(ECNS) -- Japan's negative moves related to the Yasukuni war shrine constitute a blatant provocation against international justice and an affront to human conscience, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday, adding China is strongly indignant over and deplores such practices.
Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a daily press briefing when asked to comment on a cross-party group of 126 Japanese lawmakers on Wednesday who reportedly visited the notorious Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, a symbol of Japanese militarism and wartime aggression.
Guo noted that during World War II, Japan's militarism committed innumerable crimes, inflicting immense suffering on Asian countries, including China, and the rest of the world.
"The Yasukuni war shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarists' war of aggression. It is, in fact, a shrine for war criminals, as it honors convicted Class-A war criminals responsible for the war of aggression in WWII, including Hideki Tojo, a No.1 war criminal and warmonger; Kenji Doihara, major culprit of aggression against China; Iwane Matsui, top perpetrator of the Nanjing Massacre; Osami Nagano, order-giver of the Pearl Harbor attack; and Kuniaki Koiso, the mass murderer on the Korean Peninsula. They are all major war criminals responsible for atrocities against the people in Asia and the rest of the world," he said.
The spokesperson noted that the nature of the issue concerning the Yasukuni war shrine is whether Japan is able to rightly perceive and deeply reflect on its history of militarist aggression, and whether it can learn lessons from history and avoid a repeat of that part of history, he said.
"This bears on the political foundation of China-Japan relations, on Japan's credibility as a nation, and on the postwar international order as well as peace and justice in the world," said Guo.
He further pointed out the negative moves concerning the Yasukuni war shrine show that Japan, in total disregard of international concerns and just voices from both inside Japan and the world, has all along refused to acknowledge its history of aggression during WWII, attempted to change the verdict on its war of aggression and the Class-A war criminals, and even gone further to challenge the judgment of the Tokyo trials and postwar international order.
Lately there has been a marked increase in the Japanese government's relevant negative moves and reckless provocative acts, Guo said, adding that in the face of strong criticism and opposition from China as well as at home and abroad, some Japanese politicians and right-wing forces chose to go down the wrong path, rather than reflect on and correct their wrongdoings.
"The Chinese people, people in other countries that suffered under Japanese aggression, and all peace-loving forces for justice in the world will never allow this," said the spokesperson.
Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Tokyo trials, the spokesperson said today, 80 years later, Japanese neo-militarism is rearing its ugly head and gaining strength, threatening to cast a shadow on world peace and security.
"The international community must respond resolutely to prevent any possible resurgence of Japanese militarism," Guo added.
(By Zhang Dongfang)
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