Diplomatic Tensions Rise as Japan Visits Controversial War Shrine

China's embassy in Japan criticized Japanese politicians for visiting Tokyo's controversial war shrine, labeling it a sign of Japan's unresolved issues with its aggressive past. The visit included a cabinet minister on the 80th anniversary of Japan's WWII defeat, stirring diplomatic unease in the region.

China's embassy in Japan has issued a stern rebuke to Japanese politicians for visiting a controversial war shrine in Tokyo. The embassy's statement, released on Friday, argues that the visit signals Japan's "wrong" stance towards its history of militaristic aggression.

Marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War Two, at least one Japanese cabinet minister was among thousands of attendees at the Yasukuni Shrine, a site that many of Japan's Asian neighbors see as emblematic of its wartime aggressions.

The Chinese embassy's statement suggested that the visit represents the "lingering ghosts" of Japan's militaristic past. It called for Japan to distance itself from these aspects of its history.

(With inputs from agencies.)