Yasukuni Shrine is considered one most sensitive issue between China and Japan. Anger over former Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi’s visits to the shrine led to China to refuse visits between top leaders for 7 years. Against that backdrop, this announcement by the Japanese Prime Minister to-be has major significance. From AFP:
Yasuo Fukuda, the front-runner to be Japan’s next prime minister, pledged Sunday to strengthen ties with China and said he would not visit a war shrine seen as a symbol of Tokyo’s wartime past…
Fukuda, a 71-year-old elder of the ruling Liberal Democrat Party (LDP), is favourite to beat former foreign minister Taro Aso and succeed outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who announced last week that he was stepping down. [Full Text]
Related report from BBC: What led Shinzo Abe to resign?
Photo of Fukuda
