Shrine visit mirrors unrepentant view of wartime aggression(2)

The Yasukuni Shrine is "ground zero for the unrepentant view of Japan's wartime aggression" because it imparted a spiritual dimension to Japanese militarism and colonial rule during WWII and became "a revered living symbol of that militarism," the Chinese diplomat wrote.

He noted that the shrine includes a war museum, Yushukan, whose deliberately revisionist narrative of WWII lauds "Japan's salvage of Asian countries from the colonial rule of Western countries" and details "crimes committed by the United States."

"The Japanese government's attitude toward this shrine is a test of its ability to understand and confront its legacy of militarism and war crimes. Because Abe is prime minister, his homage has implications inside and outside Japan. It is by no means the act of a private individual," Cui said.

Abe's actions undermine his stated aim to increase Japan's engagement in safeguarding world peace, while his government's efforts to accelerate Japan's military buildup and his initiative to rewrite Japan's largely U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution "are disconcerting," particularly in the context of Abe's assertions that the term "aggression" has yet to be defined and that no evidence exists proving that "comfort women" were forced into sexual servitude during the war, Cui said.

"Japan can embrace a constructive and cooperative future for East Asia by discarding militarism. Ensuring the continued peace and prosperity of our part of the world is in the best interest of all people and countries in this region. Abe is threatening the hard work we have all done to make East Asia the growth engine of the global economy," he said.

Cui urged Japanese leaders to listen to their neighbors and abandon confrontational rhetoric, so that Japan can join with other countries including China, South Korea and the United States to continue to build prosperity and stability for all of Asia.

"The alternative is simply untenable," he said.