Q: Several Japanese cabinet members paid homage today to the Yasukuni Shrine. What are your comments on it?

A: The war of aggression launched by the Japanese militarism brought unprecedented and untold sufferings to China and other Asian nations. The people of Japan, too, suffered a great deal from it. One should correctly recognize and treat that part of history, and take history as a mirror in which to look at the future. It is conducive to the healthy and steady development of good-neighborly and friendly relations between China and Japan, and to Japan's harmonious relationship with its neighbors. It is eventually in conformity with Japan's own interests.