China strongly condemned Japanese officials' visits to Yasukuni Shrine and has lodged stern representations and strong protests with Japan. The Foreign Ministry said Yasukuni is a spiritual instrument and symbol of Japanese militarism and that the shrine's enshrinement of 14 Class-A war criminals — the principal architects of wartime aggression — makes it effectively a war-criminal shrine. Beijing warned the visits amount to historical revisionism, risk accelerating remilitarization, challenge t

China strongly condemned Japanese officials' visits to Yasukuni Shrine and has lodged stern representations and strong protests with Japan. The Foreign Ministry said Yasukuni is a spiritual instrument and symbol of Japanese militarism and that the shrine's enshrinement of 14 Class-A war criminals — the principal architects of wartime aggression — makes it effectively a war-criminal shrine. Beijing warned the visits amount to historical revisionism, risk accelerating remilitarization, challenge the postwar international order and undermine regional trust, and urged Japan to deeply reflect, sever ties with militarism and take concrete steps to reassure Asian neighbors and the international community. The statement noted this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials.