China Rebukes Japan Over War Shrine Visits

China's foreign ministry summoned Japan's embassy chief in Beijing to protest visits by Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni Shrine. On the 80th anniversary of Japan's World War Two defeat, a Japanese cabinet minister visited the shrine, seen by Asian neighbors as a symbol of wartime aggression.

China's foreign ministry has taken an official stand by summoning Yokochi Akira, the chief minister of Japan's embassy in China, to express strong objections concerning recent visits by Japanese politicians to a controversial war shrine in Tokyo. The ministry released a statement confirming this diplomatic exchange.

The visit to the Yasukuni Shrine by a Japanese cabinet minister occurred on a significant date—the 80th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War Two. This event attracted thousands of visitors and reignited tensions with neighboring Asian countries that view the shrine as a representation of Japan's wartime aggression.

Japan's continued visits to the shrine remain a controversial issue, drawing sharp criticism and diplomatic consequences, particularly from China and other Asian nations who suffered under Japan's military advances during the war. The diplomatic dialogue highlights ongoing sensitivities regarding historical wartime memories.

(With inputs from agencies.)