At a press briefing on Feb. 9, when asked by a Japanese Asahi TV reporter for China’s comment with respect to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s public statement that she may visit the Yasukuni war shrine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded that “amnesia of history means betrayal.”
The exchange went as follows:
Asahi TV: “When asked about a possible visit to the Yasukuni war shrine in an interview after the election, Sanae Takaichi said she is working to “create an environment.” What is China’s comment?”
Lin Jian: “The Yasukuni war shrine is a spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarists’ war of aggression. The shrine honors 14 convicted Class-A war criminals responsible for Japan’s aggression in the 1930s and ’40s. The nature of the issue concerning the Yasukuni war shrine is whether Japan is able to rightly perceive and deeply reflect on its history of militarist aggression. The issue bears on human conscience, the political foundation of China-Japan relations, and the credibility of Japan as a nation. Amnesia of history means betrayal, and denial of responsibility spells relapse.”
