China Demands Japan Face History After Secret Shrine Records Emerge
China's Foreign Ministry urged Japan to break with its militarist past after records revealed the secret enshrinement of 14 Class-A war criminals.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China demanded that Japan reflect on its wartime crimes following the disclosure of internal Yasukuni Shrine meeting minutes. Japanese media revealed that the Japanese government coordinated the enshrinement of 14 Class-A war criminals, including Hideki Tojo, as early as the 1960s, while keeping the process secret from the public until 1979.
Chinese spokesperson Mao Ning stated that the decision to hide the process proves the Japanese government was aware of the disgrace associated with honoring these individuals. Mao Ning characterized the enshrined individuals as the chief culprits of aggression and noted that the Tokyo Trials condemned them to perpetual infamy.
China criticized current Japanese officials who continue to pay respects at the shrine, asserting that the leadership must make a genuine break with its militarist past. Mao Ning argued that the records demonstrate a deliberate effort to conceal the decision-making process regarding the enshrinement.
