A day ahead of the surrender anniversary, Senior Colonel Chen Xi, a spokesperson for the Chinese defence ministry, warned against Japanese “neo-militarism”.
“We urge the Japanese side to earnestly reflect on itself, recognise and atone for its crimes, adhere to the post-war international order, and stop its dangerous acts of remilitarisation,” Chen said.
China and Russia’s ambassadors to Japan also issued a joint statement about their countries’ sacrifices in World War II, Jiji Press reported.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril islands in Russia’s far east for the first time, sparking a strong protest from Japan, which also claims the territories.
GUIDANCE ON UNIFORMS
Yasukuni this week also appealed to visitors to refrain from wearing military-style uniforms so that the “general public can worship in peace and quiet at our shrine”.
It remained to be seen if the guidance would be adhered to on Saturday, with the shrine saying staff would “provide guidance” at the entrance to those “unaware”.
“While these are merely requests and do not imply that visitors will be forcibly asked to leave, we earnestly ask for your understanding of the intent behind these guidelines and your cooperation,” its statement said.
An AFP reporter estimated that around 20-30 people in uniforms were there.
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