Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday paid his sixth visit since taking office to the Yasukuni Shrine which honors Japan's notorious World War II war criminals, arousing strong domestic and international criticism.

On a day which marks the 61st anniversary of Japan's capitulation in World War II, Koizumi once again paid a visit to the shrine, in total disregard of international justice.

Koizumi has come up with a number of lame excuses to try to justify his visits to the shrine, asserting that it was a matter of "personal freedom," it belonged to Japan's domestic affairs and had nothing to do with Japan's relations with China. He also said his visit was a peaceful prayer and that only China and South Korea opposed it.
Can there be any justification in these arguments? The answer is no.

On April 18, 2001, when Koizumi was campaigning for the premiership, he vowed to visit the shrine once he was elected, saying he would do so regardless of any kind criticism.

Now people can see clearly that even before he became prime minister, he already viewed his prospective shrine visits as of political behavior rather than personal one. As a government leader, Koizumi's shrine visits reflect the official stance on the wars of aggression Japan launched some 60 years ago, and on the Class A war criminals.

Therefore, it is totally irresponsible for him to describe this matter of grave importance and principle as one of "personal freedom."

Do his visits belong to Japan's domestic affairs only and have nothing to do with Japan's relationship with China? Definitely not.

The Yasukuni Shrine honors 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including about 1,000 convicted war criminals during World War II, 14 of whom were wartime leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as "Class A" war criminals.

The war dead including war criminals honored there were responsible for the most atrocious crimes during Japan's war of aggression against its Asian neighbors.

The wars of aggression inflicted unparalleled disasters on the Chinese people and people of other Asian countries. The shrine visit is a matter that goes far beyond the category of Japan's domestic affairs and Asian countries and their people have every right to urge Koizumi to stop his visits to the shrine in his capacity as prime minister.

How could the Chinese people, who suffered the most in the wars, be expected to welcome a Japanese prime minister who has repeatedly paid visits to the shrine, hurting the feelings of the Chinese people? And How can it be said that his visits have no negative impact on the development of the friendly relations and cooperation between China and Japan?

Koizumi said only China and South Korea opposed his shrine visits. But the fact is that his visits have drawn widespread international criticism.

Henry J. Hyde, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations, had sent a letter in April to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, demanding Koizumi not be invited to deliver a speech at Congress during his June visit to the United States, unless Tokyo pledged the Japanese leader wouldn't pay any shrine visit after returning home.

Hyde is just one of the many politicians and political dignitaries around the world who stand firmly against the visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by the Japanese leaders. Therefore, it is absurd for Koizumi to say that only China and South Korea oppose his visits to the shrine.

As a matter of fact, many Japanese people and people of Asian countries, as well as politicians, the public and media have added their voices to the chorus of condemnation worldwide against the shrine visits.

Are the shrine visits "for the sake of peace?" Absolutely not.

The prime minister's visit to the Chidorigafuchi Cemetery of the War Dead, his presence in the memorial ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki had never raised any objection from the international community.

But the Yasukuni Shrine had been a national establishment symbolizing Japanese militarism before the war.

There is a corner in the shrine that resembles a military museum, where everything on display is aimed at promoting the distorted idea that the " Great East Asian War was a war for self-defense."

The Class A war criminals, whose hands were stained with the blood of peoples of the Asian countries, are honored there as "heroes." The shrine tries to convey the impression that peace in today's Japan has been built on the basis of their "sacrifices."

This is definitely a deception against the whole world and a profanation of the human conscience.

Koizumi's shrine visit has practically encouraged those far-rightists who still indulge in the pipe dream of the "Great East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere."

Another purpose of Koizumi's shrine visits is to win over some voters by showing off his acts of ignoring criticism from China and South Korea.

Koizumi's Tuesday visit to the Yasukuni Shrine has inevitably further tarnished his personal image among the Asian peoples, and he is destined to become a negative character in the history of Japan's relations with its Asian neighbors.

Sino-Japanese relations have soured in recent years, which has caused concerns among the peoples of the two countries and drawn the international attention.

Neither China nor the Japanese people should bear the responsibility for the situation. The sticking point is Koizumi's insistence on visiting the shrine, which has hurt the feelings of the peoples of the victim countries of Japan's aggression, including China, and damaged the political foundation of the Sino-Japanese ties.

The Chinese government has always valued China's relations with Japan and has made unremitting efforts to improve and expand them, believing that the Sino-Japanese relationship is one of the most important bilateral relationships for both sides.

The Japanese side should make concerted efforts to clear the political obstacles to the development of Sino-Japanese ties so as to bring them back on normal track at an early date.