China rejects dialogue with Abe after shrine visit
Print Edition
China says its leaders will not have any dialogue with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after his visit to a shrine seen as a symbol of Japan’s wartime aggression, underscoring the deteriorating ties between Asia’s two biggest economies.
Abe repeated his hopes for talks with China last week when he visited the Yasukuni Shrine where Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals after World War II are honored.
The visit infuriated China and South Korea, both of which were occupied by Japanese forces until the end of the war, and prompted concern in the United States about rising tensions between the nations.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a news briefing that “Abe has himself shut the door on talks with Chinese leaders.”
“Since assuming office, Abe has miscalculated on Sino-Japan ties, and made mistake after mistake, especially visiting the Yasukuni Shrine which houses Class A war criminals. These people are fascists, the Nazis of Asia,” he said.
Qin called on Abe to “admit his mistakes to the Chinese government and people.”
“In regard to such a Japanese leader, the Chinese people will certainly not welcome him, and the Chinese leaders will unquestionably not speak with him either,” Qin said in answer to a question on whether China will allow Abe to visit China or whether Chinese leaders will meet with him.
“Abe has become more flagrant in his wrong actions,” said Qin, adding that despite China’s resolute opposition and solemn representations, Abe had insisted on visiting the war shrine.
He said the visit was an attempt to overturn the verdict of the Tokyo trial of the war criminals, whitewash the history of aggression and colonial rule of other countries by Japanese militarism and dismiss the fruits of the world’s anti-fascist war and the post-war international order.
“This move consists of a deliberate trampling on human conscience and an unscrupulous challenge to truth and justice,” Qin said.
Qin said the war criminals honored in the shrine were those who plotted, started and carried out the aggression.
Qin said Abe’s visit intentionally undermined the political foundation of China-Japan relations and erected severe obstacles to bilateral exchanges and cooperation.
It exposed the hypocrisy of his claimed willingness to hold dialogue with Chinese leaders and the importance he placed on growing relations with China, said Qin.
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