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Akbar Novruz

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China has urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to confront Japan’s wartime past and avoid actions linked to militarism, following her comments on the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors convicted war criminals alongside Japan’s war dead, AzerNEWS reports.

Speaking in Beijing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials, stressing that Japan should “face up to and reflect on its history of aggression,” exercise restraint on sensitive historical issues such as Yasukuni, and “make a complete break with militarism with real actions.”

“Amnesia of history means betrayal,” Lin said, warning that lessons from the past “must not be ignored.”

Takaichi’s remarks came after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) secured a sweeping victory in Sunday’s snap elections. During a television appearance, she said she would first seek understanding from Japan’s ally, the United States, and neighboring countries before considering any visit to the shrine. “I’ve been trying to prepare an environment,” she said, according to Kyodo News.

Visits to Yasukuni by Japanese leaders have long provoked strong reactions from China and South Korea, both of which suffered under Japan’s wartime occupation. The last sitting prime minister to visit the shrine was Shinzo Abe in 2013, a move that also drew criticism from Washington.

Takaichi’s comments coincided with the LDP’s unprecedented parliamentary success. The party won 315 seats in the 465-seat lower house, and together with its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, secured a supermajority of 351 seats, allowing legislation to pass even over objections from the upper house. It is the first time in the post-war era that the LDP has achieved such dominance.

Reacting to the election outcome, Lin said the results reflected “deep-seated structural problems” and shifting ideological trends in Japan, calling for reflection by Japanese leaders and the international community. He also urged Tokyo to adhere to the four key political documents governing China–Japan relations.