Abe's visit to Yasukuni Shrine draws outrage

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Yasukuni Shrine for war dead on Thursday despite strong opposition from China and other neighboring countries. 

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks during a meeting of Japan Akademeia in Tokyo, capital of Japan, on Dec. 19, 2013. [Xinhua/Stringer]



Following the 30-minute visit on Thursday, China swiftly condemned Abe's visit to the Yasukuni shrine, saying the gesture is "a major new political obstacle" to already strained relations.

"(We) strongly protest and condemn the Japanese leader's wrongdoing, which has deeply hurt the feelings of Asian war victims." Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said immediately after Abe's Thursday visit to the shrine, where 14 WWII class-A war criminals are honored.

Abe's visit is the first by a serving Japanese prime minister since 2006. Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's annual visits to the shrine during his tenure from 2001 to 2006 were a major factor that affected the ties between Japan and its Asian neighbors.

Japanese aggression brought atrocities to China and other Asian countries and deeply hurt the Japanese people, Qin said.

Qin labelled the Yasukuni shrine as "a spiritual tool and symbol" of Japanese aggression in WWII.

Abe's visit to the shrine whitewashes Japanese aggression and colonial rule, overthrows the international community's trial of Japanese militarism and challenges the post-war international order, said the spokesman.

Qin said the Japanese leader's actions give its Asian neighbors and the international community every reason to be highly vigilant and deeply concerned over the road Japan will take in the future.

Qin said China-Japan relations have faced "severe difficulties" since the Japanese government announced in September 2012 its plan to "purchase" part of the Diaoyu Islands, a move that has contributed to the disintegration of bilateral relations.

Qin slammed the so-called "China threat" incited by Japan, saying it severely damaged China's security interest.

"In such circumstances, Japanese leaders showed no restraint, but went from bad to worse, making serious trouble on historical problems, which erect a major new political obstacle to the improvement and development of China-Japan relations," the spokesman said, adding Japan must "take on all the consequence".

Officials with the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese ambassador in Japan will make solemn representations to the Japanese ambassador in China and Japan's foreign ministry, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

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