China hopes Japanese leaders take concrete steps to repair the damage done by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's recent visit to the Yasukuni Shrine - a symbol of Japan's military aggression against China in the World War II.
An official with the Foreign Affairs Committee of China's National People's Congress made the remarks in a speech yesterday regarding the controversial visit to the shrine.
Japanese leaders should faithfully abide by the solemn statements and commitments they have made on historical issues, fully respect the feelings of the Chinese people and other victims in Asia, and gain the trust of the international community by taking concrete actions to repair damage, the official said.
By rescheduling a visit initially planned for August 15, the date marking Japan's defeat and unconditional surrender in World War II, to Monday, Koizumi intended to mollify people from home and abroad, the official said.
But compared with Japan's attitude towards its history of military aggression, his decision to change the date of his visit is insignificant and does not alter the fact that he honours military war criminals.
This wrongful behaviour has not only deeply wounded the feelings of the Asian people who suffered greatly from Japanese militarism, including the Japanese people, but is also detrimental to regional peace, stability and development, the official stressed.
The head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) also said in a speech yesterday that the CPPCC expressed its strong indignation and severe condemnation at the visit.
Koizumi's action is openly provocative to the Asian people, including the Chinese, and has severely undermined hard-won Sino-Japanese friendly ties, the speech said.
(Xinhua News Agency 08/15/2001)
