain the Sino-Japanese friendship with concrete actions.
(Xinhua)
