China protests Japanese lawmakers' shrine visit

BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhua) -- A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Tuesday urged Japan to adhere to its commitments after a group of 168 Japanese lawmakers visited the Yasukuni Shrine, where convicted war criminals are honored alongside the country's World War II casualties.

Spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily press briefing that no matter in what form and identity, the intent of the Japanese leaders' visits to the Yasukuni Shrine is to deny the history of Japanese militarist aggression.

Japan's neighbors in Asia and the international community should be highly alert to their behavior and intentions, according to Hua.

She urged the Japanese side to take meaningful action to win the trust of the international community, in order to avoid harming itself and others or isolating itself.

Only when Japan learns from history can it embrace the future, said the spokeswoman.

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