Chinese state councilor: ‘Abe risked committing great felony’

“Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine enshrining Class-A war criminals by risking committing a great felony,” Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, in charge of Beijing’s diplomacy, strongly blasted Abe on Saturday. “It is an open provocation against all the people who love peace in the world, and violent infringement of historical justice and humanity’s conscientiousness.” Yang announced a statement to this effect with message strongly condemning Abe’s visit to Yasukuni on the Chinese foreign ministry’s website on the day.

The move comes after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Masato Kitera on Thursday, the day when Abe paid the visit, and constitutes a strengthened countermeasure taken by Beijing. Yang also appeared in person on China’s state-run CCTV, and iterated his message, a move that is rather unusual.

“Abe’s retrogression of history is facing strong opposition and stern condemnation by the Chinese government and people and the international community,” Yang said. “Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine in his capacity as prime minister is not Japan’s internal affairs at all, let alone his personal issue,” adding, “It is related to the fundamental matter of determining the right and the wrong, including aggression and anti-aggression, justice and vice, and light and darkness.”

“Abe is taking a dangerous path that is damaging fundamental interests of peoples of various countries and the Japanese people. The international community and enlightened people in various segments of Japanese society are expressing concern,” Yang said. “Abe should remove very bad impact that derives from grave error through real action without fail, and if he fails to do so, he will lose trust from the international community and will become a complete loser on historical stage.”