Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso hinted on Sunday that he would probably not visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine "for the country's interest" if elected as prime minister in September.

Aso made the remarks on an NHK news program when talking about the strained relations between Japan and China due to the prime minister's repeated visits to the war-linked shrine.

"The interest of the nation should be put before personal interest and belief," said Aso, suggesting that he would probably not pay respect to the Shinto shrine, considering the opposition from China and South Korea.

The Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 Class-A war criminals along with over 2 million war dead. The Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits there have severely hurt the feelings of Asian people who suffered from atrocities by Japanese aggression army before and during the WWII.

Koizumi is expected to step down this September. Aso, one of the hopeful candidates, has always backed the shrine visits by the premier.

Source: Xinhua