Japan should learn from Germany's post-war rejection of Hitler and end the "worship" of those who inflicted harm during World War II, China's foreign minister said yesterday, in comments likely to inflame tensions over the Japanese leader's visits to a war shrine.
"After the end of World War II there wasn't anyone in Germany who worshipped Hitler," Li Zhaoxing (李肇星) told reporters on the sidelines of a conference of Pacific Rim economies. "As a Japanese, as a person, everyone should know this.
"One should not worship those type of people who inflict harm on so many others," Li said. "There's been no one among the German leadership after the war who worshipped Hitler."
Controversial visit
Tokyo-Beijing tensions flared last month after Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi paid his fifth visit to the contentious Yasukuni war shrine, triggering a protest by China and other critics who consider the visits a glorification of Japanese militarism. Beijing also canceled a planned visit by Japan's foreign minister.
The shrine honors Japan's 2.5 million war dead, including several executed war criminals from World War II. Japan invaded China in the 1930s and is accused of many atrocities on Chinese soil.
Li met with his South Korean counterpart, Ban Ki-moon, yesterday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meetings in Busan, South Korea, and the Japanese war shrine issue was among those discussed, officials said.
Koizumi, Chinese President Hu Jintao (
After the meeting, Li acknowledged China-Japan relations were "having difficulties, but the responsibility lies squarely with the Japanese leadership."
Koizumi "ought not do anything again that is hurtful to the Chinese people or the people of the Asia Pacific region," Li said.
Making an effort
Speaking before Li made his remarks about Hitler, Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Yoshinori Katori said Japan would try to narrow its differences on the issue with China and South Korea.
"The bilateral relations with Korea, as well as China, these are one of the most important bilateral relations for Japan," Katori told reporters. "We are going to continue our efforts to explain Japan's position and also to continue our dialogue with other countries."
Koizumi recently expressed hopes that he would meet with Hu on the sidelines of APEC's annual summit in to be held later this week, but officials said this was unlikely to occur.
Li would not comment directly on whether Hu would agree to meet with Koizumi, saying only "the Chinese people want a real friendship with Japan but Japanese leaders ought not do any more things that cause pain to the other Asian countries."
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