Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's latest visit to the
Yasukuni Shrine has seriously affected the improvement of
China-Japan relations and hurt the international image and national
interest of Japan.
Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan said in Beijing Sunday when
meeting with Doi Takako, honorary leader of the Social Democratic
Party of Japan.
Koizumi visited the Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, anniversary of
Japan's surrender in World War II.
Tang said the deadlock of Sino-Japanese political relations lies
in that the Japanese leaders insist to visit the Shrine which
honors Japanese "class A" war criminals.
Koizumi's visit severely harms the feeling of the people
victimized by Japanese militarist aggression and damages the
political basis of Sino-Japanese relations, he said.
Koizumi visited the shrine every year since he took office as
prime minister in 2001.
Tang said the Chinese side will continue to work for breaking
the deadlock of Sino-Japanese relations.
He said he hopes that the Japanese side can follow historical
trends and the willing of the peoples of the two countries, remove
political barriers and push Sino-Japanese relations, together with
China, back onto a normal development track.
Tang said he highly appreciates Doi for her long-term work on
improving Sino-Japanese friendship and hopes that she can make more
efforts in this aspect.
Doi was former leader of the Social Democratic Party of Japan
and also former speaker of the House of Representatives from 1993
to 1996. She visited China many times and Chinese former President
Jiang Zemin and President Hu Jintao had met with her.
Doi said to abide by the three political documents between the
two countries is the foundation of maintaining a healthy and stable
bilateral relationship.
Correctly understanding history is important both to
Japanese-Chinese relationship and Japan's development, she
said.
Relations between the two countries have been chilled by
Koizumi's visits.
Soon after Koizumi's sixth visit on August 15, Chinese Foreign
Ministry issued a statement expressing "strong protests" against
the move
Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing summoned Japanese Ambassador to
China Miyamoto Yuji and lodged strong objections.
In Beijing more than 30 Chinese citizens gathered outside the
Japanese embassy on the morning of August 15 to protest against
Koizumi's visit.
The anger over Koizumi's shrine visit also spread in Nanjing,
capital of eastern China's Jiangsu Province, where at least 300,000
Chinese were massacred by Japanese troops in 1937.
In Japan, Koizumi's shrine visit also prompted protests from
opposition and coalition parties, politicians and civil groups,
according to media reports.
(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2006)