Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian answered reporters' questions on Japanese defense minister's visit to Yasukuni Shrine

Source: issued by the Ministry of Defense

Q: according to media reports, before the anniversary of Japan's defeat on August 15, Japanese defense minister Nobuo kishio visited the Yasukuni shrine on the afternoon of August 13. This is Japan's current defense minister's second visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. What is your comment on this?

A: China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the Japanese defense minister's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine and makes solemn representations to Japan.

As we all know, the Yasukuni shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol for Japanese militarism to launch a war of aggression against foreign countries. It honors 14 class a war criminals who are seriously responsible for that war of aggression. The Japanese defense minister's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine once again reflects Japan's wrong attitude towards the history of aggression and its sinister intention to challenge the post-war international order. If we can't face up to history, we won't have the future. We demand that Japan seriously reflect on its history of aggression, always bear in mind the lessons of history, take measures to correct its mistakes, and win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community with practical actions.

Recently, Japan's defense departments have continuously taken negative actions on China related issues, linked foreign countries, discredited China's national defense policy and military construction and development, engaged in targeted military exercises, grossly intervened in the Taiwan issue, which is purely China's internal affairs, and carried out provocative actions in the South China Sea, which has seriously interfered with the development of China Japan defense relations. We urge Japan to abandon the Cold War mentality and, in accordance with the spirit of the four Sino Japanese political documents, face China on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, so as to promote the development of China Japan defense relations along the right track.