Quote me on that
"The Potsdam Proclamation and the judgment by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East were recognized by Japan and were the premises for building postwar Japan. The Japanese government must keep its promises and take a clear and responsible attitude toward defining the nature of its wars of aggression as well as the responsibility of the Class-A war criminals. China holds no objection to the ordinary people's memorial ceremony for their relatives, but Japanese leaders' shrine visits are related to Japan's understanding of the nature and responsibility of the war. China absolutely cannot accept it."
Cheng Yonghua, Chinese ambassador to Japan
"If militarism is like the haunting Voldemort of Japan, the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo is a kind of horcrux, representing the darkest parts of that nation's soul. Deep down, paying this kind of homage reveals whether Japan is trustworthy. It raises serious questions about attitudes in Japan and its record of militarism, aggression and colonial rule. It is a choice between aggression and non-aggression, between good and evil and between light and dark. Regrettably, what Mr Abe did has raised the specter of militarism rising again in Japan."
Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom
"Calling himself an advocate of 'active pacifism', Abe still chose to visit the Yasukuni Shrine regardless of the backlash from the international community. Countries including South Korea, China, and the United States should make concerted efforts to denounce and criticize Abe's wrong view of history revealed by his shrine visit until the end of his political career. It is time for Abe to seriously reflect on history instead of making oral apologies and promises. Abe must make a sincere confession for Japan's wrongdoings during wartime and take concrete measures for compensation."
Kim Min-kyu, an expert on diplomatic relations in Northeast Asia with the Northeast Asian History Foundation in South Korea
Zhang Qing and Peng Qian from Xinhua News Agency in Seoul contributed to this story.
(China Daily 01/03/2014 page12)
