The Chinese government strongly condemned the visits by Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni Shrine and the donation made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on August 15, calling it a "provocation to the post-war international order."
According to Yonhap News, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement in response to inquiries regarding the visits by Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni Shrine, where Class A war criminals are enshrined, and Takaichi's donation. The ministry stated, "We strongly condemn Japan's negative actions and have conveyed solemn protests and strong criticism to Japan."
The ministry emphasized, "During World War II, Japan committed horrific crimes by waging aggressive wars," adding that "Yasukuni Shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarism." It further stated, "This is an insult to historical justice and a challenge to the basic norms of civilization, as well as a provocation to the post-war international order."
Highlighting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Far East International Military Tribunal (Tokyo Trials), the Chinese Foreign Ministry asserted, "Correctly understanding and addressing history is a prerequisite for Japan's return to the post-war international community," and emphasized that it is a crucial measure to gauge whether Japan maintains peaceful development and to establish a political foundation for developing relations with neighboring countries.
On August 15, a day that marks both Korea's Liberation Day and Japan's defeat in World War II, Takaichi, in her first year as Prime Minister, made a donation to the Yasukuni Shrine in her capacity as the president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. While Takaichi had regularly visited Yasukuni on August 15 before taking office, it is believed she refrained from visiting this year due to backlash from neighboring countries such as South Korea and China.
Some ministers, including Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, visited Yasukuni Shrine, marking the seventh consecutive year that current Japanese officials have done so. Key officials from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party also made an unusual group visit to the shrine. This was the first time in two years that a sitting defense minister visited Yasukuni on Japan's defeat day, following former Defense Minister Minoru Kihara in 2024.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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