China describes Japanese PM as 'troublemaker'

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is a "troublemaker" who has lost credibility with China and its people after his visit to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a memorial for Japan's war dead, a top Chinese official said today.
Abe's visit to Yasukuni Shrine has seriously undermined the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations, said Lyu Xinhua, a spokesman of the Chinese political advisory body, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
China takes umbrage at the Japanese leaders' visits to the shrine as it honours for 14 convicted Class-A war criminals and other war-dead during World War II, he said addressing the media ahead of the meet of the CPPCC.

Abe is a "regional troublemaker" who is playing a double game, Lyu said.
On one hand, he talked about having a face-to-face dialogue with China and on the other hand, "in total disregard of China-Japan relationship and regional stability, he has compromised the interest of Japan's neighbours and hurt the feelings of the people of Asian countries victimised in the WWII", Lyu said.
Abe has also repeatedly created military tensions by expanding advanced weaponry and equipment, he said. "He has lost his credibility with the Chinese government and the Chinese people."

Lyu said the dialogue with China will only be possible after Abe corrects his mistake with credible actions, and puts an immediate end to all words and deeds that might jeopardise China-Japan relations and create regional tensions.

Japan's neighbours see Yasukuni Shrine as a symbol of the country's militarism during and before World War II. The shrine is believed to be the repository of around 2.5 million souls of Japan's war dead.
Amid the deepening divide over the disputed islands with Japan in the East China Sea, China in recent months has been criticising Abe, accusing him of attempting to stitch an anti-China alliance.
Noting an ongoing movement towards the Right in Japan's politics, Lyu said future developments in Japan are a cause of concern.
"The Japanese people don't want to see Japan repeat its past mistakes and the international community will not allow Japan to turn back the wheels of history," he said.

The CPPCC and China's national legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), would hold their annual sessions for a fortnight from tomorrow during which several new legislations are expected to be passed.