Japan Fights Back against China's Criticism

Paris, Jan. 27 (Jiji Press)--Japan contributed a commentary to Le Figaro on Monday in response to China's criticism of Japan over Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Yasukuni Shrine for the war dead last month. Japan is and will remain a peaceful nation, said the commentary by Japanese Ambassador to France Yoichi Suzuki in the French newspaper. He responded to a commentary by Chinese Ambassador to France Zhai Jun in the same newspaper on Jan. 16 that called for imagining someone laying flowers on the grave of Adolf Hitler, as part of China's global campaign against Japan following Abe's controversial visit to the shrine where World War II criminals are enshrined. The Japanese ambassador pointed out that Japan reduced its defense outlays by 6 pct in the past decade while China boosted its military spending more than 10-fold. China has been carrying out provocative acts against Japan and other neighboring countries, increasing tensions in the Asian region, Suzuki said. Japan has asked for dialogue with China at various levels, but China has made no response yet, the Japanese ambassador said. Suzuki also said Abe's Yasukuni visit represents a prayer for peace and does not mean any change in his administration's foreign policy or attitude toward history issues. It is regrettable that China refuses discussions with Japan and tries to spread a wrong idea about Japan's past, Suzuki said. END