China protests Japanese leaders' shrine-worshipping

BEIJING - China has lodged solemn representations to Japan over visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese leaders, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Monday.

Hua Chunying made the remarks in response to a question on China's reaction to Japanese leaders' worshipping at the controversial shrine, which honors 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including 14 leading World War II war criminals.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made donations and three cabinet ministers prayed at the shrine over the weekend, according to local media.

Hua said the crux of the Yasukuni Shrine matter is whether Japanese leaders correctly see and treat the country's history of invasion, and respect the feelings of the people of China and other victimized countries.

The Japanese army's atrocities during World War II are pinned down by irrefutable evidence, according to Hua.

"Only when Japan faces up to its aggressive past can it embrace the future and develop friendly relations with its Asian neighbors," she added.