Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ‘unwelcome’ in China after war shrine visit
Talks are ruled out as fears grow that the strained relations with China will only improve when Japan's prime minister is out of office
Beijing said yesterday that Japanese prime minster Shinzo Abe would be "unwelcome" in China because of his visit to a shrine honouring Japan's war dead, including war criminals.
The remarks suggest that the chances of any improvement in Sino-Japanese ties will be slim as long as Abe is in office, analysts said.
Foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said yesterday that leaders of the world's second- and third-largest economies would not have any political dialogue at the highest level.
Abe needs to admit his mistakes to the government and people of China
"Since assuming office, Abe has miscalculated on Sino-Japan ties, and made mistake after mistake, especially visiting the Yasukuni Shrine which houses class A war criminals. These people are fascists, the Nazis of Asia," Qin said. "Of course the Chinese people don't welcome such a Japanese leader, and Chinese leaders will not meet him. Abe has himself shut the door on talks with Chinese leaders."
Abe said that he hoped for talks with Beijing after visiting the shrine last week - the first pilgrimage to the Shinto-style war shrine by a sitting Japanese prime minister since Junichiro Koizumi's visit in 2006.
"Abe's hypocrisy in his claims of prioritising relations with China and hopes for dialogue with the Chinese leaders has been fully revealed," Qin said. "Now, Abe needs to admit his mistakes to the government and people of China, cut loose from the past and make a new start."
On civilian ties - as opposed to government ties - between the two countries, Qin said Abe's actions had created a "tremendous obstacle" to bilateral co-operation and would "eventually hurt Japan's own interests".
Analysts said Beijing's latest remarks suggested there would be no bilateral summit as long as Abe is in office.