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China, S. Korea protest Koizumi's shrine visit

P. S. Suryanarayana

Beijing conveys objection to Japanese envoy

SINGAPORE: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Monday offered prayers at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, sparking protest from both China and South Korea over his alleged disdain for the sentiments of the countries that suffered under Japan's "imperial militarism" before and during the Second World War.

The Shinto Shrine is dedicated to the memory of over two million Japanese nationals who died during the war, including 14 Class-A war criminals who were later convicted by the international community for their atrocities. The shrine has, however, come to be regarded by Japan's neighbours as an enduring monument to its imperial past and as a possible "inspiration" for a renewal of the old-style "militarism."

For Mr. Koizumi, who won a landslide re-election on September 11, the pilgrimage to the controversial shrine was the fifth visit in as many years as Prime Minister. He has often said that his visits to the shrine, aimed at renouncing war as a national option, are simply an aspect of Japan's internal affairs and its own ways of coming to terms with its history. During his latest visit, Mr. Koizumi, dressed in a business suit, was seen walking straight to the altar and clasping his hands in prayer.

Later in the day, the Japanese Ambassador in Beijing was summoned by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which lodged a strong protest. The Chinese Ambassador to Japan, Wang Yi, commented that Beijing was opposed to Mr. Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni Shrine "at any time, in any form."

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