A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday night that the
government is "extremely unsatisfied" with remarks recently made by
Japanese leaders about visiting the Yasukuni Shrine.
Kong Quan said China attaches great importance to Sino-Japanese
relations and has made unremitting efforts to improve and develop
relations, adding "Vice Premier Wu Yi's
visit to Japan is a demonstration of this."
"To our regret, during Wu's stay, Japanese leaders repeatedly
made remarks on visiting the Yasukuni Shrine that go against
efforts to improve relations," said Kong.
Wu arrived in Japan last Tuesday and stayed until yesterday.
On May 16, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi indicated
that he would visit the shrine again this year when questioned by
the House of Representatives Budget Committee, saying "I don't
understand why I should stop visiting the Yasukuni Shrine."
Koizumi said last Friday that when he visits the shrine he does
so as a private individual and not in his capacity as prime
minister.
The Yasukuni Shrine honors all of Japan's war dead, including 14
Class-A World War II criminals.
China considers the shrine visits by Japanese leaders as one of
the most difficult issues in current political relations, saying
the issue reflects what the Japanese government thinks about
Japan's history of aggression against other Asian countries.
Kong said, "China sincerely hopes the two countries can make
joint efforts to fulfill President Hu
Jintao's five-point proposal on improving relations, so as to
bring them on track for healthy and stable development."
Hu initiated the proposal during a meeting with Koizumi in
Jakarta on April 23.
(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2005)