Chinese ambassador to the UK has criticized Japanese Prime Minister's Shinzo Abe's visit to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine. He evoked an evil character from Harry Potter to describe Japanese militarism.

"I think Japanese militarism and Voldemort have some similarities. On one hand, both of them are the forces of evil and harmful to the humanity. On the other hand, they are historic facts and figures that is hard to deal with. The evil influence of Japan’s militarism still lingers on." Chinese ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming said.

The comment focused on Shinzo Abe’s appearance at the Yasukuni Shrine last month. Liu Xiaoming also published an opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph, saying Japan’s past militarism was similar to the ghost of Voldemort.

In the article, he also said the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo is a kind of horcrux, another referance to an evil place in the Harry Potter novels that represent the darkest parts of the nation’s soul. Liu said Abe’s visit last month was "in flagrant disregard of the feelings of his Asian neighbours," as 14 Class-A World War Two criminals are enshrined in Yasukuni.

Liu’s commentary was followed by one written by his Japanese counterpart, Keiichi Hayashi, in the same newspaper, headlined: "China risks becoming Asia’s Voldemort".