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)