BEIJING, April 23 (Xinhuanet) -- More than 60 Chinese history
experts and scholars gathered Tuesday to protest against the
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's latest visit to Tokyo'
s Yasukuni Shrine.
   The gathering was held at the Memorial Hall of the War of
Resistance to Japanese Aggression in Beijing.
   He Li, director of the China Society for the Study of the Anti-
Japanese War, said that the Yasukuni Shrine which enshrines the
memorial tablets of 14 Class-A war criminals is not just a sacred
site, it has become an important front for the Japanese right-wing
force.
   He further noted the fact that a Japanese leader revisits the
shrine creates world doubt and alarm because the visit means the
Japanese government is increasingly influenced by its right-wing.
   After last year's "September 11" attack in the United States,
the right-wing in Japan hoisted the banner of anti-terrorism while
enacting a series of bills which are intended to change  the
country's military objective from territorial defense to the
expansion of overseas forces, he added.
  Li Liangzhi, a professor with the People's University of China,
said that Koizumi had delivered a speech at the Memorial Hall of
the War of Resistance to Japanese Aggression during his visit to
China last October, in which he admitted Japan was responsible for
the aggression, said he pondered deeply about the aggression
carried out during the war and expressed heartfelt sorrow for it
and apologized profoundly.  
   Six months later, while his words were still reverberating in
Chinese people's ears, Koizumi visited the shrine again.
   His erroneous action deeply hurt the feelings of Chinese and
all Asian people and severely damaged Japan's image
internationally.
   Luo Huanzhang, a research fellow with China's Military Academy
of Sciences pointed out that with Japan's economic downturn,
Koizumi intended to boost his flagging popularity by visiting the
shrine even though he risked the world's condemnation by doing so.
   This type of political gambling is doomed to failure and his
action must be strongly condemned as it is a political provocation
to the people in China and in the rest of Asia.
   All the experts and scholars finally stressed that as this year
marks the 65 anniversary of the July 7, 1937 incident and the 30th
anniversary of the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations, the
Japanese government should use history as a mirror and look
forward to the future.
  The Japanese government should also attach great importance to
the solemn and just stand of Chinese government and introspect the
war of aggression so as to win the trust of the Asian people.
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