Japanese PM pledges more efforts for peace

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Sunday he would further push efforts to "contribute to global peace" and "win trust from the world", suggesting the continuation of current policy to expand Japan's role in global affairs.

Addressing a ceremony at Tokyo to commemorate the 59th anniversary of the end of World War II, the premier said that the war inflicted "huge damage and suffering" to a lot of countries, especially the Asian nations.

"I will make my utmost efforts for Japan to actively contributeto global peace and win more trust from the world," Koizumi said.

The remarks implied his resolution to go on with the policy to promote presence of the Self-Defense Forces internationally.

Sending troops abroad is controversial in Japan considering its pacifist constitution. But overseas operations as UN peacekeeping and antiterrorism missions have been seen since 1990s. Around 500 Japanese troops are currently posted in southern Iraq.

The government reportedly would submit an amendment bill next year, calling to upgrade "international cooperation" from the "collateral mission" to "basic mission". In addition, the Defense Agency is mulling on setting up special forces for such purpose.

Koizumi, as well as most of his cabinet members, did not visit on the day the Yasukuni Shrine that honors Japanese war dead, including A-class WWII war criminals.

The premier, who had vowed to visit the shrine every year, announced early this month his absence because this year's visit was realized on July 1. The four pilgrimages made since he took power in 2001 had evoked fierce criticisms at home and abroad, especially from China and South Korea that suffered from atrocious invasion in that war.

Source: Xinhua