Soon after his fifth visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi again fueled up on Wednesday the outrage of the peoples in China and other Asian countries with fraudulent arguments.

Contested by Seiji Maehara, president of the largest opposition Democratic Party of Japan, at a party leaders' debate, the Japanese prime minister said he visited the shrine "as one individual citizen," and "do not understand why it should not be done."

Still, Koizumi said, "The Japan-China relations should not be defined solely by the Yasukuni issue."

The provocative remarks were obviously meant to hurt the feelings of the peoples in Asian nations who suffered in the hands of Japanese militarism, and to further undermine Japan's relations with those countries.

His remarks were evidently sophistic and totally ungrounded. As Japan's prime minister, his words and deeds represent the country. Therefore visiting the shrine is a political act on his part. The description of the visit "as one individual citizen" is undoubtedly a self-deceptive sophistry, so are the words about the issue's significance in the relations with China.

It is widely known that Japan's neighbors and the international public opinion have repeatedly warned that Japanese politicians' shrine visits have put Japan's relations with other Asian countries at stake. Nevertheless, Koizumi turned a deaf ear to the warnings and critiques of him and stuck to the visit.

The current bumpy Sino-Japanese relationship has proved to result from his visits to the facility.

Thus, isn't it an intentional provocation that Koizumi obstinately paid visit to the shrine?

At home, the prime minister has set an malign example as more Japanese politicians are following his suit. The facts speak for themselves that more than 100 Japanese lawmakers paid visit to the shrine one day after his tour there.

As the leader of the Japanese administration, Koizumi's conduct has not only encouraged the lawmakers obsessed with perverted historic notion, but also incited the illiberal nationalism in his country. He is not only helping to embolden Japan's rightists, but also misleading the nation's political circles and the younger generation.

However, there is no lack of insightful people in Japan. That is why Koizumi's provocative action has come under criticism and condemnation. Two of his ministers blamed him for undermining the relations with China and South Korea and impairing the stability and development in East Asia.

Maehara pointed out that Koizumi had shut the door of dialogue between Japan and China at the strategic and other levels because of his shrine visits, which have been ruled by the Osaka High Court as a violation to the constitutional principle of separation of state and religion.

Mizuho Fukushima, leader of Japan's opposition Social Democratic Party, said that Koizumi had "damaged the past, current and future relations between Japan and other Asian nations."

She said it was "reasonable" for China to condemn Koizumi's repeated visits and remain concerned about how Japan views the aggressive war 60 years ago.

In his separate speeches at the Asia-Africa Summit in April and on Japan's surrendering day of Aug. 15, Koizumi acknowledged and apologized for the ravage in Asia caused by his country. But only two months later his shrine visit and following sophistry went against these very "soul-searching" remarks made by himself.

The visits are tantamount to an endorsement to the aggression- glorifying viewpoint of history advocated by the shrine.

To say the least, Koizumi's practice has not only greatly undermined the political foundation of the friendly relationship between Japan and other countries in Asia but also has done harm to peace and stability in the region.

Koizumi can neither escape from the historic responsibility for damaging relations with China as well as South Korea.

Source: Xinhua