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Koizumi again raps China, defends his Yasukuni visits+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)TOKYO, March 27_(Kyodo) _ Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi again criticized China on Monday for refusing summit talks over his visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, saying the visits should not be blamed in any sense. "It would make no sense for China not to hold summit talks because of the visits to Yasukuni Shrine," Koizumi said in a House of Councillors Budget Committee session, while reiterating that he is an advocate of Japan-China friendship. "One who pays visits with a sense of condolences for the war dead on the basis of regrets of the war should not be criticized in any sense," the premier said. Koizumi reiterated his feelings over the Yasukuni visits at a time when Japanese friendship organizations are expecting Chinese President Hu Jintao not to refer to the row over the Shinto shrine in his speech at their meeting Friday. The Japanese side has asked through Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wang Yi that Hu do not directly refer to Yasukuni Shrine and Class-A war criminals, an issue that has soured bilateral ties, sources said over the weekend. Since taking office in 2001, Koizumi has repeatedly visited Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A war criminals along with the war dead and is regarded by China as symbolic of Japan's past militarism. He last visited the shrine last October. |