National News Hu protests over Yasukuni visits

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SANTIAGO (Kyodo) - Chinese President Hu Jintao urged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the APEC summit in the Chilean capital on Nov. 21 to stop visiting Yasukuni shrine, but Koizumi was adamant about continuing the contentious practice.

In their first meeting since October 2003, Hu told Koizumi that history cannot be ignored and urged him to deal with the Yasukuni issue "appropriately."

Koizumi replied that he will take Hu's remarks "sincerely" and sought "understanding" from China about his visits to the shrine dedicated to Japan's war dead, including war criminals.

Koizumi reiterated that his visits are to pay tribute only to the war dead, not the war criminals, and to pledge never to wage war again.

Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni have drawn anger from China and strained bilateral relations, putting a halt to reciprocal visits since October 2001.

胡主席、靖国参拝中止求める

APEC（アジア太平洋経済協力会議）に参加していた小泉純一郎首相と中国の胡錦涛国家主席は11月21日、サンティアゴで首脳会談を行なった。会談の中で胡主席は小泉首相に靖国神社参拝の中止を求めた。

Shukan ST: Dec. 3, 2004

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